As the lights dimmed at the Palais de Tokyo during this year’s Paris Fashion Week, the runway revealed a collaboration between Armenian designer Armine Ohanyan and contemporary designer Tigran Tsitoghdzyan. Their partnership symbol, BELIEVE – Armenian for “mirror” – launched its first collection, Self-Disclosurecombining sculptural fashion with hyperrealistic paintings and experimental techniques. Models walked the space wearing clothes that felt less like traditional clothes and more like works of art, integrating technology, architecture and stories seen on the runway.
However, beyond the perspective of the exhibition, this moment reflected something bigger: the growing presence of Armenian creativity on the world’s cultural stage.
Ohanyan and Tsitoghdzyan each bring a different artistic perspective to the collaboration. Ohanyan, a Paris-based Armenian designer, has built a reputation for pushing the boundaries of what fashion can be. Her work often falls under the category of “techno-couture,” combining traditional garment construction with advanced textile techniques such as laser cutting, sculptural patternmaking and architectural silhouettes. Rather than approaching clothing as a wearable design, Ohanyan sees fashion as a form of experimentation, where technology and craftsmanship meet.
Meanwhile, Tsitoghdzyan is internationally known for his large-scale hyperrealistic paintings. His paintings – often quite large – explore themes of perception, identity and digital autonomy. Many of his works explore how people create and identify themselves in an age created by screens, social media and constant visibility. His paintings have appeared in major exhibitions around the world, and his visual language – careful, elegant and profoundly intellectual – is well known in contemporary art.
Together, their collaboration brings fashion and contemporary art into the conversation. Name BELIEVE reflects the central idea behind the collection. Self-Disclosure draws inspiration from Tsitoghdzyan’s research on identity and perception, unraveling those concepts into garments that blur the distinction between fashion and wear. Versatile materials, structured silhouettes and graphic prints create pieces that invite viewers to explore the relationship between the body, clothing and behavior.
In this sense, clothing serves as a framework and explanation. They recount fragmented forms of identity in the modern world – constantly reflecting, measuring and reinterpreting.
Yet the importance of collaboration goes beyond its aesthetic impact. Moments like this are leading to a broader shift in how Armenian creativity is seen around the world.
For most of modern history, Armenian cultural identity in the world conversation has been based primarily on preservation – on memory, heritage and protecting tradition. These stories are still very important but they are no longer the only story being told. Increasingly, Armenian artists, designers and entrepreneurs are not only preserving culture but also shaping modern creative industries.
From technological developments to international film festivals and art exhibitions, Armenian voices are present throughout the world’s cultural arenas. Fashion is also part of the scene. When Armenian designers present work on a platform like Paris Fashion Week, they do more than just show a collection. They contribute to the broader definition of Armenian identity in the global imagination.
After all, fashion has always been one of the most powerful cultural expressions. It suggests ideas about identity, creativity and the future as much as it does beauty. In Ohanyan’s case, the concept of techno-couture reflects the modern style of design – which includes technology, experimentation and collaboration with different groups.
This trend reflects broader cultural changes within Armenian creative communities. The younger generation of Armenian artists and designers are becoming more comfortable working at the intersection, combining fashion with digital media, design with art and technology through storytelling. Instead of just drawing from conventional images, many are building new beautiful languages.
That does not mean giving up the inheritance. Instead, it shows a different way of interacting with it – one that allows Armenian identity to evolve alongside modern creative trends.
The collaboration between Ohanyan and Tsitoghdzyan involves the study of evolution. By combining fashion and contemporary art, the project highlights how Armenian creativity can work across genres while being grounded in cultural identity. Even the name BELIEVE it suggests both: a mirror that reflects past and present, tradition and experimentation.
All over the world, times like this are more common than they may first appear. Cultural visibility shapes how nations and peoples are perceived internationally. Art, design and fashion all play a role in creating that feeling. When Armenian designers and artists participate in global creative platforms, they contribute to a broader narrative about what Armenian culture represents today.
Increasingly, that story is told not only through history but also through creativity, imagination and creative ambition.
The beginning of BELIEVE at Paris Fashion Week may seem like a small moment in the global fashion scene. Yet it reflects a larger cultural shift – one in which Armenian creativity is advancing confidently in modern creative industries and in global art discourse.
In practice, Armenian identity is expressed not only through preservation but through experimentation, collaboration and forward-looking planning.
As the runway lights fade and the next collection prepares to take its place, one thing is clear: Armenian creativity doesn’t just remember the past. It helps shape the future.
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