Gulnara Karimova – the creator and designer of the brand GULI – is the daughter of the president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimova. Currently, she serves as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan to Spain and Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva.
Gulnara has established and patronized a number of public cultural and charity organizations in Uzbekistan and abroad. Her name is often associated with pioneering social and charitable projects.

The GULI Collection presented not just its vision of trends for the spring and summer of 2012, but also drew attention to the potential of young creative people in Uzbekistan, both in terms of fashion and design development amidst current trends and support and development of traditional national culture. As it is known, one of the projects devised by Gulnara Karimova is aimed at providing grants for local craftsmen in an effort to revive ancient weaving and natural dying techniques as well as handmade embroidery.

The Spring-Summer 2012 Collection showcased in New York highlights a fusion of tradition and modernity as well as of Oriental motifs and contemporary trends. The designs are inspired by subtle pastel shades of Bukhara oasis, featuring bright and original colour combinations. The show presented 23 women’s and 7 men’s looks.

The accent of the Spring-Summer 2012 Collection consists in ancient traditions that have spanned centuries and have been incorporated into modernity. The Collection offered exquisitely painted silks and traditional printed fabrics, a masterful combination of oriental and western styles as well as dazzling golden embroidery, associated with Oriental luxury. Other highlights included French laces, taffeta, leather insets upon the extraordinary texture of Uzbek textiles. The collection relies on unique silk fabrics, atlas, shoyi and excelsior, which lent unforgettable flowing silhouettes to the floor-length dresses.

The harmoniously chosen decorations from GULI jewellery line added to the sense of completeness of the designs. The Collection featured unique precious and semi-precious stones brought from various parts of the world. The unusual forms, texture, colours and original natural inclusions are bound to endear the most sophisticated hipsters.

The runway show was attended by a host of high-profile guests such as Hollywood actor Cary Tagawa, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire magazine Abigail Pesta, prima ballet dancers Anna Sergeeva and Inna Svorovenko, Loic Gouzer (Christie’s auction house), Carolyn Rafaelian and Giovanni Feroce (“Alex & Ani” jewelry), Annie Totah (Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation), Mark Furlong (Forbes), Robert Vacca and Ted Harbert (NBC Universal) among others. Impressed by the Collection, the guests delightfully welcomed the GULI Collections creative team that came on stage to take a bow. The team included designers, seamstresses, weavers, silk painters as well as leather laser cut specialists.

The entire team that contributed to the creation of the GULI Collection and the designer Gulnara Karimova express their sincere gratitude to IMG WORLDWIDE, INC., guests, volunteers, the youth in Uzbekistan and in the US as well as many other people (Diane Von Furstenberg, Domenico and Julia Vacca, Jacob Arabo, Andrei Malahov, Vladimir Solovyov, Marta Marzotto) who offered their support at a time when the creative team faced a difficult situation on the eve of the show.