Biography

NodiraAbdurakhmanova

Stylist · Designer · Blogger · Founder

Known to her followers as Coco Chapan, Nodira has spent years bringing the Uzbek chapan out of grandmothers’ chests and back into everyday life.

Before Chorsu

Four places that shaped her eye

01
Angren

Childhood at her grandmother’s house. Her grandmother at the tandoor in national dress is her most vivid memory, and the start of a wish to show how beautiful an Uzbek woman is.
02
China

As a student she amazed classmates from other countries with Uzbek khan-atlas and colour.
03
America

On a US university campus her ikat chapan from Chorsu turned heads. Those years taught her to wear what others wouldn’t dare.
04
Pakistan

A country that keeps its identity in its clothes. She wanted Uzbeks to be recognised at a glance in the same way.

The story

Her story in five chapters

i. Chorsu A passion, not a plan Hunting for chapans at Chorsu Bazaar and sharing every find. Read
ii. Coco Chapan A nickname becomes a name Her followers named her Coco Chapan. Read
iii. nadi_uz / ITEMS The label Chapans with pockets and shorter cuts, made for everyday life. Read
iv. 2024 The house The world’s first chapan house-museum opens in Tashkent. Read
v. 2050 A letter to the future A promise of ten chapan museums around the world. Read

i / v

i.I — Chorsu

A passion, not a plan

“It wasn’t planned. It’s just a passion that evolved into a lifestyle.” Nodira opened her Instagram in 2016 with photos of everyday looks, and the response surprised her. She went to Chorsu Bazaar again and again, searching for chapans for clients and for herself, and began leading tours of the bazaar for visitors and locals. Through the blog she showed representatives of the Cartier jewellery house her Uzbekistan, and inspired a famous British director to buy a chapan for filming.

ii.II — Coco Chapan

A nickname becomes a name

Her followers came to associate her so completely with the chapan that they named her Coco Chapan. Under that name she released her first merchandise: in a year and a half, more than 600 T-shirts with the print, now worn by girls all over the world. Afisha Tashkent called her an unofficial ambassador of the chapan around the world, and in 2023 she was nominated for the Influencer Awards at the Tashkent Digital Marketing Forum.

iii.III — nadi_uz / ITEMS

The label

Her own clothing brand keeps the chapan’s form and rewrites the details: pockets, shortened styles, new textures. “We sew chapans that are comfortable to wear every day — while driving, in the city, when travelling.” Her first fashion show took place in the house of the writer Abdulla Qodiriy. A couple of years later she showed her third collection in Paris, at the Face of Uzbekistan contest, together with Beqassam, the brand of Chorsu chapan seller Khozhiakbar Khoshimov.

iv.IV — 2024

The house

“When I realised that there were stacks of vintage chapans lying around in the market that no one was buying, it hurt. This is cultural gold!” On 5 June 2024 she and her partner Gyuli Kogan of UG Construction opened Maison de Chapan. They built the world’s first chapan house-museum in four months.

Visit the house

v.V — 2050

A letter to the future

At the opening, Nodira sealed a time capsule holding a letter to future generations. In it she promised to open ten chapan museums around the world by 2050.

Philosophy

“In the past, the chapan was like a passport: its patterns allowed you to ‘read’ the wearer’s region, status and profession.”

For Nodira the ornaments are encoded messages, and the chapan is a sign of individuality and strength. She champions conscious consumption: natural fabrics, traditional craft, and pieces made to be worn for a lifetime.

Advice

How to choose a chapan

Five rules from Nodira

Natural fabrics — always.

Silk, cotton or a combination of the two. Such fabric doesn’t make you sweat, drapes beautifully and lasts longer.
Ornament is not just decoration.

Prefer fabric without prints. Real ikat is always slightly uneven and lively — it breathes.
Look at the inner lining.

A good chapan is as beautiful inside as it is outside.
Try it on with your usual clothes.

Jeans, T-shirts, white shirts, even evening dresses — let it resonate with your style.
Trust your feelings.

A chapan should feel like a second skin. It’s not a costume; it’s an extension of the self.