Goulnara Karimova – Diplomat, patron of arts and creative personality

Recently the Geneva diplomatic community has welcomed new ambassador from Uzbekistan. Her Excellency Ambassador Goulnara Karimova assumed her post as Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva. She is a well-known figure not only in Uzbekistan but far beyond the country. Raison d`etre of such popularity is explained by her wide-scale and many-sided activities in political, cultural and public spheres.

Prior to her current assignment in Geneva Goulnara Karimova served as a Deputy Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan for international cooperation in Cultural and Humanitarian spheres.

Goulnara Karimova holds a master`s degree in regional research studies from Harvard University in the United States and doctor of political sciences from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Uzbekistan. She started her diplomatic career in 1995 at the Department of Political Analysis and Forecast of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan. Following years she has served as an adviser to the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Uzbekistan to the United Nations in New York City and minister-counsellor of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Moscow.

Goulnara Karimova also presides over the Board of Trustees of the Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Foundation (shortly known as the Fund Forum), the country`s leading public organization dealing with a broad range of issues in cultural and humanitarian spheres, and is in charge of a number of social and charity organizations operating at a national scope: “Mehr Nuri” (Light of Mercy) Foundation, Public Association “Jenskoe sobranie” (Women`s Assembly) and Social Initiatives Support Foundation. In 2005 Goulnara Karimova established a national think-tank – Center of Political Studies in Tashkent.

All Directions of Crossroads of Arts

Diversity, rich color and dynamism... This is a brief description of the development of modern Uzbekistan`s cultural life. Its main feature is a symbiosis of traditional and modern culture. On the one hand, the historical and spiritual cultural values are revived, and on the other, the new paradigms of culture are emerging; innovative projects in the sphere of modern art are implemented and the country is expanding its cultural interchange with other nations of the world.

A significant role in this process is being played by a number of public organizations, including the Fund Forum which was established in 2004 and today is well-known not only in Uzbekistan but also abroad.

Among priority tasks of the organization are to present national Uzbek culture abroad, cultivate and extend the country`s international cooperation in cultural sphere, provide for a broad support to young talents and creative people.

At the moment, the projects of the Fund Forum have become nation-wide and grown into new organizations. Its activities are gaining an international recognition, the fact which is obviously buttressed by a growing number of the Organization`s representative offices in various foreign capitals. In the year of its establishment the Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Foundation had the only foreign office in Moscow. But the following years its representative offices have been established in Beijing, Tokyo and Paris.

The Fund Forum has expanding partnership ties with many other countries of the world including Austria, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Luxemburg, Egypt, Republic of Korea and others.

Activities of the Fund Forum aimed at development of culture, art, science, education, healthcare and sport received a special acknowledgement of respectful international organizations, and particularly, the UNESCO. It is precisely thanks to this fact that the Fund Forum became the first among all public organizations in the CIS countries an official partner of UNESCO and recently of the British Council.

According to a general view, in successful development of the Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Foundation a due credit must be given to a great commitment and devotion of its founder and Chairperson of Board of trustees of the Organization Goulnara Karimova who for over the last years has been carrying out an active work in the sphere of culture and art, especially in promoting the Uzbek culture abroad.

Her appointment in February 2008 as the Deputy Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan for International Cooperation in Cultural and Humanitarian spheres and in September as a Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the UN Office at Geneva and other International Organizations has been directly related by many observers to such efforts in cultural and humanitarian areas.

For over the last years the Fund Forum has accomplished a number of major projects which generated a great interest both in Uzbekistan and abroad. Among those highlights can be a Defile of Uzbek designers in Paris, photo exhibitions on the topic of “125 years of Uzbek photography” presented in France, Luxemburg, Belgium, Germany, China, Japan, Russia and the Ukraine, exhibition “Great Silk Road and its Heritage” in Tokyo, annually organized in Moscow “Evening of Uzbek Art”, art exhibition of “Dreams about the East: Russian Vanguard and Bukhara Silk” in Saint Petersburg, exhibition “Colors of Silk Road: Suzane of Uzbekistan” in Glasgow, and many others.

The Fund Forum also became an official partner of the annual Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography in France.

Activities of the Fund Forum at national level are rather extensive and diverse. They cover most of the directions of cultural and humanitarian sphere: traditional and modern art, science, fashion and design, support of young talents, allocation of educational and pedagogical grants, sports, etc.

