Select language:

In the Russian style

 / Ãëàâíàÿ / Russkiy Mir Foundation / Publications / In the Russian style

In the Russian style

05.09.2018

Bella Volkova

Seeing a woman in sari in India is an ordinary occasion, but probably no one has ever seen a man in kosovorotka* or a young woman in kokoshnik**. “A folk costume in day-to-day life would look rather exotic than fashionable,” admits Natalia Loginova, the head of Fashion and Design Center D3 (the All-Russia Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art). “However, addressing traditions is one of the modern design trends.”

This article has been submitted to the Russkiy Mir Foundation to enter “Co-Creation”, the IIIrd International Youth Journalist Contest, category: “Discover Russia”.

Russian style has been returning to runways as well as to daily routine. Strange as it may seem, but hardly anyone is able to explain what it is about. “Khokhloma? Matryoshkas? Yes and no,” – believes Loginova. “Once Vladimir Pozner said that in the first place Russian style is daring. And I agree with such point. Our designers are daring. Over the recent years their number in Russia has been increasing, though fashion is not the simplest way to earn.’

Our story is about three Russian fashion brands. One of them may have a show-room in the heart of Moscow. Others may sell items only through Internet. But they all create in Russian style. Daringly.


Embroidery, aprons, ancient motives and scientific approach

Svetlana Levadnaja, the Levadnaja Details brand

One lady saw our apron at the exhibition and immediately bought it. I tried to talk her off it,” shares Svetlana Levadnaja. “Because it is not the cheapest item and at the same time – not the most necessary one in the XXI century. I was worried that her husband would not approve such expensive purchase… But he saw the apron and said: "At last you bought yourself something decent!"

“Russian does not mean yellow and red!” says Svetlana. She is confident that quite colours are right for majority of our women.

Items by Levadnaja Details are rather expensive indeed: they are made from natural fabrics (mostly - pure silk, cashmere and Italian linen), and each with handmade beadwork and semi-precious stone patterns, which require at least one month to be made. Such clothes are not for any girl: try to offer someone to tie an apron over jeans or wear kokoshnik** with an evening dress. “My clients are extremely strong and confident ladies,” says Svetlana. “Those who are lost or confused do not come to us.”

Today you can observe nods in the directions of Russian folk costumes both on runways and at sophisticated routs. Svetlana started her business in 2006, and she says that back then they “thought her to be insane.”

Svetlana Levadnaja: “The first skirt made by us had knee length and was with black velvet apron. And a lot of people reacted to it with: “My goodness, what’s this?” Anything ethnical was out of fashion and full of obscurities. Sometimes I felt utterly discouraged – it seemed that changes would never come.”

Svetlana Levadnaja, a designer, has never been a “woman of fashion”. But she has loved “everything Russian” since her childhood. “When I was ten, my mom ordered a blouse for me,” she recalls, “It was made in pure Russian style, with simple fabric and had embroidery. I remember people in the streets asking: "Where did you get it?

Embroidery is the brand’s signature. One item requires not less than one month of handcraft.

Svetlana was born and grew up in Crimea; she studied in Germany and moved to Moscow in 2004. Being a linguist, a translator, she started her brand with scientific approach: researching museum pieces and collecting entire library about embroidery and folk costumes. Svetlana wanted to create fashion-in-Russian-style. And inspiration for her designs she finds not in Pavlovo-Posad Shawls, which were created in the late XVIII century, but rather in ancient clothes from pre-Christian age (Svetlana does not like such term as “pagan”), those with embroidery, oplechya (something like wide collars) and protective charm symbols.

Svetlana Levadnaja: “We find patterns for our shawls in books and museum pieces. Actually they are not just patterns. Each symbol means something. And all our clients want to know the meaning. However no one will ever be able to translate such language, in best case – some symbols. And if anybody tells you he/she read everything – do not believe them.”

