By Serafin Zielinski

Although Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia might not be the first thing we associate with Moscow, it has secured a permanent place on the international fashion arena. The event, organized for the past 20 years by the PR company Artefact Communications founded by Alexander Shumsky, gives fashion designers from both Russia and abroad an opportunity to grow. Let’s take a look at the Manege Exhibition Hall chosen as the main venue for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia: for 5 days it became a promotional platform for 117 designers and their collections. The Fashion Week was visited by 60,000 guests. Here are Top 5 designers to look out for – coming to you straight from the front row.

ODOR

The first day of the Russian fashion week was closed out by Atelier ODOR. The menswear brand from Moscow was founded in 2005 by Nikita Kalmykov, who has a unique source of inspiration – the sense of smell. According to the brand’s official statement: ‘An artist, inspired by fragrances, without seeing or hearing, can create absolutely private, intimate artwork, that will be saturated with nostalgic past and shimmering future.’ The brand gives us space for a personal interpretation of their collections: ODOR in various languages means scent, but in each dialect notes of the fragrance are different: pleasing, stimulating, and even repulsive.’ Kalmykov chose the time of war for the background of his latest collection to tell us a tale of love and tragedy. The main reference was Peter Jackson’s documentary film “They Shall Not Grow Old” based on original footage of World War I from the archives of the Imperial War Museum. The nostalgic mood was reflected in romantic oversized coats worn on naked bodies, sheer shirts with decorative ruffles and a color palette of white, grey, beige and olive green. The collection included many military motifs, such as ribbons, crosses, and medals. The show was not, however, devoted entirely to men – several women’s silhouettes could be spotted as well. The images of the terror of the Great War were projected on a screen while the models marched barefoot on the catwalk. The garments were made entirely from natural and recyclable materials friendly to the environment.

 

ALVARO MARS

Global Talent is an initiative launched by the Russian Fashion Council to give emerging talent a unique opportunity to present their collections to an international audience. Out of 105 newcomers, the Council selected a group of designers from such countries as Spain, Germany, Sweden, and China to showcase their designs at Fashion Week Russia. Among them was a 21-year-old Spanish designer Alvaro Mars, who presented his avant-garde collection Teatro Paradiso Spring/Summer 2020, inspired by the Baroque style. Stirring up emotions has been Mars’s aim from the very beginning – since he was a young boy he kept sketching the same girl in different outfits for no reason: ‘I had no idea of what was a fashion designer, the only thing that was clear to me was that I wanted to spend my entire life drawing clothes filling sketchbooks and notebooks.’ In his designs, Mars plays with volumes, fabrics, colors and presents fashion as a form of art without taking it too seriously. His new collection was inspired by the increasing popularity of the flamenco culture and his Mediterranean roots – the result is an opulent story full of patchwork, draping, and patterns. The collection puts emphasis on layering, genderless silhouettes with out-of-proportion designs. The looks are enriched by exaggerated accessories such as gloves, hoods, and veils covering the face.

 

PIROSMANI BY JENYA MALYGINA

Deconstruction is the main core of Pirosmani, a Russian fashion brand from St. Petersburg founded by Evgeniya Malygina in 1999. With her interest in layering, draping with abstract patterns, the designer follows the ANTIPODIUM concept, the premise of which is to make clothes that go beyond seasons and trends. Malygina showed a collection full of coats, suits and evening wear, mostly in black. Oversized garments with exaggerated collars and shoulders made the models look otherworldly and dark. The looks were completed with transparent boots with decorative cut-outs. The collection introduced strong colors such as red, blue, yellow, green and violet, as well as geometric prints. The masterfully done hair and the sound of a thunderstorm in the background were the perfect addition to the show.

 

NATASHA TIMOFEEVA

FUTURUM MOSCOW is an exhibition created by the National Chamber of Fashion to showcase young designers and artists. The event took place in the Museum of Moscow on the last day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. From a group of many talented creators, a Russian designer born in Rostov-on-Don caught our attention – Natasha Timofeeva. She graduated from the Southern Federal University and runs a brand named after her. She is also one of the semi-finalists of Russia’s Project Runway. Without a doubt, the quality of styling was the strongest point of Timofeeva latest collection, which was built entirely around the shape of the human eye. The designer mixed delicate sheer dresses with oversized shirts made of thick fabrics. The collection was full of ruffles, patchwork, layering, and prints. The grotesque opulence of the garments as well as the richness of accessories and the repeated motif of eyes created an atmosphere of constant curiosity and tension. The makeup and hairstyles worn by the models made the feeling of anxiety even stronger.

 

YANA GILVICHYUTE

Yana Gilvichyute is a young designer from St. Petersburg. She graduated from St. Petersburg University of Technology and Design and completed an internship at Donghua University in Shanghai. Yana has presented her collections in places such as Tokyo, Budapest, Milan, Copenhagen and Qingdao. This time, she took us to 18th-century France to let us experience the spirit of the Revolution. The designer presented the audience with a whole spectrum of oversized garments like trench coats, jackets, vests, pants and shorts, as well as loose shirts with big collars and extra-long sleeves decorated with pleats. Yana used belts and corsets to accentuate the waist and add a feminine touch to the silhouettes. The dominant shades of the collection were olive green, beige, brown and white.