In particular, it implements a major annual project devoted to supporting young talents in Uzbekistan – the Republican Festival of Child Creativity “Yangi Avlod” (New Generation) in which the young talents throughout the country take part. Among other big projects of the Fund Forum: Program on Educational Grants, Program of Scholarships for gifted students, Contest of talented youth “Kelajak Ovozi (Voice of the Future), Festival of applied and contemporary art “Navkiron Uzbekiston” (‘Youth of Uzbekistan`), Annual award in sphere of music and TV M&TVA, Exhibition-fair of applied arts and crafts “Bazar-art”, Festival of Traditional Culture “Asrlar Sadosi” (‘Echo of Centuries`), and others.

Apart from that, the Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Foundation renders support to implementing various international projects in Uzbekistan. In particular, it is one of the organizers of Tashkent International Biennale of Modern Art, International Photo Biennale, International photo exhibition of actual arts “East and West. Tashkent Crossroads”, and others.

Several organizations and creative unions have been established in the country based on projects of the Fund Forum among which there are: the Center of Youth Initiatives “Voice of the Future”, Center of Art and Child Creativity in various cities of the country, Children Sport Complex, “Champion Forum” Sports Complex, Center of National Arts and “Asia” Art Gallery.

Substantial projects and events of the Fund Forum continue to familiarize the international audiences with various aspects of the Uzbek culture and art and bridge the distances through culture.

Recently, on October 12-17 the Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan organized for the third time its annual Style.Uz Design and Fashion Week. The first Fashion week was held in 2006 and for over the past period of time this glamorous and prestigious project gained a high recognition by the fashion industry professionals, internationally renowned designers, as well as fashion critics and public.

This year`s Design and Fashion Week Style.Uz-2008 presented a diverse art-menu consisted of defiles, presentations, master-classes, art and fashion exhibitions, contests of young designers, concerts of world music stars, and, certainly, social events.

Among special guests of the Fashion week were couturier Takada Kenzo, Executive Director of the Bundestheater Holding of Austria Georg Springer, world music stars Julio Iglesias and Rod Stewart, vice-president of the Chopard Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, director of the division of Italian Mantero Seta S.p.A. company Roberto Bre, Austrian artist Michael Fuchs, French fashion photographer Andre Rau, director of ballet school of Vienna Opera Theater Jolanta Grasser, leading fashion-journalist of Japan Oda Akira, and others.

Foreign participants of fashion shows were Sisi Wasabi (Germany), Wolford (Аustria), DSQUARED2 (Italy), Revillon, Guy Laroche (France), Norio Surikabe with his brand Support Surface (Japan), Sunnet Varma (India), and the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (China).

The national modern tendencies of the Uzbek fashion world were presented by the Uzbek designers Sherzod Atabaev, Artem Drobyshev, Saida Amir, Dildora Kasymova, Aygul Umurgazina, and others.

Main inspirer and organizer of Design and Fashion Week Goulnara Karimova, a graduate of the New York Fashion Institute of Technology, presented her costumes and jewelry collections under her own brand of Guli.

A special feature of the Uzbek Design and Fashion Week was that the event was not limited to defile shows but included other cultural presentations such as Personal art exhibitions of Austrian artist Michael Fuchs and Uzbek artist Gafur Kadyrov, Exposition of national rarities from museum and private collections “First time after centuries” presented by Uzbekistan`s Antiques Association “Meros” (‘Heritage`), as well as photography and graphics contest.

Also, throughout the Week on display was the Design and Fashion Exhibition that illustrated textile, jewelry, accessories, interior decoration items and footwear.

A presentation by the Swiss jewelry company Chopard was also held as a part of the Week. Vice-President of the company Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele and author of Guli brand Goulnara Karimova announced the launching of Chopard and Guli project by establishing their joint collection whose cash assets will be directed to charity purposes of the Fund Forum.

The start and conclusion of the Style.Uz – 2008 was marked with two big musical concerts. World maestro Julio Iglesias performed on the first day of the Fashion week at the Tashkent Opera House. Closing ceremony of the Week held at the famous Registan Square of Samarkand, a historical–cultural center of Central Asia, turned out to be a particularly special with a concert program by world rock star Rod Stewart whose performance was preceded by Festival of national costumes.

