Workshop
Designing the Unknown: from Concept to Creative Identity
Date
22 October 2026
Time
10:00 AM - 13:00 PM
Where
Temirbek Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, 127 Panfilov Street, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Almaty - Kazakhstan
Fruition
In-person event
What can designers learn from a complete stranger? In Almaty, IED invites students and emerging creatives to explore how observation, intuition and storytelling can become powerful tools for generating original design ideas.
On 22 October 2026, IED will present Designing the Unknown: from Concept to Creative Identity, a creative workshop hosted at the Temirbek Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts in Almaty. Inspired by the concept of The Perfect Unknown, the experience challenges participants to step into the world of an unfamiliar person and transform fragments of identity, stories and cultural references into meaningful creative concepts.
Combining research, imagination and hands-on experimentation, participants will first build the profile of their "perfect stranger", exploring tastes, habits, relationships and cultural references. They will then translate their insights into a wearable concept through a practical moulage exercise, using dress forms and existing garments to shape, drape and develop a creative outcome that visually expresses the identity they have imagined.
The workshop will be led by Giovanni Ottonello, Director of Accademia Aldo Galli di Como. An architect, creative consultant and educator, Ottonello's career spans fashion, design, contemporary art and cultural projects, with collaborations ranging from leading international brands to academic institutions. He also served as Art Director of IED for more than a decade.
The initiative is part of IED's ongoing collaboration with Eurasian Fashion Week, which also includes the Fashion for Future Contest 2026, aimed at supporting and promoting new creative talent across Central Asia.
To participate, please bring one or more garments you no longer wear and are ready to transform into something new.
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