"In peak seasons RFW had 65-75 shows, but this season we see a decrease in the number of participants," says Alexander Shumsky, President of Russian Fashion Week. "As is the case in Paris and Milan, a lot of designers prefer to make presentations instead of full fashion shows. The fashion markets are down, so brands and designers need to reduce expenses."
Russian Fashion Week is known for being the gateway to the Russian market. A number of international fashion designers staged their collections on RFW runways, including Vivienne Westwood, Julien Macdonald, Jenny Packham, Francesco Smalto, Frankie Morello, La Perla and Baby Phat, just to name a few. Designer rental fees for RFW catwalks are 4 to 5 times less than the smallest venues at fashion weeks in Milan or New York, but the total production costs of fashion shows in Moscow still remain consistent for most of the local designers.
The schedule of the upcoming Russian Fashion Week includes 48 shows, which marks almost a 20% fall compared to the October 2008 event. "Good news is that all key names of Russian fashion stay on the RFW catwalk this season," states Alexander Shumsky.
The renowned Russian fashion designer Slava Zaitsev will open RFW with his haute couture collection dedicated to the 100 Year Anniversary of Dyagilev's Seasons in Paris. Slava Zaitsev is a real Soviet/Russian fashion legend, known as Red Dior by international media.
The Russian Fashion Week schedule will include the most famous and edgy Russian designers: Arngoldt, Tatiana Parfionova, Julia Dalakian, Elena Souproun, BIRYUKOV, Poustovit, Cyrille Gassiline, Viva Vox, Xakama, Masha Sharoeva, Chistova&Endourova, TEGIN, Yulia Nikolaeva, MainAim, Personage, Liudmila Norsoian, and more.
The international flavor will be added by Spanish designers Toni Francesc and Maria Lafuente, and Italians Leitmotiv, BeeQueen and a.VE. The collective Italian fashion show is a part of long-term cooperation between Russian Fashion Week and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. "Russia is a key destination for Italian fashion," says Mario Boselli, President of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. "In 2009 we take the next step in our relations despite the crisis."
Celebrated French designer Jean-Charles De Castelbajac will make his RFW debut on March 29.
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Russia:Slava Zaitsev to open Russian Fashion Week
