Imagine an avant-garde fashion collection being filmed on location in a remote village in Georgia, where abandoned wooden houses are covered in snow. That’s what Situationist did to present its Fall/Winter 2021-22 collection on the Paris Fashion Week’s digital platform at the beginning of March. And so, Georgian regions were introduced to the international fashion community.

To improve economic development in Georgia, the EU has been supporting the establishment of clusters that help SMEs team up with international businesses in their industry and become more competitive on the market. The Georgia Apparel and Fashion Association (GAFA) was set up this way with the support of GIZ’s Clusters4Development project, funded by the EU as part of its EU4Business Initiative. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, EU4Business and GIZ decided to help Situationist, an SME member of GAFA, adjust to the challenging new reality through digitalization. Situationist not only survived the pandemic, but found inspiration and discovered innovative ways to bring its work and ideas onto the world stage.

Sold internationally and “established in Georgia”

Situationist was founded in 2016 by self-taught designer Irakli Rusadze brand debuted at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in 2018 and received a spotlight on the international fashion industry. This was followed by spots at some of the major fashion weeks in Milan, London and Paris. 

Creative director Irakli Rusadze was interested in art from an early age. By the time he was 12-13, he had made up his mind to work in fashion. Step-by-step Rusadze saved his money and began to develop the brand that would later become the first Georgian fashion label represented at Paris Fashion Week. 

Situationist is more than just a name: it represents the idea of unity. Rusadze appreciates the craft and artistry of every person involved in the process. He wanted to create a brand that would not be named after a single individual, but would represent the idea that many people stand behind the success of the fashion label: designers, tailors, marketers and others. As a sign of appreciation, the label on each piece of clothing has the name of the seamstress that worked on it.

Situationist crosses traditional Georgian heritage with sophisticated and edgy avant-garde style to make sustainable, high-quality clothes that have been recognized internationally. Even though at this point the brand’s clothes are not sold in Georgia, its logo says in bold – “Established in Georgia.”