On the catwalk at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia in Moscow, 2016.
MAXIM ZMEYEV/REUTERS/ALAMY.
AUTHENTIC VOICES AND ALTERNATIVE VISIONS ARE CATNIP IN THE CURRENT STYLE LANDSCAPE.
nce up on a time, not so long ago, the only way to be taken seriously as a designer was to show your collection during New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks. Many other cities have tried to break into that calendar to showcase talent and show off cultural capital, but often to little avail. Now the tide is turning as retailers and powerhouse brands scout out talent in emerging markets, with Georgia, Russia, Copenhagen, Seoul and Istanbul high on the list. Why? Authentic voices and alternative visions are catnip in the current style landscape. Within that shift, the work of a generation of designers who grew up through the post-glasnost years in Russia and the former Soviet Republics has become a subject of fascination – difference being a big part of the
appeal. Ironically, it is the activity of expat talents that has helped raise their profile. Georgian-born Demna Gvasalia, the creative director of Balenciaga and co-founder of Vetements, has helped shine a spotlight on the region (his family fled the country during the civil war), as has fellow Georgian, Londonbased David Koma, who helms Mugler. In Moscow, Gosha Rubchinskiy has built a cult following for his streetwear brand produced in partnership with Comme des Garçons. These success stories have helped galvanize the ambition of future stars as well as the professionalism of emerging-market fashion weeks. There is no one look or style. Today’s under-the-radardesigners are as diverse in their imaginative scope as they are in their geographic locations and cultural heritage. “I wanted to mix Audrey Hepburn femininity with
bloc party
Emerging designers from former Soviet countries are subverting fashion stereotypes to usher in a new era of cool, says Harriet Quick.
25 Baku.
