Byline: Malana VanTyler
Alina Sultanova is the founder and lead designer of GARAGEEST.2016, a fashion label that has grown into an international force thanks to her bold vision, technical precision, and fearless sense of individuality. Since launching the brand in 2016, Sultanova has carved out a space that feels entirely her own — one defined by sophisticated yet streetwise pieces, constructed with techniques she has developed and refined herself. Her garments are instantly recognizable: intricate, refined, and impossible to imitate. For Sultanova, fashion is more than clothing. As she often says, “I don’t just create clothing. I create energy you can wear.”
That energy has carried GARAGEEST.2016 from its modest beginnings as an independent label to a global name in fashion. Today, the brand employs more than 100 specialists worldwide, supported by its own production facilities and a new U.S.-based manufacturing site set to open soon. This focus on craftsmanship and quality control ensures that every piece reflects the brand’s distinct identity. At the same time, Sultanova’s entrepreneurial drive has propelled the label into new markets, transforming it into a bridge between European street-inspired style and the international luxury scene.
In 2024, GARAGEEST.2016 opened its first U.S. flagship store in New York City, choosing a central retail district to showcase its unique design language to a broader international audience. The debut immediately impacted fashion media, praising the high-quality fabrics, architectural silhouettes, and especially the brand’s leather pieces, which combined bold originality with refined craftsmanship. The strong reception encouraged Sultanova to push further. By late 2025, the New York store will relocate to a larger, more architecturally distinctive space, designed to reflect the essence of GARAGEEST.2016 better and provide an elevated customer experience.
At the same time, Alina Sultanova is continuing to expand in the U.S. market by opening a new store at Miami’s Aventura Mall in September 2025. The move marks the next stage in the brand’s global strategy — strengthening its foothold in the American market while connecting with new communities of fashion-forward consumers. GARAGEEST.2016 maintains its core identity with every expansion: clothing that feels powerful, personal, and original.
What sets Alina Sultanova apart is her sharp eye for design and her ability to merge artistry with precision. She has developed a unique design and production process that allows her to create garments of remarkable complexity without sacrificing wearability. Each piece carries her signature — not just in aesthetics, but in energy. That combination of innovation, authenticity, and entrepreneurial vision has established Sultanova as a creative leader with a truly global outlook.