Mongolia brings nomad chic to NY Fashion Week debut

A Mongolian "It girl" brought the warrior princess into the modern age Friday by making her New York Fashion Week debut with a catwalk collection inspired by her far-off homeland. Bayarmaa Bayarkhuu presented the modern, entrepreneurial woman with nomadic-chic for fall/winter 2015 in an assortment of tunic dresses, luxurious fur coats and cashmere jumpsuits in bold colors.

The show opened with haunting strains of a live-performance of traditional Mongolian string music before segueing into techno pop belted out by a singer in a silver sequined jacket and shades. The music set the scene for a collection that bound old and new, creating a look that was part nomadic and part space-age, where models wore elaborate head dresses, dangly earrings and leather tasseled skirts. There were sparkly cashmere jumpsuits, capes and dresses cut out to expose bare shoulders and a casual urban look of leggings paired with T-shirts.

The nomad theme was accentuated by mimicking the harness of a horse on transparent, plastic overlaid with bridle-style meshing. Jackets were lined with Mongolian lamb fur and finished with traditional Chinese-style fastenings in a collection that emphasized turquoise, amethyst, sapphire and emerald.

Born in Ulan Bator, Bayarkhuu describes herself as "one of the very first It girls" who has lived and traveled around Asia, America and Europe. With a degree in business and finance, she ran her father's company with her two siblings while working as a stylist and designer. She is creative director of Mongol, her decade-old fashion house, that specializes in women's ready-to-wear, wedding dresses and outerwear.(AFP)