Colour On. Nina Donis AW20

August 19, 2020 | Design & Culture by Ed

Donis Pouppis and Nina Neretina’s Nina Donis label is legendary within the Russian fashion industry. The duo met in the late 1980s while in university for textiles and started their own line, which they officially launched in 2000. The two went on to show at London Fashion Week for several seasons, but Moscow felt more like home. Now, the pair splits their time between Pouppis’s childhood home of Cyprus and the Russian capital, where the brand has amassed a dedicated following. As inspiration, they often look to Russian motifs, like Olympic uniforms and Russian traditional dress. For autumn-winter 2020, one might note a colour palette as bold as the one of Kazimir Malevich (or Pantone matching system). The duo were as well inspired by Jamie Julien Brown’s totem installations (the striped pieces!) as well as historic collars seen in El Greco’s portraits, deconstructed into verstaile accessories you can wear over a sweatshirt-dress or minimal knit. The collection’s must-have? Definitely here for the voluminous, yellow blouson with exaggerated bows down the sleeves. If you want to see more of Nina Donis, click here!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Soviet Modern. Gosha Rubchinskiy SS16

June 26, 2015January 6, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Gosha Rubchinkiy is the guy from Moscow, who brings on the nostalgic ideas of post-soviet Russia and its “fashion”. Soviet sportswear and Iron Curtain era was mentioned in the collection, too, by presenting the infamous symbols and dates on shirts and t-shirts. The silhouettes of jumpers were inspired by Eastern-bloc athletes (all the Russian flag colours) and the short shorts would be perfect for PE classes. Even the venue had something to do with sports – the oldest basketball gym of France was the venue of the show. But the overall effect of this collection seems to be the same as usually in case of Gosha – strong homage to his homeland and a kind of irony perceived in the air toward’s Russia today.

Men’s: Russian Skater. Gosha Rubchinskiy SS15

June 29, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Gosha Rubchinskiy, Russia’s young fashion star just came for the Paris fashion week, to show his SS15 collection for men. And that’s surely something, that the Parisian fashion scene never have seen (although they had other Russians, like Vika Gazinskaya or Ulyana Sergeenko). Known for his post-Soviet, skater style and street influenced clothes, thanks to Comme des Garcons he found his place here. One of his first customers back in 2010 was Dover Street Market, which opened a corner for the post-Soviet brand in its London store, and in 2012, Comme des Garçons took on production and distribution. As he says, his clothes are made in mind for Russia’s post-1991 generation, those who grew up in the midst of a reawakening of religious roots in the post-Soviet boom-or-bust economy. For spring, Rubchinskiy showed leather jackets, fur coats, canvas shirts, skater sweatpants and silent, white t-shirts with his logo written in Russian. In my opinion, everything here is wearable, and all of it is really cool. But are these clothes so, so breath-taking?

Ruban, Ruban, Ruban!

April 2, 2014April 6, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Ruban is the moments leading label from Moscow. The label that is full of pretty skirts, warm colours and beautiful silhouettes, just can’t be not loved! And the AW14 collection is, no wonder, amazing. The tules with all these fabrics; the fur pockets; the coloured leather… Everything is like from a fairy-tale. Designed by Alisa and Julia Ruban, the brand is a mixture of Russia’s traditional dressing and Parisian chic… I am once again, in love!

Sew On. Vika Gazinskaya AW14

March 9, 2014March 9, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Well… The most interesting Russian designer, Vika Gazinskya, just went out of ideas. Sorry, but sew-on-badges embroidered on caps and dresses look a bit… Home-made? But not hand-made- rather “sewn because I was bored”. And these trompe l’oil printed dresses and blouses? So Maison Martin Margiela. Even those “tattoos” look deja vu (see Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture for Summer). I thought that Vika was the only future of Russian fashion. But, unfortunately, as you may see, she is getting traumatically boring about her ideas. And that’s a pitty.