Bio
Alfiya Kuanysheva established BATT Corporation in 1990. It is now the largest privately held investment and commercial finance group in Kazakhstan. Over 20 years, BATT Corporation has expanded from a small business of 20 staff to an industry with an extensive network of subsidiaries around the world, and a workforce of 4,000. Kuanysheva graduated from Kazakh Economics University with a degree in Economics. Shortly after, she entered a PhD programme at Moscow University but the difficult political situation in Kazakhstan forced her and her husband Timur to leave the country. On their return to Kazakhstan, they set up a business dealing mainly in agriculture. Today BATT Corporation works in mineral resources construction, banking, real estate development, financial services and the food industry. BATT Corporation also actively supports children’s charities and social programmes for the disadvantaged. Kuanysheva is a patron of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and supports the Globe Theatre, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Hollywood amfAR Foundation, as well as cultural and educational projects for HRH The Prince of Wales.
Portrait courtesy of BATT Corporation
Q&A
How closely do you follow fashion?
Design Museum
From the moment I realized about existence of fashion (it happened when I was 10), I merely live with it, but I always choose what is suitable for me and what I like.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
Do you read a fashion magazine on a regular basis?
Design Museum
Yes, I try to be aware of the content of leading fashion magazines. I like comparing editions of different countries, such as Russia, UK, European countries and witness how differently same fashion house collections are presented and how differently emphasis is laid on fashion trends.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
Do you consult fashion blogs?
Design Museum
No, I do not consult fashion blogs.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
When did you become aware of fashion?
Design Museum
As mentioned before, at the age of 10 I found out that fashion and fashionable items exist. As far as I remember, it was Soviet fashion magazine with several pages dedicated to fashion. My mother used to read it. I was astounded by the models in unusual clothes who seemed to be aliens. At the time nobody wore such clothes at the streets. My mother used to wear something very likely to such clothes, as she had an access to imported clothes that were not available at the shops but were distributed among the families of communistic bonzes.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
How would you describe your relationship with clothes?
Design Museum
As soon as I felt that clothes make me beautiful, I understood that it is necessity I cannot live without. And not only in a sense of using the clothes for the purpose of covering or warming the body, but namely as an opportunity to better and improve what was created by nature – emphasize virtues and conceal disadvantages. Perhaps, clothes are my second skin I must wear. And I always feel which one is mine and this feeling is mutual.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
When did you develop your own ‘style’ - do you feel that you have one - what is your basic 'look'?
Design Museum
My own style changed during my life. Due to the fact that its creation embraced a lot of searching, studying and own feelings, the style found its own form at the moment when I began to develop a stability of character, the ability to give a fitting rebuff to the dispute and the ability to withstand the criticism. And it is a pleasure for me to realize that in my country I was one of the pioneers of style to follow. My current style is multifaced, as I live versatile life, but basically it is elegant glamour.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
Do you have a preference for particular shapes, colours, fabrics or textures?
Design Museum
I love and wear different colors, fabrics and forms, but to be honest I prefer forms that outline the figure. I love red, yellow, black and white colors and almost all the natural fabrics such as silk, cashmere, wool and cotton.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
Who are your favourite designers and why (historical and contemporary)?
Design Museum
I bow to the founders of current fashion Coco Chanel, Christian Dior andYves Saint Laurent. From contemporary -Alexander McQueen,Raf Simons ,Marc Jacobs, Victoria Beckham, Dolce and Gabbana, Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad.I like each of the designers for the peculiarity they each have, for the possibility to feel beautiful, unique and sexual, for wonderful sense of flying given by their creations. And I am also friends with them. I love to talk to them and understand their creative messages. Face-to-face conversation can be very electrified and concentrated and you feel their work better.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
Do you use a personal shopper?
Design Museum
No, I do not have personal shopper as it is unnecessary.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
How much do you involve your partner in clothes buying?
Design Museum
My husband rarely takes part in my clothes buying, but always approves my choices.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
What percentage of your income goes on clothes purchases annually?
Design Museum
It is hard for me to answer the question. I can only say that I spend a lot for clothes.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
How many pairs of shoes or handbags do you have?
Design Museum
This question is also hard to answer! I never counted. As I live in several places and my wardrobe is in all these places, it is hard to count how many pairs of shoes and bags I have - lots!
Alfiya Kuanysheva
How important is hair and make-up to you?
Design Museum
Hair and makeup are very important for me, really crucial!!! Though my close ones like me without hairdo and makeup.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
Do you buy seasonally or when the need or mood dictates?
Design Museum
I am long-standing experienced seasonal buyer!! For long time I visit fashion weeks in Paris, Milan and London. Love to buy haute couture. Sometimes while travelling different countries I can buy up some particulars as well as serious purchases, as collections for every country are different. For example, in Hong-Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo you can find something unusual that you do not find in European collections. And I certainly buy depending on my mood, but it is a rare occasion, as I am always ready for the season!
Alfiya Kuanysheva
Is there a difference between your public and private wardrobe - if so, what are the reasons behind this?
Design Museum
There is certainly a difference! My public wardrobe, business elegant, is dictated by my business activity. My private wardrobe consists of glamour evening gowns for grand events and Opera, cocktail dresses for dance parties and ruffian jeans, shorts and shirts that I like to wear on holidays.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
How do you view fashion and clothes in relation to your professional standing?
Design Museum
I always highlight clothes for my profession. Confidence that clothes gives me and knowledge that it is fashionable now and I look modern, always supported my ultimate outcome in reaching aim that I put during my work. Clothes interpretation to my profession is the form that influences content.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
To what extent does your professional role inform your fashion choices?
Design Museum
Range of my interests is wide and I try to have clothes that correspond to them. Therefore I have not only professional wardrobe. And I like freedom in my choices.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
Does fashion empower you? What outfit would most empower you and why?
Design Museum
Fashion certainly empowers me. It gives the power of modernity. Fashion is a mirror of our today. If you are fashionable, then you are modern. It is an index of both your consent to present world and your contemporary outlook. The outfit that empowers me most is the one that delivers information about me, my interests, thoughts, and tastes. Sometimes I like to provoke the public and clothes plays main role for that purpose.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
What does fashion in the future need to do to help women / to empower them?
Design Museum
I think humanity has reached an apogee in fashion usage as power tool. Fashion must still reflect reality.
Alfiya Kuanysheva
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