IN 2016, IT WILL EXECUTE EXACTLY 20 YEARS AS A'STUDIO ARRIVES IN DUBAI AND PERFORMS SONGS BECOMING TIMELY HITS. WE TALKED WITH MEMBERS OF THE GROUP ABOUT MUSICAL EXPERIMENTS, CHANGES IN THE TYPE OF THE CITY AND THE NEW DESIGN AMPLOY OF KETI TOPURIA. Interviewed by Karina Matevosyan
Do you remember your first concert in Dubai?
Baigali: Of course, this was back in 1996. In our initial composition, we gave a very small concert in Hyatt.
Vladimir: Then no one could even think of Dubai as a prosperous multinational city. Since then, Dubai has been meeting us very hotly - literally and figuratively.
How much has changed in these two decades in your group and in Dubai? Has the public changed?
Vladimir: Indeed, over the past 20 years, various changes have occurred in the group, and not only in composition, but also in sound. We developed, experimented with repertoire, sound, arrangements, visual image, video works and concert shows - we kept up to date. Like Dubai, which over the past couple of decades has turned into an ultramodern metropolis.
Baigali: But the atmosphere at the concerts, to which the fans of our work come year after year, is warm every time in a family way. We try to ensure that each of our guest enjoys good music and is charged with an excellent mood.
Who comes up with images for your performances and for life?
Baigali: We do not use the services of stylists and ourselves come up with images for the scene. In clothes, we prefer a strict elegant style. Feathers and rhinestones are not for us. Sometimes we use costumes made for video clips, and rarely create them specifically for concert performances.
Katie, can you make a concert dress for yourself now?
Katie: Yes, a year ago, with my friends, I launched my own clothing brand KETIone. I myself prefer a laconic cut, a minimum of decor and a combination of pure, contrasting shades.
This is exactly what my latest collection reflects. It is based on crop tops, evening dresses with an impressive neckline, voluminous jackets and tight skirts.
How did it happen that you became a clothing designer?
Katie: I always tried to look different than everyone else. And at some point everyone wanted to look like me. Fashion, of course, is a huge world with its own approach to business, with clear rules and fundamental exceptions. But I never thought about becoming a part of this world, launching my clothing line, it was completely and completely the initiative of my friends. And it seems she quite paid off.
It turns out that friends persuaded you?
Katie: Yes, they called and said: "Katie, we want the same dresses as yours. You have to draw them for us." At first I doubted, but then I decided to try anyway. I sat down to work, and, surprisingly, everything turned out to be interesting and elegant outfits from flying materials.
And what influenced your style to a greater extent?
Katie: Time. In general, I got into a wave of interest in the most unusual and futuristic. I tried to come up with strange, original images. I was not afraid to choose bold outfits, thereby setting the tone in modern fashion. Today everything has changed, people no longer want to be freaks. Everything is in fashion all at once, and the more natural, the better. Even Lady Gaga hid her meat costumes in a closet and put on completely “human” things - sheath dresses, jeans and T-shirts.
Vladimir: Brightness, of course, immediately attracts, but only in the first minutes of acquaintance. Then you begin to notice the deeper sides in a person: naturalness, femininity, mind, behavior.
That is, in everyday life do you prefer naturalness?
Katie: That's right. Some people like to look bright and defiant, but most tasteful people rely on naturalness for the most part. I prefer just such a simple image of a girl in sneakers, without makeup, with a “bun” on her head. Moreover, my husband hates everything artificial and even against cosmetics. Most of all he likes me in jeans, T-shirts, with ponytail hair - such as I am off-stage. So in this we converge!
Shoes or sneakers?
Katie: Sneakers definitely. I get tired of heels, so in my everyday life I prefer only sports and comfortable shoes. For me, every stiletto heel is a real stress. And after the birth of a daughter all the more. I haven’t been friends with heels for nine months. Now I wear them only on stage or in some special cases.
Which designer brand do you like most?
Katie: Now Georgian designers have become very popular, almost all of them are my peers and very close friends. I myself try in every possible way to support them, primarily by personal example, putting on their outfits to go out. In general, Georgia has always been distinguished by good taste: both in fashion and in music. I am glad that Tbilisi is becoming more and more noticeable and significant city in the fashion world every year.
Vladimir: I don’t specifically follow fashion, but if I see a person dressed in taste, I notice. In general, I look at the brand names in the store less than at the price tags.
What are your most recent most significant purchases?
Katie: All of my most important purchases are now somehow related to my daughter. Generally, to be honest, I'm not a shopaholic. I already have a lot of clothes hanging in my closet that I don’t have time to wear. Therefore, recently I try not to buy anything for myself.
Vladimir: If we talk about clothes, then for me such a thing is significant that it sits well, is comfortable, beautiful, and you get used to it right away. I rarely get such a thing, but when I succeed, it stays in my wardrobe for a long time.
Has the attitude of men to fashion changed lately?
Vladimir: Having more opportunities and ideas, men became more free to choose, their images became bolder and more diverse.
What are your favorite garments or accessories?
Katie: I always wear watches, I have, I admit, a lot of them - there are models studded with stones and with various interesting bracelets. But my favorite model is Rolex. They are combined in color, so they are suitable for both silver jewelry and gold.
Vladimir: I have a shirt with the inscription Mexico, she is already 5 years old, if not more. Every summer on vacation, I take pictures of her, and then, looking at the photo, I can’t understand what year this picture was taken.