As both international and national participants of the Style.uz-2008 have said, this year`s Design and Fashion Week became quite exceptional. It has placed high emphasis not only on defile platforms but also on other aspects of cultural splendor.

Thus the meaning of Style.Uz is not restricted only to fashion but yet it represents a broad landscape and style of modern culture in Uzbekistan, reveals its new colors, and, certainly, serves as a venue to get in touch with contemporary cultural trends of different countries of the world. Therefore indeed from now on the Design and Fashion Week Style.UZ can rightly enjoy a title of Art Week.

Simon Hewitt reports from the 3rd Design & Fashion Week in Tashkent and Samarkand, coordinated by Uzbekistan`s recently appointed Ambassador to the U.N., S.E. Mrs Goulnara Karimova.

1. Tashkent`s spanking new National Arts Centre is carpeted with red roses and white lilies. Models in traditional costume unfurl an embroidered Uzbek banner. We are all set for Style.uz 2008 Fashion & Design Week.

The opening defile features designs by students from Tashkent`s Dom Stilya (House of Style). The warmest applause is reserved for the Guli fashion label owned by Goulnara Karimova, herself a trained fashion designer. After being escorted to her front-row seat by Julio Iglesias, she is summoned on stage in white mini-skirt and black tights to receive a bouquet and make a gracious little speech.

Then come defiles by different designers, including Moscow`s Alena Akhmadullina and Berlin`s Sisi Wasabi, whose Fanny von dem Bussche is ecstatic. “The models are beautiful, and I love the patterns and colours – it`s completely different from the German way... We`re heading back with a suitcaseful of inspiration!”

After the defile we enjoy a midnight recital by Maestro Iglesias in the Tashkent Opera House. Designed by Alexei Schusev, with Alhambran-frilly vaults, chandeliers and stucco work, this must be one of the finest 20th century buildings in Central Asia.

At 65, Julio remains trim and nostalgic. “I had to change planes in Tashkent once, in 1969” he recalls. “No one recognized me!”

The Tashkent audience knows much of Julio`s repertoire and sings along politely. “There is here a most beautiful woman, who is a wonderful singer” declares the Latin Lover near the end of the concert. “I would like to sing with her.” Goulnara – now in a long black dress, and modestly ensconced in the third row – displays bashful reluctance before venturing up on stage for a croonful duet of “Ne Me Quitte Pas”.

2. Next morning we head to the spanking new Yoshlar Ijod Saroyi (Youth Creativity Palace) for the opening of a week-long exhibition of... Creativity: everything from flower-ranging to website-design.

Foreign luxury brands like Swarovski and Baccarat, already present in wealthy Tashkent, have stands. Two pretty girls are being covered in sparkling, flower-patterned body-paint so they can walk around looking for journalists to be photographed with.

As a rare foreign journalist at Style.uz, I am treated as a minor celebrity – granted my own interpreter, Nazokathon (such a fan of English literature that her email pseudonym is JaneAusten19), then whisked off to be interviewed in front of the giant sponsors` board like a soccer star after a Champions` League match.

At the opening press conference, I ask Goulnara what she hopes the week will achieve in promoting Uzbek culture internationally.

It`s a two-way process, she replies, and “a great opportunity not just for bold PR, which sometimes does not work, but to take in ideas, colours and emotions... To mix and to see each other.”

Goulnara, I later learn, means pomegranate blossom. “Most people know only the fruit,” she says enigmatically. “Not the blossom.”

3. I am interviewed at my hotel by a blonde, ethnic Russian journalist, Elya Haziahmetova, in tandem with a multi-ethnic brunette, Kamila Usmanova, who is part-Kirgiz, part-Arab, part-Uzbek and part-Tatar. She has an enchantingly cosmopolitan smile that seems to symbolize Tashkent`s happy melting pot.

Back at the Palace it`s time for a new defile, this one sponsored by Underground nightclub and devoted to young Uzbek designers. It is compered by a tattooed DJ and features funky dancers, a singing duo, and graffiti artists producing a spray-gun Underground logo at the back of the stage.

Dr Khalida Kamilova, the guru of Uzbek fashion, cuts a daunting figure in the front row, making notes about every design; only the best will be selected for international competitions. “Our young designers are searching” she explains. “Not many become full-time designers, but a lot go into advertising, computer design and interior decoration.”

