We spoke at length with Vahan Khachatryan, founder of the Fashion Chamber and Creative Director of Yerevan Fashion Week, about the city’s third fashion week — what has changed over the past three years, what to expect this year, and more.
09.01.2026
Yerevan Fashion Week 2025: “Our goal is to develop the industry”
Holding a fashion week in Yerevan once seemed almost unimaginable. Yet this is already its third year, and each edition is larger in scale than the last.
“The biggest difference is the experience we’ve gained as organisers,” says Vahan Khachatryan. “In the first year, it felt like walking through a dark room. The power suddenly went out, and outside it was +40°C heat. But it was exactly those experiences that taught us we could endure and keep moving forward.”
Today, Yerevan Fashion Week is on a completely different level. This year, for the first time, six international designers from various countries are coming to Armenia. This is the result of one of the Chamber’s initiatives, through which Armenian designers take part in fashion weeks abroad, and now their international counterparts are coming to Yerevan. “This is a real exchange of experience and styles,” says Vahan.
In addition, around 40 international guests are expected this year, including experts and members of the press. By comparison, there were only 18 in the first year. “When we invite experts from abroad every year, it’s not so they can tell us how great we are and praise us,” he explains. “We invite them to point out our weaknesses and tell us where there is room for improvement.”
Major Challenges
Yerevan Fashion Week has already become an established event, closely associated with the city itself. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that the Municipality supports the project by covering a significant portion of the budget. However, securing the remaining funding remains the biggest challenge.
Vahan is candid about this:
“For us, the most difficult part is raising funds. This is only our third year, but we clearly see the potential and truly believe that Yerevan Fashion Week can grow into a major regional event. With sufficient funding, the fashion week should take place not once, but twice a year.”
Where Art Meets Fashion
Beyond the main runway shows, this year will also feature a special event at the National Gallery. Designers will draw inspiration from the museum’s artworks and create new collections based on them. Last year, a similar project was dedicated to Parajanov, while this time it will be larger in scale and more diverse.
This showcase will officially open Yerevan Fashion Week 2025.
A Chance to Dream for Young Talent
For the second year in a row, Fashion Scout is also being held in Yerevan, with the licence acquired by the Chamber from London. It serves as a platform for young designers to showcase their work and, if they win, gain the opportunity to present their collections at London Fashion Week.
“When I was young, something like this would have been just a dream,” says Vahan.
This year, the competition also welcomes a distinguished guest: the Director of Polimoda, one of Italy’s most prestigious fashion schools, and former Creative Director of Ferragamo, who will serve as President of the Jury. He will also announce the main prize — a scholarship to the school’s summer programme.
“Every year, we try to add new value, not simply put on a beautiful show. Our goal is to develop the industry. Of course, sometimes we want to create large, spectacular productions, but at this stage our priority is to support the field itself, rather than merely entertain the audience.”
A Shift in Public Attitudes
The dramatic rise in interest is evident from the dozens of messages received daily asking, “Will tickets be available for sale?” Although the shows are mostly invitation-only, with each designer personally inviting their guests, the organisers are still trying to make at least part of the programme accessible to the wider public — especially students.
However, as Vahan points out, there is also a disappointing side to this story: the near indifference of the local media. “You hold a press conference and only four journalists show up. They say, ‘Pay us and we’ll come.’ Meanwhile, 40 representatives of the international press attend. Just imagine — Vogue comes to Yerevan free of charge, while even in Milan it doesn’t cover every event.”
The International Potential of Armenian Designers
Designers’ attitudes have also evolved over the years. Established names now take part regardless of whether they personally need it or not, because they understand that this is important for the country as a whole. Emerging designers, meanwhile, see real prospects and strive to get involved.
“If there is an industry, there must also be a fashion week. And there must be professional media too. When Dalma Magazine appeared, I honestly felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my heart,” he says.
The organiser of Yerevan Fashion Week encourages all newcomers to be active, to test their own strengths, and to make the most of the opportunities available to them. “We would have dreamed of having the opportunities this generation has,” he notes. Still, Armenia’s fashion industry remains in a formative stage.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t yet reached the level of success achieved, for example, by designers in Georgia or Ukraine,” Vahan explains. “And it’s not because our designers are any less talented. We simply lack two things: PR and budget. Today, those are what determine the outcome.”
According to Vahan, the state in Georgia made major investments in the fashion industry at the right moment, and the whole world immediately began talking about Tbilisi as a new fashion hub. The same later happened in Ukraine. “Our turn hasn’t come yet,” he says. “But we are certainly on that path.”