BIOGRAPHY

Designer Patuna G. Bushyhead, born June 1980, is a naturalized US Citizen originally from the Republic of Georgia.  From the age of five she starred as an actress on stage and television in Tbilisi Theater and performed in countries across the Former Soviet Union.  During this period she studied classical piano, ballet, Georgian national dances, pantomime, painting and sketching.  She left the stage at the age of 13 and served as a television host for two different nationally broadcasted programs at the age of 15.

At 16 she entered Tbilisi State Institute to study gynecology, and after two years changed to the Dentistry Department and graduated at the top of her class with her doctorate in Dental Surgery.  After working in a private dental practice she met her American husband and they spent the next few years traveling the world including; USA, Mexico Western Europe, Russia, UAE and other places.  In 2008, Patuna made a career change from Dentistry to her real passion which is Fashion Merchandising and Design and converted one of her homes to a Fashion Studio where she currently works as owner and director of Patuna Fashion House www.patunafashion.com. 

During recent years, she studied sketching with a professional tutor on anatomy, dress/shoe design, portraits, and face-profiles and graduated a career Institute in St. Albans, Vermont, USA, in Fashion Merchandising and Design, Sewing and Dressmaking and Cosmetology/Esthetics.  She developed her own technique of applying Swarovski Stones to her clothes and with this technique, designed and created a dress for a fashion show in Georgia themed: "Beauty will survive the world".  She applied over 2000 Swarovski Stones by hand which created the map of Georgia and the stones also stated, "I love my Georgia!"  She created the dress in a flowing, winding form representing the Georgian National Grape Tree. 

She created a baby line of clothes presented in a Fashion Show televised nationwide.   She also designed and created swimsuits for all contestants in, "Elite Model Look" televised nationwide and designed the cocktail dress worn by 2009 Miss Georgia in the Miss World contest held in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Patuna performed as a judge in the 2009 Miss Georgia contest.  Additionally, she designed and created all Miss Georgia contestant swimsuits and performed as the shows makeup artist for many of the contestants.  Patuna worked on the set of a major motion picture in Tbilisi as the costume designer.  She also made an appearance in the movie as an actress playing a Georgian designer.  On 22 October 2010, Patuna participated in the Fashion Designer's Expo in Miami where she showed 25 pieces in her evening dress collection, 'Miami Glamour Nights' including handmade accessories and handmade shoes.

In December 2010, Patuna was honored as National Television's "Extraordinary Guest of the Year' and in a separate event, honored as one of the top 20 successful women in the country in a nationally televised event. 

After Georgia Fashion Week 2010, she participated in her first American Show at Miami's Fashion Designer's Expo and was then selected as one of the top 60 designers in the world for participation in the Miami Beach International Fashion Week, March 2011.  Here she showed 20 pieces in her evening dress collection, 'Big Glamour' including handmade accessories and handmade shoes.  She followed up by opening the premier 2011 Miami Bridal Week Fashion Show.