Budding designers have been preparing for Style.uz Fashion Week for nearly a year, making their own costumes – and designing the make-up, hairstyles and accessories, which range from heart-shaped pencil moustaches to bushy eyebrows of coloured paper.

The blend of cutting-edge trends (students monitor international fashion weeks from Milan to Moscow) and traditional Uzbek design, with its skilled embroidery, luxuriant fabrics and firecracker patterns, gives Style.uz its alluring and distinctive feel.

4. We head to the National Arts Centre for a tour with its sparkle-eyed director, Dr Elmira Akhmedova. Apart from a restaurant and a catwalk, the shiny new centre has a series of boutiques showcasing different facets of Uzbek craftsmanship: knives; metal-work; lacquered boxes; fine art; clothing; carpets; and ceramics, including the intricate, Jeff Koons-like porcelain sculptures of Shakhnoza Muminova – the only female Academician at the Uzbekistan Academy of Arts. The centre is non-profit-making and gives grants to artists and craftsmen nationwide.

Then it`s back to the Creativity Palace for today`s defile. After an energetic, air-chopping dance-routine by a score of children, each wearing a T-shirt with a different national flag, this evening`s show has an international flavour – with collections by Wolford (Austria), D-Squared (Italy), Revillon (French furs), and Suneet Varma (India), whose lavishly embroidered costumes look right at home.

Then it`s on to the Radisson Hotel for a second defile promoting Chopard jewellery. This involves sophisticated choreography starring the Girl with the Burning Eyes, dripping with diamonds in a deep purple gown.

I bump into her (not, alas, literally) afterwards on the steps outside and wonder, if I try talking to her, whether she melted me with a burning look. Nichevo! Natalya Petrova is delightful, speaks perfect English, travels the world with the local Figaro model agency, and is nicknamed Sweet Tasha.

We move on to a swish restaurant where open-jawed diners gulp down the news that Chopard and Guli are to launch a joint jewellery collection, with profits going to charity.

Chopard`s Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele and Guli`s Goulnara Karimova mix cocktails to celebrate.

5. Back at the Creativity Palace I meet Akmal Nur, an artist who rebelled against the Communist system “to show us” (in the words of a Russian critic) “love, poets and fluting under the Moon.” Akmal is clutching a massive trilingual catalogue of his oeuvre, and busy preparing a small show in Zurich in December and a giant retrospective in Tashkent next May.

There is no evening defile – but a trip to the Sarbon restaurant, where a jazzy xylophone duo spar with a gijjak fiddler as Goulnara arrives to inaugurate a presentation of Guli gold jewellery.

The evening concludes with a concert by Robert Blum`s Russian rocker buddy, Avraam Russo.

6. Today we say farewell to Tashkent and head to Samarkand to see another, slightly older rocker: Rod Stewart.

It is a clear day with mesmerizing views of rocky mountains and distant snowy peaks rising above the desert plains of this landlocked country – in fact, the only double-landlocked country in the world (along with Liechtenstein).

The land greens up as we near Samarkand and a police escort whisks us into town.

Samarkand seeps with Islamic history. Meaty carcases and tables piled high with circular loaves line the street opposite historic Registan Square, where the open-air concert will be held. With the milling crowds, police cordons, smoky braziers and concert lights rehearsing against the darkening sky, it feels like we`re minutes away from an evening kick-off.

Long, sonorous karnay horns herald our arrival. A tiny girl comes singing, dancing and skipping down the 50-meter stage before the models emerge for a final defile, devoted to traditional Uzbek costume. A tiny boy does the splits on a tight rope above the stage.

After the parade, Goulnara makes a gracious little speech explaining how, in its third edition, Design & Fashion Week has segued into a fully-fledged Week of Culture.

Rod Stewart, clad in a silver jacket and thin black tie, looks suitably posh, and bows to Goulnara before booting eleven footballs into the audience in what may or may not have been a deeply symbolic gesture. The crowd roars.

The majestic, 17th century square, whose pointed arches provide a psychedelic backcloth of ever-changing lights, is a stunning venue for the parade, concert, and closing ceremony of Uzbek Fashion Week.

West meets East and North meets South at the silken crossroads between Russia and Arabia, Turkey and China. My eyes dazzle. It is an unforgettable night in the historic, cultural, mythical Centre of the Earth.