Gulnara Karimova, First Daughter Of Uzbekistan, To Show Fashion Collection In New York (PHOTOS, POLL)

Gulnara Karimova is already well-known as the somewhat-controversial first daughter of Uzbekistan, but she'll try to make a name for herself in New York City's style circles by presenting a collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Karimova already has an established brand, Guli, in Europe--she's even shown in Milan--and has previously partnered on a jewelry collection with Chopard, but this is the first time she'll bring her designs stateside. Daily Front Row caught up with Karimova who dished on this season's duds:

It consists of 34 looks and features traditional Uzbek fabrics: adras, bekasam, atlas, han atlas, silk, and shoyi. All the ikats have been produced by the Guli creative team based on ancient hand-weaving techniques. There is a lot of modern casual-wear made with a traditional concept of fabric and pattern. There is also a line of accessories using handmade golden embroidery, chain stitches, laser-cut silk, and leather. One of the central parts of the line is the Guli jewelry collection, which consists of both "important" pieces and easy, less-expensive trendy ones.

Karimova also touched on the fashion scene in Uzbekistan:

Fashion is something very young and new for our country. We have just started to introduce it, and obviously it is not yet such a big industry like it is in the West or in some Asian countries. So in order to speak about Uzbek fashion, you have to understand that it's like the first steps of a baby. It's just a small segment of the population who are following it. It's not only about income, though; it's also related to mentality and local taste. That said, there are certain people who started to really pay attention to those things and who have created their own style to be in fashion.

Here are some photos of Karimova and her personal style--let us know if she's someone whose clothes you'd like to buy.

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May, 2010 at Cannes

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She should keep her day job. I'd buy her clothes!

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Comments

[Lady Bouvier]

03:35 AM on 09/27/2010

The thought that the daughter of Uzbek Dictator Islam Karimov might actually profit from selling overpriced blasé clothing reminiscent of an era of serious sociopolitical movement in U.S. to wealthy, uninformed Americans is almost as nauseating as it is ironic.

http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2010/09/daughter-of-cruel-uzbek-dictator-to-resell-hippie-nostalgia/

[jennbeth]

01:18 PM on 09/13/2010

Are her clothes made from the skins of political prisoners?

[Azizjon]

04:37 PM on 09/19/2010

Her father is a monster who ordered killing of thousands innocent civilians in the city of Andijan in 2005.

[Melanie DArcy]

03:26 PM on 09/12/2010

Ugh. The more I read about this the sicker I feel about our world, & the structure of privilege. More googling turns up the Gawker article, a longer one on The Awl, & also racked.com's excerpt: "Meet Guli: A Fashion Designer Whose Father Has Boiled People Alive".

I feel like this woman's work should be banned. Or at least fully exposed/protested.

[Azizjon]

04:39 PM on 09/19/2010

I hope more people find out about the brutal regime of her father. She is contending to be the next president, but Karimov's family oppressed the people of Uzbekistan for the past 20 years. I am sick of hearing about her.

[kinogod]

06:41 AM on 09/12/2010

Her words, baby fashion....

[Carouser]

01:01 AM on 09/12/2010

Gulnara, an astute rising dictatress/fashion nazi, who, The Asia Times reported “practically owns the country” has learned well from her father about the power of contradiction, and constructed a fashion line of “multicolored, almost hippie-inspired looks for both men and women.”

Could there be a better business model than utilizing slave labor (probably), and torture (definitely) to sell rich Americans clothing designed to capitalize on our nostalgia for the dated ideals of ‘peace and love’…?

http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2010/09/dictators-daughter-shows-at-fashion-week/

[Christopher Koulouris]

09:35 PM on 09/11/2010

Gulnara, an astute rising dictatress/fashion nazi, who, The Asia Times reported “practically owns the country” has learned well from her father about the power of contradiction, and constructed a fashion line of “multicolored, almost hippie-inspired looks for both men and women.”

Could there be a better business model than utilizing slave labor (probably), and torture (definitely) to sell rich Americans clothing designed to capitalize on our nostalgia for the dated ideals of ‘peace and love’…?

http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2010/09/dictators-daughter-shows-at-fashion-week/

[Ralph Noyes]

01:16 PM on 09/11/2010

Hope her stuff is a lot classier than her mother's costumes.

Noveau riche oligarchs. Ie, thiev.es.

[Very Berry]

12:31 PM on 09/10/2010

Seriously, this woman represents a family that systematically abuses and tortures it's citizens. This is not much heard about because Uzbekistan keeps a tight lid on their shockingly brutal regime. They should be international outcasts.

[Huffan1]

04:42 PM on 09/10/2010

yes, making Uzbekistan international outcasts will definitely improve the human rights situation over there, just like in North Korea and Iran.

[Azizjon]

04:40 PM on 09/19/2010

Karimov's family should be outcast and she should be banned from coming to the US and Europe until the regime in Uzbekistan improves its human rights.

[linda1981-tt]

09:13 AM on 09/10/2010

thanks to huffpost for mentioning the fact that this "fashion icon" is the infamous daughter and political consultant of one of the most brutal dictators in one of the most repressive countries in the world!
The cotton, silk used in her collection is probably produced in forced child labour (read UN/ State Departement report on forced labour in UZ)! She's one of the oligarchs who's living off the gas/gold/mineral wealth of her country. Meanwhile the rest of the population starves, anyone can be arrested and sent to jail in fake court hearings and tortured to death in prisons!
And this woman is one the most influencial policy makers and i forgat a jetset lady!

for further information, i suggest this piece on human rights abuses in uzbekistan:

http://www.thewe.cc/contents/more/archive2006/uzbekistan_tight_control_and_torture.htm

[SukiTheCat]

09:43 AM on 09/10/2010

Terrible isn't it? To hail these people and their wives and daughters or whoever as fashion icons when the citizens of their countries are being oppressed. Sort of like wives of African leaders' they've been parading around on here, meanwhile their people can barely eat.

[zimbabwechic]

03:49 PM on 09/10/2010

Yup!

[Very Berry]

12:31 PM on 09/10/2010

Totally agree. Shocking.

[silencedogooder]

08:46 PM on 09/09/2010

so interpol isn't going to snatch her up?

[Huffan1]

04:44 PM on 09/10/2010

The Interpol APB was pulled after the charges by her US husband was pulled from the US Court

[silencedogooder]

10:18 PM on 09/10/2010

well that's a shame. she belongs in jail.

[Daisytoo]

08:39 PM on 09/09/2010

Good for her

[verycold]

07:01 PM on 09/09/2010

She has her moments.

[IvoryDotPeak]

05:35 PM on 09/09/2010

Lovely.