For Senior Nilufar Abdiraimova, fashion is something to appreciate deeply, from its early life as inspired fabrics and garments to its use as an extension of art and identity. From the business of fashion to textiles and design, Abdiraimova dedicates her time to studying the life and influence of fashion through all of its stages.
“I think I’ve been creating for much longer than I actually realized,” she began, speaking to her early interest in art and fashion. She continued, explaining her process, “I remember cutting up my mom’s new bag when I was younger and making my own version of it. She was not particularly fond of that, obviously, but for me it was completely natural. If I saw something I liked, I wanted to understand it by taking it apart and making it into something of my own.”
Abdiraimova, despite being a Quantitative Economics and Econometrics major, interacts with a number of areas of study: Fashion Design, Fashion Business, Art, Psychology and Language Studies. She also maintains skills in fashion styling, photography, content creation, research and more.
She has enriched her passions through ambitious academics, taking advantage of Connecticut College’s multidisciplinary classes as well as taking a semester away at The New School in New York City. While in New York, she also participated in a number of fashion-based internships and volunteered at New York Fashion Week.
She continues to use this method of curiosity, independence, research and exploration in her more current work, surrounding the psychology and technological potential behind fashion. She spoke about “Mindrobe,” a project taking place on Instagram with potential to grow further, consisting of a collection of content exploring the connections between dress and thought.
“When I start a project, I usually collect visual references first: fashion archives, films, textiles, artists, designers, sometimes even everyday objects or things I see on the street. Then I start organizing those references and experimenting with how they might translate into something of my own.” She explained.
“I started building Minddrobe as a creative project and eventually as a potential fashion-tech platform. I’ve been creating visual content around these ideas, researching fashion psychology, experimenting with concepts for how people could document their outfits and emotions, and building a community around personal style and self-expression.”
According to Abdiraimova, her viewership has reached up to millions, her following has reached into the thousands, and hundreds have joined her waitlist to see how “Mindrobe” expands. She said, “I’m still developing the idea, so I don’t think of it as a finished project. But I’m proud of it because it taught me that I can take something that is initially very personal and turn it into something that other people can connect with.”
