From The Stories Issue
Fashion designer Fidan Novruzova launched her eponymous label in October 2020, a few months after graduating from Central Saint Martins. Born in Moldova to Azerbaijani parents, she quickly made her mark with her square-toe neo-biker "Havva" boots, worn by Bella Hadid and Chloë Sevigny. Semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize 2024 and finalist for the ANDAM 2026, she is developing a retro-futurist wardrobe, fed by the 1920s and 1980s, by Art Deco and power dressing. Based in Paris, she is one of the independent women opening up a new scene, and will make her debut on the official Paris Fashion Week calendar in September.
You carry a double identity — Azerbaijani and Moldovan — and a training at Central Saint Martins. Does this position between several cultures change the way you look at Western fashion?
FIDAN NOVRUZOVA It's the totality of what I am. Culturally, a mix of very strong contrasts. Azerbaijan and Moldova are both post-Soviet, but the languages, the cultures, the religions are very different. So I was, by default, struck by contrast since birth.
At 18, I went from my high school in Moldova to London. I came from a place where I had very little access to creation, apart from the internet. Going from there to one of the fashion capitals, to one of the best schools, with no background, no training: a mini culture shock.
I didn't dream of getting into Saint Martins, it seemed impossible to me. I applied naively. It worked. The shock was being surrounded by such talented people. You spend your time telling yourself: "I'm not going to make it." Competitive spirit and impostor syndrome overlap. The advice I received: focus on your own growth. You are your own
biggest competitor.
Your brand's stylistic DNA rests on the 1920s and the 1980s. What fascinates you about the dialogue between these two eras?
F.N. The glamour of the '80s, the visual delicacy of the '20s, the making, the architecture, the lifestyle… all of that forms a very nuanced universe. Recently, looking through my purchase history for decorating my apartment, I noticed that for years I've been intuitively buying things from the '20s and the '80s. It wasn't an active search, it's just what my eye is drawn to.
The graphic style of the '20s, the femininity of the '80s, their attitude. I recently revisited my very first collection, and it was very "vanity. " I was describing this vain, nonchalant woman: she doesn't seem to care, but she does care. And this attitude is, to me, common to both eras, marked by a kind of party held right before the end of the world.
A lot of people discovered you through one piece — those square-toe boots worn notably by Charli XCX. How do you live with a signature product that sometimes precedes knowledge of the rest of your work?
F.N. I'd say it's more a strength than a gilded cage. Everything started with the clothes. But I've had this obsession with the complete look since my studies. The shoes were an addition, and they very quickly attracted a lot of attention. In the first two years, commercially, they played a huge role in the brand's growth. But over time, things balanced out. Image, sales, creation… there's a healthy balance now. The codes of the ready-to-wear are now very distinct. The full silhouette is now recognized.
As an independent designer, how do you find the time and space to seek out inspiration? What really nourishes you, beyond fashion references?
F.N. In terms of time, especially in the early days of the creative process, I give myself one or two days entirely dedicated, or I cut everything off. Neurologically speaking, I can't switch from one task to another within the same day. So there are days when I don't answer emails, messages. It's that stereotype of the designer disappeared into her bubble, but it's what's needed to immerse yourself and build the universe of a new season.
What matters is restarting my brain, not just seeking inspiration, but cleaning it out. For me, that's nature. Hiking, walking… I also discovered sport this year, very beneficial for my mental health.
What do you hope to see change in fashion in the years to come — in creative studios, in fashion houses, in the way the industry tells its own history?
F.N. Two subjects are close to my heart, as an independent designer and as a woman. The first: more women in creative direction and in all leadership positions. But it needs to be approached in a nuanced way, not in a tokenistic way. Women need to be truly validated for their creative abilities. Very competent women are now being hired at major companies, where they become the voice, the face. I feel like things are moving in the right direction.
The second: support for independent designers. The way this support works needs to evolve. There needs to be more strategic hiring, people able to bridge the gap between corporate and independent.
