Turmush — Maral Toktonalieva, a 40-year-old resident of Talas, is actively promoting Kyrgyz culture by creating unique outfits.
“I am a designer by profession, but this activity is not just work for me; it is a true struggle. Despite all the obstacles, I continue to follow my path. Creating national clothing has become my destiny and mission. I strive to combine the rich cultural heritage of the Kyrgyz people with modern trends to highlight the inner beauty, tenderness, and strength of every woman,” she shares.
Maral emphasized that all her creations are 100% handmade.
“I create each look myself, starting from the sketch and finishing with sewing, embellishing, and adding accessories. For this, I use various materials such as beads, pearls, silver, rhinestones, and natural stones to give the clothing uniqueness. Each outfit is a complete ensemble, including headwear and jewelry,” she explains.
Toktonalieva was born in the village of Kara-Oy in the Talas region and raises four children together with her husband.
“Currently, I actively participate in various events taking place in the region and strive to promote Kyrgyz national clothing. My husband always supports me, inspires me, and helps with my endeavors,” she adds.
The process of creating one dress takes from one to one and a half months, and everything is done by hand. For embellishments, she orders beads from Uzbekistan, where they are significantly cheaper and there is a wide selection. The prices for her dresses range from 25,000 to 70,000 soms. Due to the high cost, many prefer to rent them, for example, for weddings or other events — the rental price for a dress for a day is about 2,000 soms,” Maral specifies. Achievements:
Winner of the "Best Woman in Asia" award.
Laureate of the "Ak mөөр" project award — "Kylımdyn kyın kyr kyzy".
Laureate of the INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER competition in Aktau (Kazakhstan).
Laureate of the international competition "Nomad's Style".
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