Yerevan will host the “National Costumes” Pan-Armenian Competition-Festival, which will feature performances of Armenian songs and dances, recitation of Armenian poems and showing of Armenian national costumes. The idea of the competition-festival was conceived by public figure Emil Markosyan.

“I came up with the idea all of a sudden when I saw how Armenian boys and girls dress themselves. My wish is to show people that we Armenians have worn beautiful clothes and costumes for centuries, not ripped jeans. Of course, we can’t restore all the national costumes, but we have to at least show the society and young people national costumes from time to time,” Emil Markosyan told Panorama.am.

Markosyan stated that the competition-festival is open to people of all ages and to those who have national costumes and want to show them on the platform. Those participants who have beautiful voices can also sing a song or recite a poem.

“The sole purpose is to show national costumes. A professional jury will rate the costumes and the ornaments. Each ornament must correspond to our national traditions,” he added.

The deadline for submitting applications is August 20, 2017.

Markosyan said the competition-festival’s organizers have received applications from 5 reputable designers who will present their collections of national costumes with their models. They have also received 127 applications from Armenia’s regions and the Diaspora.

The competition-festival will be held in three stages. The final stage will be held on September 15 at Hakob Paronyan State Musical Comedy Theater.

“There is great interest in the festival, and this means that it might become an annual event,” the creator of the competition-festival said.