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www.defilenaneve.ru/#/en “Defile na Neve” – St Pe-
section sponsored by rossiyskaya gazeta, russia
tersburg pret-a-porter week distributed with the daily telegraph tuesday_december 22_2009 Fashion
Following moscow’s style:
old and new
AlExANDER AZARo foR ARtEfACt CommuNiCAtioNS AgENCy
born in the ussr, worn around the world
understand why I was sup- but Soviet bureaucrats turned Leonid Brezhnev. Zaitsev also in costumes for figure skaters.
posed to create only four de- the offer down. had no interest in collaborat- Fans of ice dancing may re-
signs a month when my poten- The impression that Zaitsev’s ing with Raisa Gorbacheva member the brilliant duet by
tial was substantially greater. fashions made on Europeans – he didn’t like her somewhat Bestemianova and Bukin and
The only answer that I could and Americans is summed up arrogant attitude towards peo- their fiery “Polovtsian Dances”
find was that it wasn’t in the in one episode. In the late ple. This did not prevent Gor- in costumes by Slava Zaitsev.
government’s interest to have Eighties, a friend of mine won bacheva from telling everyone Yet he remains an artist for the
people dress with an individu- an internship at an American that she bought her clothes select few – and there’s some
al style,” says Zaitsev today. publication. For her first day of from Slava Zaitsev. Once when sense in that. To wear Zaitsev’s
Zaitsev’s collections were con- work she chose a striking black they happened to meet, Zaitsev clothes one needs to have a
stantly taken abroad to dem- suit by Zaitsev, consisting of a asked her why she did this. highly developed sense of inner
onstrate the potential of Sovi- fitted jacket and miniskirt. “I “You mean you don’t like it?” freedom, as he does. At 71, he
et designers, while Zaitsev don’t know what they were ex- she said, surprised. still produces two collections a
himself was left at home. The pecting – some type of drab So- “I would like it if it were true,” year and hosts a popular tele-
Soviet authorities were evi- viet-style uniform – but when Zaitsev replied. He never did vision show. He has also creat-
dently afraid that he might de- I appeared it was as though a become a Kremlin designer be- ed a Fashion Laboratory where
ASS
fect. After a showing in the bomb had gone off,” she re- cause he has always preferred he teaches young designers.
-t
AR
United States, an members. Her new colleagues to work with people who share Zaitsev’s secret of longevity is
it
_
American com- all wanted to know the name his values and like his style, simple: “I love life. I always
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v
ti
pany offered of the designer. and don’t just order clothes. smile: when I was a child peo-
EN
to open Zaitsev had never wanted to Zaitsev has dressed all of the ple called me Sunbeam. Even
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m
kl
il
stores for work just for the elite. That is Soviet Union’s most beautiful when I feel down, I go to the
A
him around why he never got along with actresses. He was the first de- mirror and say to myself: ‘Now, mikh
the world, the Soviet leader of the time, signer to take a serious interest Sunbeam, buck up!’”
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In his works, Zaitsev utilises the advantages of traditional Russian
costumes using folklore motives
dress Every revolution in Russia has had its effect on the national wardrobe
From peter the great to gorbachev
One of the best living Russian Russia to the Western political Aleksander Benua, Nikolay Re-
writers, Viktor Pelevin, once said values, but also dressed Rus- rikh – the leading artists of the
(2)
that Russian history is in a sense sians in Western-type clothes. It “Mir Iskusstva” group dressed
NE
a history of fashion. Scenery and was thanks to Peter that Rus- the Russian dancers in cos-
ouli
costumes of main characters sian men shaved off their long tumes that were inspired by the
ASS
_
may change, but the essence beards, tried on pants for the Slavic fairy tales.
l
S
RE
of deep-laid processes first time, while women uncov- As the first grand entrance of
t ultu
ERSAN
remains the same. One may not ered their scarf-clad hair and the Russian arts onto the Euro-
C
ko
_
komm
ES
y ku
DEN
agree with it, but as for Russian exposed their cleavages to the pean stage, the Ballets Russes ol
Al
Ex
E
B
fashion it’s undoubtedly true. rest of the world. shaped the European public’s ym
While the 18th- and 19th-cen- view of Russian style, forever
&
S
tury Russian aristocracy leaving the impression of an ex-
DES
ksenia galouchko
o
C
Special to RuSSia Now dressed identically to its French travagant, colourful and flashy
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_
and Prussian counterparts, fashion culture.
tyl
S
In Russian history the fashion with the turn of the 20th centu- The Revolution of 1917 made
i
AN
Classic features of
SS
revolutions always coincided ry the traditional Muscovy Rus the Russian fashion adjust to the
u
R
the Zaitsev style: an
with the greatest political style of heavy fabrics, elaborate new Communist norms, which From Russian “sarafan” (left) to elegant “manto” a la Anna Karenina:
Asian magnificence
changes: from Peter the Great gold and precious stone em- condemned everything “bour- these styles are making a comeback (Greta Garbo, right)
of colour in a crisp
to the Revolution of 1917 to broideries and female half- geois” and extraordinary.
Gorbachev’s Perestroika. moon-shaped headwear koko- In its early phase the Soviet state
European silhouette Made popular around the world shniks made its comeback and introduced equality among ing Jackie Kennedy’s dresses, it Russian fashionistas. And while
by Yves Saint Laurent’s “a la won over Europe with Serge sexes and classes, instantly af- wasn’t until Mikhail Gor- the Russian home design indus-
Russe” collections and Russian Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. fecting the Russian style by rad- bachev’s wife Raissa that the try is relatively young and un-
ballet, the main elements of Performed at the Parisian ically simplifying the dress. Russian style started coming derfinanced, the success of
contemporary Russian style Grand Opera and Covent Gar- However, creative Russian back to the world arena. Alena Akhmadullina, Denis Si-
were born as a result of dramat- den, Stravinsky’s Firebird and women managed to retain their Gorbacheva came to symbolise machev and Igor Chapurin on
ic reforms. Petroushka, along with Rim- style even in the worst times, the free spirit of Perestroika. At the international fashion mar-
The premier Russian fashion sky-Korsakovs Golden Rooster going to great lengths to get the time of great changes Gor- ket is proof of the Russian style’s
revolutionary was Peter the revealed the intricacies of the hold of Western European bacheva’s fashion sense brought comeback in all its glamour and
Great, who not only exposed pre-Petrian fashion. Leo Bakst, clothing designs and replicat- a new wave of optimism to the magnificence.
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