Fashion
The New York Times has yet another article out about lifestyles of the fabulous middle class in Kazakhstan, this time on Fashion Week in Almaty.
It’s an interesting piece because it gives a view of what the upper and middle classes think about fashion. As the designer, Saida Azikhan, says usually brand names are in in Kazakhstan–and this is true even of the less rich who may not be able to afford all Prada, all the time but will pick up a piece when they can, preffering one designer piece to several cheaper bits. However, the consumer culture has obviously evolved to the point that ennui has set in, which must be a benchmark of some kind:
“Our own designers are making stylish high-quality clothes,” said Anna Kuzembayeva, a producer of the Kazakh collections. “Louis Vuitton is boring to us already, but ‘Made in Kazakhstan’ is sounding very chic.”
…“Like everyone else, I went through a phase when I thought that famous classic brands were the best, but then I got tired of Hermès”
It also gives insight into what bored housewives can do. Her husband is a gold-mining executive.I wonder how typical this is of wives of the wealthy starting little boutiques or expensive services. Another benchmark it would appear; the rich single-income family.
Finally, we see confirmation that some people can afford not only imports, but shopping trips to foreign lands:
“Now everyone is trying to find their own look, which may mean buying vintage at Portobello Road market in London or buying from original Kazakh designers.”
Certainly everyone I know who goes on a business trip to Europe or the US brings back clothing for friends and family. And there are rumors of high-level officials planning trips based on the shopping seasons. But now we know that some segment of the Kazakh population can jet set to London, Paris, New York and be hip to the latest fashions.
For a look at what is popular now, I refer to another expat’s blog entry: Outings, Architecture and Barbarella. High boots and miniskirts. Everywhere in Astana!
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An example of bored housewife is Leila Khrapinova, a wife of a former Almaty akim Victor Khrapunov, who has her own jewelry business - “Viled”. Yes, women are becoming more involved with business in Kazakhstan, but often there is a powerful man behind…
Comment by Leila — 28 November 2006 @ 6:51 am
The difference is certainly noticable between Astana and the UK when you walk down the street, in terms of the appearance of women. Although women seem to spend a lot more time on their appearance, especially before going out onto the street, I do wonder if this activity sometimes takes too much time away from their free-time, especially if they are just popping down to the shop etc…
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Comment by ChrisM — 28 November 2006 @ 1:32 pm
Shopping trips are not just for the super-wealthy. Sometimes a shopping trip to NYC sounds quite economical, actually. A nice man’s suit can cost 1k or more in Almaty while the same suit would be 400-500 in NY. If one needs 3 suits (and some coats, sweaters, pants, etc) the 1200 ALA-NYC ticket is worth it.
Comment by D — 29 November 2006 @ 10:25 am
My understanding is that anyone who has $2400 to spare (roundtrip ticket) and another $1500 to buy 3 suits–not to mention anyone who has need for buying 3 suits at a time–would be pretty wealthy. Plus hotel and food costs of the trip. In the US, such a person would be considered super rich. In Kazakhstan, I can only imagine. I’d be interested in what level of people can afford giant shopping trips to New York.
Comment by KZBlog — 29 November 2006 @ 12:01 pm
Roundtrip ticket is 1200 or less with the discounts and whatnot (when the trip originates in KZ it’s cheaper than for those of us who buyu it from the Western travel agents)
You also have to keep in mind that people spend differently in the US and in the xUSSR. A cell phone for $200 is considered wasteful by a significant segment of the American consumers but in the xUSSR it’s something that even the “starving student” types might save up for.
As for the shopping trips - well, folks that I know who do that are not wealthy/rich. Middle class, management-type jobs. 2000k/month and up. They don’t go shopping every month, of course, maybe once a year or every other year when they need to update the wardrobe. They claim that the savings are worth it.
Comment by D — 30 November 2006 @ 7:40 am
Excellent point. Last year I worked with a student doing his internship. I know he made the same as I did–$400 a month. But he bought two cellphones during the year–both around $200/$300 and a fur hat for $500 and a coat for another $500. He said looking good and having expensive brand name items was very important. Whereas I, being an American, went to the bazaar and bought a nice warm parka for $100 and the cheapest cell phone I could find!
Someday I will write up a post on my experiences. Thanks for bringing that up.
Comment by KZBlog — 30 November 2006 @ 2:15 pm