Currently Russian native costume is usually called a peasant costume. Because since Peter the Great times only simple people were allowed to wear it. Opening window to Europe, the Tsar forbade wearing Russian clothes at the court. Debates on whether his decision was right could be very long – we will never know what our life would have been without that “Europeanization”. Svetlata says that decree was an “arrow straight into the heart.” “Russian costume has never been just a piece of clothes,” she explains, “it was a saga written in patterns. It used to tell about a person’s family line, his/her desires… Comparing to what it used to be, we are just a fragile sprout next to a big powerful tree. But I am capable to do at least this much.”

Oplechya are something like collars, which the one can wear with dresses, as well as with simple T-shirts

Establishment of own brand is not an easy task. What is even more complicated – to start selling items which are far beyond mass-market category in terms of flexibility and price. Svetlana collected money bit by bit. After selling her first dress (back then, 12 years ago, it cost about 3,000 to 4,000 euro), she invested the entire amount into boxes: “Presentable package is the first thing to be done; it shows that a designer respects his/her own efforts.” Then there was a small show-room. Levadnaja did her best to expand and move every year. Today she has a spacious show-room in the very heart of Moscow.

Svetlana does not sew herself. But she has done painting since she was five. She has created exceptional embroidery for her brand.

Svetlana Levadnaja: “Seeing it, a lot of people immediately ask: “Are you an artist?” It is not handcraft embroidery, but painting one. Currently we have around 570 samples of it. I created them with my own hands and then trained first embroideresses. Now it is our signature.”

The team of Levadnaja Details consists of 20 embroideresses and four tailoresses. Samples sewn for models are displayed in the show-room. When a client likes an item, it will be sewn specifically for her. “You are so tiny, this is why everything is rather big for you,” Svetlana tells me while I am trying on a dress made of pale blue linen. “But it should fit loosely; we hardly make any form-fitting clothes. It is a casual item; a big bag and comfortable shoes will match it well. High heels get on my nerves.” Another floor-length dress of pink-washed rich silk looks more like an evening gown. All models have rather simple designs: otherwise embroidery and ornaments would look way too blingy. And colours are mostly tender, quiet, though there are some bright models. “Rave of colour does not suit Slavic women,” Svetlana explains, “but clients from Caucasus also find something for them here; just making outfit for them should be more thorough.”

Such clothes can easily make you feel to be a Russian beauty irrespective of ethnic origin

Svetlana admits: her brand leans towards art rather than business. Some of her clients say they would like to pass these items down as inheritance. “We have two categories of customers. The first one is represented by women who are very wealthy and very independent. The second one includes middle-class women who save up for a few months and then make an order,” she shares. “We receive messages from various cities and towns of Russia and particularly often – from Siberia. Even if not ordering, they say: "Thank you for your work; we thought no one did it anymore."

Svetlana is sure that most people have misconception about Russian style. And it is Important for her to show that Russian apparel is beautiful. “I always say that Russian culture is a five star culture. And Russian fashion is a couture fashion,” she says. “Creating an item, I always think: is it worthy to carry on those traditions? As if I pass exam every single time.”


“Prostokvashino”, ceramic tiles, grandma’s wardrobes and “Soviet fleur”

Nina Samokhina, the Secret Garden brand

“Growing up, for some reason I was shy to tell my mom that I wanted to sew. Once I bought backing fabric; it was green and glittering; and it seemed very beautiful to me, just like silk,” shares Nina Samokhina. “I sneakily made myself a skirt for New Year celebration. It was total disaster, and I never wore it. My mom said: "This is a backing fabric; no one makes clothes from it; why didn’t you ask me?” And I replied: “Don’t know, it seemed to me beautiful; you wouldn’t have allowed me to buy it anyway…"

Nina has just started work on her brand: so far she has got only one big collection

Currently Nina’s mother assists her daughter in sewing collections. And there was a time when she herself sewed and knitted clothes for her daughters. Once she made over a defective jacket given by someone: “Its colour wasn’t really nice, and the yoke was big. And mom cut off the yoke, knitted the new one, sewed it on, made rabbit fur lining… My sister used to wear it. The jacket became a super hit, I still remember it.” Back then, in Soviet times and in the beginning of the 1990s, everybody used to make over something, and Nina’s grandma used to make silk flowers at home to be worn as brooches. “They looked just like Gucci’s,” Nina laughs.

