London, Paris, New York… Tbilisi? In case you missed it: Tbilisi is the city to have on your radar. With a rising fashion week, a flourishing food scene and an underground youth culture growing so big it’s, well, not so underground anymore. The Georgian capital is proving to be your next city break. It’s got the nightlife and arts scene of Berlin, mixed with the architecture and charm of Budapest. Throughout the ‘Rose Revolution’ since its Communist rule, the city has truly bounced back. Today it stands as a mix of crumbling Moorish and European architecture, as well as concrete Soviet structures, that are presented against the backdrop of the Georgian mountains. Tbilisi itself is split into two; you have the Old Town which is filled with antique stores where you’ll find doily fabrics and great tableware, but the rest is more contemporary, and home to possibly the world’s hippest Gen-Z-ers. It’s also the core of KOIBIRD’s AW20 seasonal destination, The Eastern Bloc. And whilst there may be no Wallpaper* guide book to Tbilisi, you really don't need one, as KOIBIRD reveals all to experience in this booming Eastern European destination.

Let’s start at the top, which for KOIBIRD is usually fashion. Where there may well be a cluster of regional fashion weeks that have introduced industry disruptors - see Shanghai, Berlin and Copenhagen, for example - none have delivered innovation like Demna Gvasalia; Vetements co-founder, Balenciaga creative director and proud Georgian. But although Gvaslia is responsible for giving the Caucasus region a name within streetwear and high fashion, it’s other labels such as Anouki, Materiel Tbilisi, Mach + Mach and George Keburia that are pioneering independent fashion. Between them their hand is diverse; offering tailoring, party wear and elevated everyday staples with a sense of avant-garde.