While the pandemic around the world is breaking the concept of new trends and shows, we would like to talk about Russian designers and speculate why there is fashion in Russia and why it is more interesting and distinctive than in some other countries of the world.
Alena Akhmadullina
It is one of the most successful Russian brands, founded by Alena Akhmadullina in 2001. A pioneer in the Russian fashion industry, since 2005, Alena Akhmadullina has been a regular participant of the Paris pret-a-porter Fashion Week.
The designer is rightfully called the main storyteller of the Russian catwalk: in her collections, she interprets Russian folk tales one after another. Alena’s collection includes beaded dresses with wing sleeves, pullovers made of mink down, and Chantilly lace with the decor in the form of magical birds and belts with swan buckles. Alena’s collections are intelligent and feminine; she skillfully combines a strict cut and bright colors, expensive materials, complex textures, and modern sewing technologies.
Alena Akhmadullina is the first Russian brand to put virtual clothes on sale. The pandemic gave Alena and her team time to experiment, and now 3D products can be purchased on the brand’s official website.
Ulyana Sergeenko
Ulyana Sergeenko founded her own brand in 2011. With the very first collection, the designer set the direction in which the brand’s atelier is developing today. The designer sews elegant dresses made in the corporate aesthetics from materials with author’s prints, complementing the silhouette with expressive details.
FALL-WINTER 2021/2022
In a very short time, Ulyana managed to bring the show off her dresses and other creative pieces to the world level. In her collections, you can see fur coats made of expensive fur, chunky knit sweaters, fluffy skirts. Favorite length – maxi – adds luxury to the image. Ulyana often uses prints with large flowers. At the moment, Sergeenko creates amazing images of Women with a capital W, with a sense of style, grace, and elegance, with unique features. The Western press dubbed Ulyana a “Russian nesting doll” not only for her favorite silhouettes in clothes but also for her loyalty to national traditions.
Vika Gazinskaya
The works of this Russian designer are truly unique in their own way. Vika prefers a complex architectural cut, loves laconicism minimalism, avoids shiny fabrics and floral motifs while she brings each creation to perfection. During her studies, the young designer began to collect Russian and international awards: “Russian silhouette” ANDAM Fashion Award. Fashion magazines Harper’s Bazaar and American Vogue have repeatedly published collections of the Vika Gazinskaya brand.
In her work, the designer focuses on free oversized models: trench coats, coats, as well as fitted dresses suitable for fragile ladies. The designer experimented with materials that used heavy fabrics for blouses, which broke fashion stereotypes. Now designer dresses are worn by show business stars, it-girls, and the celebrity herself collaborates with foreign online stores. As a vegetarian, the fashion designer builds her business in an eco-friendly way. Vika has repeatedly stressed that the brand refuses to use natural fur.
Gosha Rubchinskiy
The Gosha Rubchinskiy brand, like the designer himself, is incredibly popular; his collections are sold all over the world – from the USA to Japan. The brand’s style has nothing to do with glamour and haute couture, but this has not prevented it from becoming the personification of Russian fashion for most of the Western audience.
Creating models and images, Gosha is inspired by the 80s, 90s, and zero years of our country, which is why his collections contain defiant T-shirts with the USSR emblem, sweatpants, and denim shirts with patriotic slogans. Fleece sweatshirts with half zippers, bleached jeans, loose cargo pants, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets with leather collars and inserts – this is the designer’s signature style. Gosha’s collections are always different, but they have a similar feature and therefore are recognizable. Celebrities from all over the world, walking in a sweater with an inscription in Cyrillic, also helped the designer to make the brand so recognizable.
Ruban
Ruban clothing brand was founded six years ago by two sisters-fashion designers, Alisa and Yulia Ruban, and today it has been named the best Russian fashion house according to Marie Claire USA. Due to the complex cut of models, non-standard design solutions, and a serious approach to business, they quickly managed to gain recognition all over the world. Renowned publications and sites such as VOGUE France and Style.com willingly publish the brand’s original collections, thus attracting the attention of fashion lovers and experts alike.
Ruban garments are distinguished by intricate finishes and grotesque details: chiffon appliqués, corset designs, numerous frills, provocative cuts, fringes, and floral prints. For inspiration, designers look up to costume history and contemporary views of femininity and sexuality. Depending on the season, Ruban collections clearly show the features of minimalism, romanticism, sporty and classic styles. In the production of outerwear, dresses, shirts, and skirts, Alice and Yulia prefer fine leather, jacquard, silk, cashmere, wool, and organza in restrained natural shades. Ruban’s eclectic pieces are complemented by garments with catchy details and discreet, feminine accessories in soothing colors.
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