That faulty skirt did not stop Nina – she used to sew all the way growing up. But as to professional education, she pursued a degree of an architect; at that time there were more important things to think about than models. In 2014 she moved from Minsk to Moscow with intention to enrol to Illustration course of British Higher School of arts and design. At the same time she was getting ready for her wedding and decided to make her own dress. Then she even wanted to open a wedding planning agency, but founded the Secret Garden brand instead.

Nina Samokhina: “Just because I wanted to – all these embroideries, flowers, leaves, veiling! I hadn’t done that for many years. But then my sewing was completed – and that was it. Last year I submitted papers for Apparel Design course, to British Higher School as well.”

So far Nina has got only one big collection – her graduation project. “I wanted it to comprise of outer garments, but my mentor told it would be better to make collection more diverse,” shares Nina. “I decided to work with outer garments because there aren’t many of them. Our mass-markets are mostly of Spanish origin; and they don’t really understand what minus 20 or 25 means». That is why Nina’s collection includes a velvet bomber jacket (it has warm lining and is designed for cold weather of down to minus 22), a bonnet (“I call it perelina”), a beige topcoat (“Dana Skully in “X-Files” used to wear a topcoat; and she seemed to me so beautiful!”) and warm coats. One of them is made with Soviet style mohair scarves: “I was looking for them all over Moscow, and then had to match colours. Mohair has long fluff, so after stitching you have to use needle and take it out from suture lines to make them look seamless.”

This coat is made with mohair scarves

Nina says that her models have motives of the Soviet past, though she did not encounter with it much being only 28. But there were grandma’s trunks, Soviet time patterns and old albums in her childhood. “I played cards with grandma, and she was sharing something… That’s why all these things are so familiar and dear to me, although I didn’t experience them myself.” Her mind also stores good mix of “Amélie”, a French movie, and “Prostokvashino”, a Soviet-time cartoon. “Their palette is so of my type. Entire range of colours – e.g. deep green – is just the way it should be. And mother’s character there is so French, with all her scarves, blunt bob… But at the same time if you look at interiors, walls – they were all drawn just the way we had them. Soviet environment, so dear to us, and such a dolly mother.”

Nina expresses all that “Soviet fleur” in garments. Even the velvet bomber, which has a very modern look, refers back to childhood memories: “It is big and round and looks like a balloon. Same like in childhood – it is winter, they put on you five sweaters, a fur coat, a hat, and hold you by your scarf from the back.” You can find Russian folk motives in her garments as well: for example, one coat was tailored based on a Russian shirt. And one of printings has pattern from a Russian ceramic tile: “Before it seemed to me shameful to draw something like that – can’t you create something of your own? But in any case you make it over, add something.

Printings have special place in Nina’s heart – after all she is an illustrator. She had a small collection of shirts with a bright flower pattern. For one of them Nina collected and digitized a herbarium, and it resulted in printing with leaves. “Studying in British Higher School, I was an alien to some extend. As a rule, everything is done there in laconic, architectural manner. But I wanted to do something funny. Though I understand that not everyone is ready to wear something like that.” Nina had to withdraw from “mad shirts in retro style” with huge bows: as it turned out, most of her contacts considered them to be kind of too much. “I don’t want to go too deep into “art”,” she says. “Apparel is a utilitarian thing.”

Nina is an illustrator, and printings she creates are important elements of her garments

For now Nina does not have her own production unit. She works from home, side by side (or back to back, if to be more precise) with her husband, an engineer, sometimes taking breaks for yoga. Nina has several jobs: own brand does not generate enough income, so she has to work on orders. As to garments, she partly sews them herself, partly – at local factories. Sometimes collection items are sewn to fit specific customer. “It is a good option: the garment fits well, it is definitely sold, everyone is happy,” Nina smiles, “instead of having my wardrobe overloaded and not having any money.” She has not got her show-room yet; all sales are done through social networks and personal contacts.

