Collection 05 - Borchaly

This is the story of Borchaly — a historical region in the Caucasus where Galib was born and raised.

In 1918, after many years of Persian, Russian, and Ottoman imperial dominance in the Caucasus, the first democratic republics were established, granting women the right to vote and to be elected to public office. For the first time in history, a Muslim woman was democratically elected to a self-governing body. Peri-Khan Sofieva was from Borchaly, from Galib’s native village of Karajalar. It was a time of women’s emancipation, when strict religious veils were lifted and gradually transformed into traditions rather than obligations.

The collection tells the story of those women. Headgear slowly fades, dissolves, or fuses into new forms. Contemporary ideologies reshape these symbols as they move along the runway.

Weaving traditions lie at the core of INSTITUTION. Three special pieces have been hand-knotted by the Azerbaijani weavers of the Borchaly community in Kvemo Kartli, Georgia. The Karachop, Fachralo, and Bordjalou rugs, colored with natural dyes, are hand-knotted on a traditional vertical loom and require between 65,000 and 85,000 knots to complete, depending on size. Bouclé and felted double-faced wool have been hand-stitched and shaped into sculptural forms. Spread-cut coats and jackets flare from the neckline, unfolding into plaids.Supported by Lineapelle, sheepskin, lambskin, and kidassia, these materials are shaped to create a bridge between tradition and the future. Cotton shoelaces have been woven by hand, tailored, and shaped into architectural silhouettes. Wool, cashmere, and yak yarns provided by Consinee Group are knitted into capes, overcoats, and pullovers.

INSTITUTION is a creative project established by Galib Gassanoff to express his personal and aesthetic connection to the cultures he is part of. Operating as a social-artistic organisation with an ethical foundation, INSTITUTION reaches beyond fashion. The name itself references the broader role of an institution: A humanly devised structure of rules and norms that shape and constrain individual behaviour. All definitions of institutions carry the idea of persistence and continuity - values reflected in the work. Galib Gassanoff, the founder and creative director of INSTITUTION, is a Georgian of Azerbaijani descent, raised on the outskirts of Tbilisi, immersed in a world of contrasting languages, crafts, and traditions. At eighteen, he moved to Milan to pursue fashion education and professional experience. He founded INSTITUTION in 2024 as a platform for cultural reflection, community collaboration, and artistic exploration.