Blazing Trails With
Gulsha Chereli
Emerging fashion designer, Gulsha Chereli, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, is residing and working in New York City. Her background consists of earning her degree in Industrial Engineering then pursuing her Fashion Design studies at Milan’s most prestigious fashion school- Instituto Marangoni. She later moved to New York, and GULSHACHERELI was born...a line synonymous with her own life, it would seem. Her pieces are structured, architectural, and brazen in nature, however, still convey a feeling of air and lightness. For her current Spring/Summer 2013 collection, Chereli was inspired by the artist, Antoni Gaudi. The symmetry between Gaudi’s work and GULSHACHERELI‘s collection is apparent in subtle nuances. Guadi observed concepts of structures with limitless space, a feeling of sequence...which is fragmented with holes and partitions; creating a divide without disrupting the feeling of open space from by enclosing it within barriers. GULSHACHERELI speaks of these traits and a designer behind the curtain with a spirit of no barriers for women.
You recently debuted with your first collection for Spring/Summer 2013. What has surprised you the most about the fashion industry since your launch?
I was surprised by the lack of platforms for emerging and new designers. I think most of the fashion forward people are looking for new designs and designers. People are bored of “the cult” designs, and they don’t give any credit to those pieces like they used to. Even though people are looking for new designers, there are simply not enough platforms for emerging and new designers to show themselves and their creations. This is why most of the very talented emerging designers vanish only after their first season.
I always find it fascinating when a designer has a degree or experience in a highly technical field. You hold a degree in Industrial Engineering. How does this affect your design aesthetic?
It affects my choices. Choices of fabrics, trims, and about everything that goes into my designs. I like to create layers and play with textures that I believe comes from my engineering background.
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