GROZNY, October 6 (RIA Novosti) - Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov said on Tuesday he intended to do his best to support the development of fashion in the republic.

The statement followed the opening show of a fashion studio in Chechnya's capital Grozny. The event was also attended by Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli and renowned Russian designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev.

"I will do my best to promote and develop Chechen fashion," Kadyrov, 33, said after the show. "And I am sure these great people - Cavalli and Zaitsev - will help us."

During the show, the founders of the studio, sisters Laura and Medni Arzhiyeva, demonstrated their collection, consisting of hand-made evening and wedding gowns, decorated with Swarovski crystals. Their designs, inspired by Chechen national costumes, combine elements of the Islamic dress code with European fashion trends.

Kadyrov, who in October 2008 posed for a glossy magazine wearing designer clothes from a number of leading fashion houses, said after the show he wants Chechen girls "to dress in accordance with [Chechen] people's traditions and to be the most beautiful."

"If Chechens do not keep their culture and traditions, they will have no future," he said, adding that the studio, which is expected to become the largest in the North Caucasus, "can promote the Chechen national dress."

However, the show organizers said each dress from the Arzhiyevas' collection would cost more than 100,000 rubles (over $3,350). The Chechen-born sisters graduated from Zaitsev's Fashion Laboratory in Moscow.

Zaitsev, who, at the age of 71, remains at the top of Russian fashion, highly appreciated the collection, saying he was "delighted" by the "fantastic combination of lines and textile" in his former students' designs.

Cavalli, famous for his wild animal prints and upscale printed denim jeans, said he was impressed by the "fantastic" show, and was very grateful to the Chechen president for giving him the opportunity to attend the ceremony.

Kadyrov, who has been accused of human rights abuses in Chechnya, also said he would spare neither "health nor money" to help Chechen fashion.