Lara Dizeyee’s Milan show celebrates ‘magical world’ of Kurdish culture: Italian lawmaker

Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Renowned Kurdish designer Lara Dizeyee’s participation in the Milan Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2026 celebrates the “magical world” of Kurdish culture, an Italian lawmaker told Rudaw, emphasizing that such showcases are the “right” approach to foster cultural exchange.

Speaking to Rudaw on the sidelines of Dizeyee’s show on Sunday, Monica Ciaburro, attending the event, praised the cultural initiative’s importance in international relations, stressing the importance of cultural diplomacy for strengthening ties and introducing the Kurdish people to the rest of the world.

Ciaburro highlighted the fusion of art and heritage, likening Dizeyee's showcase to "entering a magical and captivating world" that conveyed the "strong and experienced culture of a people and a community."

“Lara has done an extraordinary job in introducing people and their culture through beauty,” the Italian lawmaker stressed, adding that this approach is the "right way" for mutual understanding and the exchange of different cultures based on reciprocal respect.

Originally from the Kurdistan Region, Dizeyee was born in Vienna to a Kurdish family in exile and raised in the United States. She is internationally recognized for her haute couture creations, which blend the traditional Kurdish attire with modern design.

Her dedication to cultural promotion earned her the title of Cultural Ambassador of Kurdistan by the University of Sulaymaniyah.

In the fashion industry, there are four main international fashion weeks - often referred to as The Big Four - held biannually in London, Milan, New York and Paris.

Dizeyee notably made history by becoming the first Kurdish designer to present a heritage-inspired collection at Paris Fashion Week in 2023.

This year, she unveiled her latest collection, Milan Enchanted, at Milan Fashion Week Spring - Summer 2026, standing alongside fashion powerhouses such as Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, and Prada.


In a Sunday interview with Rudaw, she remarked, “I am truly pleased with this event because I worked very hard on this collection. Each design tells a story. We began with a piece symbolizing the Erbil Citadel, followed by one inspired by Newroz. Then we presented a design representing Queen Ashtar from the Sumerian era, along with pieces reflecting Yazidi culture and [the Kurdish region in western Iran] Rojhelat.”

Dizeyee’s collection featured 30 designs, each telling a story rooted in Kurdistan. One of the most poignant pieces was titled “The Widow” - a tribute to Kurdish women, especially mothers who lost their husbands to war and martyrdom.

“It was very important for me to highlight these themes,” she told Rudaw, adding, “I chose to end the show with a powerful tribute to the Kurdistan flag. I saw many moved to tears of joy when they saw it. I wanted to create a strong design in honor of Kurdish women - their sacrifices are worthy of nothing less than a deity.”

 

Alla Shally contributed to this article.