INSTITUTION: Between Memory and Making

Before the first silhouette appeared, the space had already told part of the story.

Inside SMK – the National Gallery of Denmark, handwoven carpets from Caucasus, Anatolia, Northern Iran, and Central Asia covered the runway, shifting the atmosphere from a fashion show to something far more intimate. The audience wasn't simply looking at clothes. They were stepping into a landscape built from memory, craftsmanship and cultural references that expressed quietly instead of demanding attention.

Presented during Copenhagen Fashion Week, YAD explored memory, belonging and the experience of existing between cultures. The title itself carries this dual meaning, speaking both of remembering and of feeling like an outsider. Rather than explaining these ideas directly, designer Galib Gassanoff allowed materials, craftsmanship and gesture to do the storytelling.

The models walked barefoot across the carpets, wearing traditional hand-knitted jorabs (traditional socks made by by Azerbaijani artisans in Georgia's Kvemo Kartli region) instead of shoes. The gesture echoed the familiar ritual of removing shoes before entering a home, making the runway feel unexpectedly personal. It was one of several subtle details that connected the collection to generations of craft without turning heritage into nostalgia.

Throughout the show, the garments often felt closer to sculptural objects than conventional fashion. Many of the pieces were cut and constructed by Gassanoff himself, giving the collection a strong sense of authorship. Sculptural knitwear appeared alongside fluid silk, structured leather and crisp cotton, balancing softness with precision.

One of the collection's most distinctive details is a hand-weaving technique that replaces traditional wool yarn with ordinary cotton shoelaces. Developed together with artisan communities in Georgia, it preserves a disappearing skill while giving it an entirely contemporary expression. Instead of treating craftsmanship as something fixed in the past, the technique shows how traditional knowledge can continue evolving through new materials and new ideas.

Natural fibres remain central to the project. Silk, wool, cotton and leather are sourced primarily from deadstock produced by Italian textile manufacturers, making each garment part of a deliberately limited production. Sustainability here doesn't feel like a separate concept - it simply grows out of respecting materials, craftsmanship and the time required to make them well.

Even the smallest details carried meaning. Metal coins, Tetri, were the Georgian fractional currency, in circulation since 1995, repurposed as a symbol of freedom from repression. Galib incorporated them into the garments, transforming into sculptural surfaces that subtly referenced protection while reshaping the silhouette. Every material felt intentional, contributing to the collection's larger narrative rather than acting as decoration.

Founded in 2024, INSTITUTION has quickly established a clear point of view. The project moves naturally between fashion, contemporary art and cultural preservation, using clothing as a medium to explore identity, continuity and collective memory rather than simply seasonal trends.

Rather than presenting heritage as something to preserve behind glass, INSTITUTION treats it as a living practice. Traditional techniques continue to evolve, familiar objects find new purpose, and clothing becomes a place where craftsmanship, memory and contemporary design can exist together.

Watching YAD unfold, the strongest impression wasn't a single silhouette or material. It was the feeling that every decision had been made with intention, from the carpets beneath the models' feet to the shoelaces transformed into woven structures. The collection never asked the audience to admire heritage from a distance. It invited them to see how it continues to live through the people who keep making.

Text: Lucine Ayanian

Photo: Naira Kosyan