IERI — a concept store in the heart of the city — is in Forbes Woman
An interview with Sofia Guguberidze and Anka Tsitsishvili
Sofia Guguberidze, the founder of the IERI store & Anka Tsitsishvili, the creative director & buyer of the IERI store, are featured in the latest issue of Forbes Woman Georgia magazine. Sofia and Anka are on the second cover of issue #21 which came out in December 2022.
Please, see a short retelling of the interview below.
First an idea came up. And then, Sofia Guguberidze and Anka Tsitsishvili found a space that would combine modern Georgian fashion and Georgian cultural heritage in the old winery on Petriashvili street. As they recall, as soon as they entered, they realized that they were exactly where they had imagined. With its mood, aesthetics, brick walls, high ceilings, this place was exactly what they were looking for and where, in a short time, the diverse collections of Georgian designers gathered.
Fashion was a part of life for both of them, but the decision to open the biggest concept store in Tbilisi still required a long time of instructions about why and for what everything was conceived, that became the "IERI".
“Actually, this is all about the cultural observation of Georgia, but it was important for us that the creation of this culture should not be stereotypical. .... We started a series of lectures on the history of Georgia, including the influence Georgians had on the world fashion industry. For this, even the example of Mary Shervashidze is quite impressive.” - Anka
The main distinguishing sign of being here is not expressed only in fancy aesthetics. This is also a completely different standard of service, but the decisive factor is the great opportunity of choice, thanks to which it is very easy to find what you are looking for in "IERI".
“From the moment the customer enters this white door, his service begins and this service does not end when the customer leaves the store. It continues with the loyalty system and includes how we congratulate our customers on their birthday, send a gift, invite them to our events.” - Sofia.
The concept store located in the heart of the city, a must-visit place, can be easily found by locals as well as foreign tourists with the help of leading travel platforms such as: Conde Nast Traveller, Momondo and Airbnb. "IERI" is practically the number one shopping destination for foreign guests of Tbilisi.
About IERI store
IERI store is a multifunctional concept store representing more than 35 Georgian brands and artists. Our flagship store opened in May 2019 on the second floor of a historical Wine Factory N1 at Vasil Petriashvili street, built in 1896 in the Vera district.
The store's name can’t be translated from Georgian to English in just one word. IERI — means look, appearance, image, outfit, and attitude. We were the first to bring the edutainment concept to Tbilisi — a store, a gallery, a coffee spot, a wine bar, a place to meet, and a place to be for events, lectures and exhibitions.
Anka Tsitsishvili, a well-known fashion expert, is a creative director and a buyer of the IERI store. Sofia Guguberidze, an international expert in luxury business management, is a project director.
The main aim of the IERI store is to change the stereotypical perception of the country and to develop the fashion retail industry. We are the first concept store to gather all Georgian brands in one unique space and to create a concept based on the country's identity and heritage. A space more accurately to be named an “inspiration spot” rather than just a concept store.
About Forbes Woman
Forbes Georgia is the most influential business magazine in Georgia.
Forbes Woman Georgia is a licensed edition of Forbes Media, which aims to discover and share success stories of professionals from diverse fields and social circles. Forbes Woman Georgia believes in its core purpose: to produce investigative articles on topics of high interest and contribute to women’s empowerment by supporting and promoting female leaders.
For any inquiries, please, contact Liza Eliava
Communication and PR Junior Manager of IERI store
press@ieristore.com
+995 599 221510
Instagram: @ieri_store