At the moment Nina is making an ordered wedding dress – second wedding dress ever. She also works on printings with cats and on natural fur coats. “What is Russian style in my opinion today?” Nina gives it a thought. “It is furry. Ornamental. Warm. Fairy-tale inspired. Ironic. With bright vibrant colours.” It sounds like a description of her future collections.


Furs, peacocks, fairy-tales and hats for Russian winter

Natalia Khovanskaya and Nastya Vyaz, the Tsar Bird brand

"How difficult it is with sleeves," I say, trying on a dushegreya, something like a jacket with gathers at the waist. Its sleeves let hands out a bit below the elbows, but this is not where they end, they hang down like ribbons. “They only seem uncomfortable to others,” says Nastya Vyaz. “You get used to them very fast,” adds Natalia Khovanskaya. “Same as if you’ve got a servant - it seems weird in beginning, and then - as if it is the way it should be”. In such dress, you really want to straighten your back and look around in search of a servant. And them to get into troika*** and go somewhere to eat bliny (crepes) with caviar.

As Natalia explains, model creation begins with a fabric: it stipulates the design

Natalia is a classical Russian beauty: blond hair, a plait, clear blue eyes. Nastya looks like Bashkir or Japanese: “Despite the fact that everyone in my family line, down to the fourth generation, was Russian or from Ukraine. I don’t know how come I am this way!” And together they create clothes from Russian fairy-tales.

In her childhood Nastya used to go to kindergarten in a yellow blouse looking like a tail-coat. Her mother used to sew, wore hats and watched with her daughter all records of Fashion Week she had been able to find. At the age of eight Natalia made a short green skirt for herself using her mom’s favorite dress (obviously, to say her mom got angry is to say nothing); then she kept on sewing, but graduated to be an economist. Nastya got a degree in physics, but worked as a stylist. Their brand was born when she started matching outfits for Natalia. “I realized that there was no any adequate offer for those who would look well in Russian style,” she says, “it’s either Pavlovo Posad Shawls or dresses that cost half a million rubles. So we began to design clothes ourselves.”

Nastay Vyaz is sure: “Wearing our blouses and oplechiya makes you feel like tsarevna”

And then, while the girls were in London and Paris, people used to approach them and ask where such garments could be purchased. “We joked, just for fun, that we had our own brand, and they requested contact details,” shares Natalia. Well, those jokes finally resulted in foundation of the Tsar Bird brand in 2017.

The girls wanted to bring traditional Russian clothes “up to date” preserving the concept. At first, looking at dushegreyas, fur oplechya (they look like puffed collars) and kosovorotkas*, it is hard to understand how to wear them and on which occasions. But trying them on can answer all the questions. “When we were creating oplechya, I though: “Oh, God, what are we doing?” Yes it looks fabulously, but how sensible will it be?” Natalia recalls. “And then I am wearing one and suddenly realize how much I like it, how comfortable I feel in it. And for the first week I didn’t take it off at all.” Also in cold season Natalia wears warm hats which look like Russian kokoshnik**: “We made them with purpose – we wanted to look beautiful in winter, as well as in summer.

Nowadays Nastya is mostly busy with design, and Natalia is in charge of administrative activities. Tsar Bird does not have its own production unit and show-room. They make their items at factories and sell through Internet. Majority of their buyers are from Russia, however there are some buyers abroad as well. The business has not generated profit, it has not evened itself so far as well, but according to Natalia, that's the way it usually goes.

Natalia Khovanskaya: “Our launch was funded with our own money, and the amount wasn’t huge. No doubts, if we were able to invest more, we would grow faster. However, now we also progress well – step by step, but consistently.”

Creating the brand, Natalia and Anastasia thought their clients would be women taking care of homes and kids. But their garments have suited taste of actively working ladies, often with own business. “Looking beautiful and bright is important for them, and they don’t want to spend a lot of time for that,” Natalia explains. “Our garments are self-sufficient; they don’t need to be completed with anything. Just put on a dress and shoes, refresh make up – you a ready to go out in a minute.” Tsar Bird has also some male clients and makes mostly kosovorotkas for them.

