Beyond the Runway: Two Stories from Yerevan
PublishedAt Yerevan Fashion Week 2026, designers from Iran and Armenia turned fashion presentations into experiences shaped by performance, emotion and storytelling. Yerevan might not be the first city that comes...
At Yerevan Fashion Week 2026, designers from Iran and Armenia turned fashion presentations into experiences shaped by performance, emotion and storytelling.
Yerevan might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of Fashion Week. But Armenia's capital is developing its own creative scene, bringing together local designers and international talents.
At Yerevan Fashion Week 2026, architecture played a leading role, with historic landmarks becoming settings for contemporary fashion. Yet two designers caught our attention by taking their collections indoors and creating something more intimate.
Iranian designer Reza Nadimi and Armenian label Man in Town chose installations to introduce their collections, inviting visitors to experience the ideas behind the clothes through atmosphere and storytelling.
Reza Nadimi: Perfect Imperfection
Imagine entering a small room. In the centre, a white figure lies on a table covered in black fabric, surrounded by red paper flowers spilling onto the floor.
Guests stand along the walls. One by one, models approach the figure, pause as though saying goodbye, and continue across the room.
This was Perfect Imperfection, one of the most memorable installations of the week.
The clothes followed the same visual language: black, white and red, with transparent fabrics, delicate patterns, floral prints and red flowers appearing along the hems.
The scene invited different interpretations. Was it a farewell to an ideal? A rejection of expectations? The collection explored the pressure to be perfect and the freedom that comes with accepting individuality.
The performance gave visitors time to observe the clothes and consider the emotions behind them.
Man in Town: ...the autumn sun...
Armenian label Man in Town explored a very different mood with ...the autumn sun..., a collection inspired by the quieter moments of autumn.
Think of layered clothing, fallen leaves, ripe quince and the warm light of a late afternoon. The collection drew on familiar seasonal details to create a sense of nostalgia, comfort and reflection.
It is a feeling many of us recognise: that particular moment when summer has ended, the days become shorter and everything seems to move a little more slowly.
When Fashion Becomes an Experience
Runway shows and installations offer designers different ways to communicate their ideas. A runway brings movement, rhythm and a shared moment of spectacle. An installation allows the audience to spend more time within a particular atmosphere and discover details at their own pace.
For emerging designers, both formats can be valuable, depending on the collection and the story they want to tell.
At Yerevan Fashion Week, these two presentations offered a glimpse into the diversity of the region's creative scene. Reza Nadimi approached fashion through performance and questions of identity, while Man in Town explored memory and the changing seasons.
Two designers, two very different moods, and two more reasons to pay attention to the fashion stories coming out of Yerevan.
Founded in Zurich, HAY-HAY is an international creative platform and concept space dedicated to discovering independent designers, slow fashion, and cross-cultural storytelling worldwide.
