WIUT × MARU
The Making of a Collaboration.
Where architecture meets design.
A creative collaboration with fashion designer MARU.
The story behind the collaboration
It all started with a building...
“I have always been drawn to the historic brick building of Westminster International University in Tashkent: its texture, architecture and distinctive atmosphere. Meeting the Rector, Dr Komiljon Karimov, only strengthened that impression. His broad outlook, progressive thinking and openness make conversations about everything from sustainable development to architecture genuinely inspiring. So, when I was invited to collaborate with WIUT, the idea immediately caught my attention,” says Markhmat Umarova.
Marking 25 years of Westminster International University in Tashkent, this special collaboration brings together the university’s heritage with MARU’s contemporary creative vision.
Creative freedom within the lines
When MARU was invited to collaborate with WIUT, the possibilities seemed endless. But the University’s brand guidelines introduced a very different challenge: how do you preserve creative freedom while working within an established visual identity?
Several initial concepts had to go. The task became about channelling creativity into a framework and finding a balance between boundaries and freedom.
Meet Markhamat Umarova
Founder of MARU and Fashion Designer
This collaboration brings together two different perspectives: an academic institution with a distinctive architectural identity and a designer who interprets that identity through texture, craft and contemporary design.
A new way to translate place into form.
Designed wherever inspiration appeared.
The initial idea was to bring tactile textile qualities into the solid surfaces of merchandise. Handwoven Margilan fabrics, seams and embroidery became starting points for exploring how craft could translate into a contemporary visual language.
And then I went on holiday
"The road became the studio. Since our conversation about the collaboration happened just before my trip, I worked on the designs wherever and whenever I could. I made sketches in my notebook on a ferry on the way to Helsinki, on a train to Tallinn, and even while sitting on an overturned boat by a Finnish lake. One sketch was inspired by the reflection of the forest on the lake’s surface."
From concept to merch
Later came iPad sketches, selection, discussions, revisions and approvals—and eventually, one concept emerged. The most satisfying moment came after it was approved.
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“I WANT A T-SHIRT LIKE THIS!”
"And perhaps the most rewarding moment came after the design had already been approved. When I showed it to my friends, they all said the same thing: “I want a T-shirt like this!” I think that is one of the best signs that the idea worked. I’m very happy with the result. I especially enjoy projects where you have to strike the right balance between working within creative boundaries and leaving enough space for experimentation and imagination."
Runway for Creative Ideas
For two years running, Markhamat Umarova’s label MARU has brought its distinctive vision to the WIUT Fashion Show. Margilan ikat reworked into tailored blazers, silk gowns shaped with sculptural shoulders, and handwoven patterns given room to move beneath university lights. But the runway has never been only a spectacle. WIUT students have been part of the process, helping bring the shows to life and experiencing first-hand how ideas move from a designer’s imagination to a live audience.
That is no coincidence. At WIUT, creativity is not treated as something separate from business. It is part of a wider creative economy — one shaped by ideas, cultural identity, entrepreneurship, technology and new forms of value creation. The University’s commitment to this space extends into its academic portfolio, with the Master of Arts in Creative Industries Management alongside programmes in business, finance and law. Its campus also serves as a meeting point for creative practice, giving designers, artists and entrepreneurs a space to experiment, collaborate and connect with new audiences.
The MARU × WIUT collaboration sits naturally within this landscape: where fashion meets education, heritage meets contemporary design, and creative ideas are given the opportunity to move beyond the runway.
