Loris Diran presents ‘Samarkand’ collection featuring GULI jewelry and accessories

The collection reflects Diran’s first collaboration with GULI brand, which is famous for its exquisite jewelry collections and clothing and accessory lines that combine modern trends and Oriental luxury.

The Spring/Summer 2014 Collection draws its inspiration from Diran’s time spent in Central Asia’s Uzbekistan. Last year Diran presented his collection at Style.Uz Art Week, the biggest art and fashion event in Central Asia. His Uzbek experience led him to conceive an idea of creating a collection that would combine his own esthetic with Oriental textures and colors.

From the deep, Warm Spice tones of the oriental bazaars to the opulence and ancient grandeur of its architectural gems, Diran’s fascination resulted in the birth of a tale of a western visitor’s sensorial epiphany told in Ikat inspired prints and rich cotton brocades, linen satins, and silks.

“I got to attend Style.Uz Art Week last year. I really did not know a lot about Uzbekistan, but I knew that I needed to do something, go far away from where I was. I did a show, and Carolina Herrera, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana all did shows at the same time in Tashkent. And I discovered something I never knew: the region between Eastern Europe, China and Mongolia, which is Central Asia. And I learned so much about it and the people were so amazing. The culture is so wildly rich, the whole Silk Road is magnificent. The colors, the smell, the sights, the prints, the fabrics, reminiscent of the things I remembered about Uzbekistan. When I was there I met Gulnara Karimova. First of all, she is an outstandingly beautiful woman, which is the first thing you notice. It is like an Asian Heidi Klum, gorgeous, tall, magnificent – the clothes, hair, face – just beautiful. And on top of all that, she is very talented. She designs jewelry, she has a clothing line, she sings – I played some of the songs in a show tonight. I listen to it home all the time. She gifted me a CD before I left and I loved it. And I said, the next summer collection that I do will be dedicated to combining my esthetics with the ideas, colors and textures of Central Asia. And Gulnara became the inspiration for a few dresses.”

The runway presentation marked Mr. Diran’s return to New York Fashion Week schedule after a two-year absence during which his collections were shown exclusively in Italy and Asia. His designs have been worn by the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyonce, Ne-Yo, Ricky Martin, Jonathan Rhys Meyer, Sofia Milos, Britney Spears, Live Schreiber and Andrew McCarthy, and were featured in the hit film “The Devil Wears Prada”.