You can hardly imagine yourself at work or in metro wearing such outfit, but the girls explain that they want their clients to look bright every day

Making something unconventional is always risky: you may not find your clients and go out of business. But the girls strongly believe: if it is worth to create something, it is worth to create something unique. “There is no point in sewing tube skirts and blouses,” says Natalia. “Everybody does it.” Although their collection includes a tube skirt and a black blouse. At first I put the blouse on back to front. “We always say: if you don’t know which side to put the item on, then it is surely made by a designer,” Natalia laughs.

Some garments by Tsar Bird are suitable only for going out. Some can be worn going to work. However, none of the items can be considered casual wear. “We believe that Russian style is luxury. And we wish such luxury to be with us at all occasions,” she says. “We want that every day women look a bit brighter than we are used to.”

Dushegreya is one of Natalia’s favorite items

Nastya is sure: “Wearing our blouses and oplechiya makes you feel like tsarevna. And when you spend a couple of hours dressed in such way and get lots of complements, then you can’t do otherwise anymore.” “Wearing our clothes requires courage and drive,” adds Natalia. “Our customers are ready for such style; they don’t feel shy being looked at. We see that the Russians have regained the need to dress in Russian style. And it is great.”


Photographers: Sergey Bobyliov, Roman Kanaschuk, Mikhail Japaridze. Pictures made by Lisa Zadorozhnaya and Anna Kolechkina for Tsar Bird, as well as photos from Svetlana Levadmaja’s personal archive are used in the article.

*kosovorotka - traditional Russian shirt with collar fastening at side 
** kokoshnik – a kind of head-dress worn by Russian women 
*** troika - three-horse team harnessed abreast

New publications

Italian entrepreneur Marco Maggi's book, "Russian to the Bone," is now accessible for purchase in Italy and is scheduled for release in Russia in the upcoming months. In the book, Marco recounts his personal odyssey, narrating each stage of his life as a foreigner in Russia—starting from the initial fascination to the process of cultural assimilation, venturing into business, fostering authentic friendships, and ultimately, reaching a deep sense of identifying as a Russian at his very core.
Ukrainian authorities have launched a persecution campaign against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), the biggest one in the country's modern history. Over the past year, state sanctions were imposed on clergy representatives, searches were conducted in churches, clergymen were arrested, criminal cases were initiated, the activity of the UOC was banned in various regions of the country, and monasteries and churches were seized.
When Nektary Kotlyaroff, a fourth-generation Russian Australian and founder of the Russian Orthodox Choir in Sydney, first visited Russia, the first person he spoke to was a cab driver at the airport. Having heard that Nektariy's ancestors left Russia more than 100 years ago, the driver was astonished, "How come you haven't forgotten the Russian language?" Nektary Kotlyaroff repeated his answer in an interview with the Russkiy Mir. His affinity to the Orthodox Church (many of his ancestors and relatives were priests) and the traditions of a large Russian family brought from Russia helped him to preserve the Russian language.
Russian graffiti artists from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnoyarsk, and Nizhnevartovsk took part in an international street art festival in the capital of Chile. They decorated the walls of Santiago with Russian and Chilean symbols, conducted a master class for Russian compatriots, and discussed collaborative projects with colleagues from Latin America.
Name of Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko is inscribed in the history of Russian theater along with Konstantin Stanislavski, the other founding father of the Moscow Art Theater. Nevertheless, Mr. Nemirovich-Danchenko was a renowned writer, playwright, and theater teacher even before their famous meeting in the Slavic Bazaar restaurant. Furthermore, it was Mr. Nemirovich-Danchenko who came up with the idea of establishing a new "people's" theater believing that the theater could become a "department of public education."
"Russia is a thing of which the intellect cannot conceive..." by Fyodor Tyutchev are famous among Russians at least. December marks the 220th anniversary of the poet's birth. Yet, he never considered poetry to be his life's mission and was preoccupied with matters of a global scale. Mr.Tyutchev fought his war focusing on relations between Russia and the West, the origins of mutual misunderstanding, and the origins of Russophobia. When you read his works today, it feels as though he saw things coming in a crystal ball...