THE FIRST RUSSIAN COURTTER, PRESENTING ITS COLLECTIONS IN PARIS, THE LITTLE FASHIONALIST AND SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL ULYANA SERGEYENKO IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW HAS BEEN SHARED EXTREMELY YOURSELF.
Juliana, why is there less romance in your last collection?
Ulyana: It is dedicated to the short and very dark period of Russian history - the first quarter of the 20th century. The empire collapsed, and at some point everything changed: a new mentality and a new way of life formed - an active, constructive, with a touch of positive. The inspiration for this collection was objects of art, architecture, music and printing, created in revolutionary Russia. The fear and enthusiasm of that time are a bit like what is happening now.
Tell us about the details of the couture.
Ulyana: Frozen iron statues in the wind are depicted in silhouettes and cut, I tried to reflect these images in the drawing of clothes. As always, many decorative elements were used. Something was borrowed from the works of Russian artist Natalia Goncharova. I love the color combinations in her paintings and floral prints, which we translated into lace. I also worked with feathers, and it took almost a month to create some models, such as a coat of maracas feathers. Each season I give my interpretation of traditional Russian techniques, and this time I turned to the old Yelets lace. It involved 12 craftsmen who sewed dresses for almost two months.
Our collaboration with the lace factory of Vologda was unforgettable, because Vologda lace is a real phenomenon of the Russian North. In my collection, all models are handmade, with exceptional attention to detail. It is impossible not to feel the energy and warmth of these things. This is what couture means to me: it is something that cannot be bought. I also used sacral stitch embroidery. According to legend, this sewing appeared near Novgorod in the 19th century, when craftsmen tried to reproduce on the linen frosty patterns that appear in winter on glass. The decor in the collection was made using gold stitching threads, corals, beads, semiprecious stones and river pearls - typical elements in the original Russian style.
What items from the collection are most in demand?
Ulyana: Things with Yelets lace, handmade outfits and models trimmed with fur are very popular, because the lion's share of our customers are from Russia. In the latest collection, the fur was dyed using the degrade technique - in the spirit of Russian avant-garde artists Malevich and Kandinsky. In order to imitate the rhythmic color transitions on our furs, we collaborated with a company from Copenhagen.
The musical line at your shows is always very interesting. Does it somehow reflect your personal preferences?
Uliana: He is always very personal. We traditionally use several Russian tracks. A couple of times they chose the music of the ingenious Russian composer Eduard Artemyev, known for the soundtracks to many Soviet films that have become classics. The show is the climax of everything that I do every season, so music helps to tell the story of my models.
Your collection "Spring-Summer 2014" was dedicated to Kazakhstan and Central Asia. What do you remember first of all when thinking about your native places?
Ulyana: About my Soviet childhood. This is an incredibly gentle time that I forever kept in my heart.
At the same time, the collection pays great attention to the aesthetic side.
Ulyana: I presented a magical journey through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - the Soviet republics, especially around Kazakhstan, the country where I was born and spent my childhood.
It was as if the heroine of my collection set off on a train, through the window of which landscapes flickered: wide steppes were replaced by snowy peaks with clear skies and the radiance of the sun. Such paints can be seen in the paintings of Nicholas Roerich. My heroine was enveloped in the sweet air of freedom, on the train she met with artists, artists, writers. The legendary film Shanghai Express with Marlene Dietrich in the title role inspired me to create her image. The collection is also inspired by the works of Leon Bakst, a Russian illustrator and costume director for Russian Seasons in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century.
On your Instagram page there are several photos of your hometown - Ust-Kamenogorsk. Do they recognize you there when you manage to call?
Uliana: The last time I was in the city, I tried to find tomatoes, such as I ate in childhood. When I finally discovered the tomatoes with the taste I was looking for, I decided to buy seedlings in order to take them home and plant them. And one woman in the bazaar recognized me. I was touched by her kind words.
In your interviews you often mention your grandmother as a muse of style. Do you keep anything from her wardrobe?
Uliana: I still keep her red handbag, earrings and dresses. My grandmother always knew how to look elegant in the simplest clothes, although she was an ordinary Soviet grandmother. I really miss her kindness, warmth and generosity.
What does the Russian image mean to you?
Ulyana: First of all, it is in my blood.
Are you not afraid that the Russian theme may exhaust itself?
Ulyana: Russian culture is a whole universe that can be re-opened every time, because it took its form through different nationalities and their traditions.
What awaits us in the next collection?
Ulyana: It will be about my family, in fact, about its most important component - the family of my husband (Daniil Khachaturov, head of Rosgosstrakh - Note. Ed.).
Your feminine style of clothing and makeup is always very relevant. How do you create your image?
Ulyana: It all depends on my mood and on whether I am fond of at this time. Sometimes I want to look like Alain Delon, and sometimes - like my Alexander. Sometimes I can fantasize Lee in the USSR or Marlene Dietrich on the Shanghai Express train. "
Do you have any favorite vintage stores?
Ulyana: Of course. This is Decades, Sielian's Vintage, Resurection in Los Angeles. I also love small shops on Porte de Clignancourt and small antique markets in the south and Italy.
How do you choose jewelry and perfume?
Ulyana: Most often, my husband gives me jewelry, and I prefer vintage accessories. I never go too far with perfumes - only a few drops are in the mood and, although I use different flavors, they often tell me that all my perfumes have the same notes.
"The energy and warmth of my things cannot be felt. This is what couture means to me. It cannot be bought."
Many photographers love to take pictures of you, especially at World Fashion Weeks. Are you greeted in Russia just as violently?
Ulyana: In truth, when I am in Russia, I spend most of my time at work or at home with my family and almost never go out.
Do you remember your first show?
Ulyana: It was in April 2011 in Moscow. I was absolutely delighted with what was happening, but at the same time I experienced a tremendous shock. Probably for me and my whole team that show was the most difficult.
We were pleased to learn that you are seriously engaged in photography!
Ulyana: Yes, at the moment I am teaching photos of my brother, who recently moved to Moscow from St. Petersburg. Perhaps this will be the beginning of a new project. I love to take pictures of people, it seems to me that I can create characters and represent the character and fate of a person. But this is my little secret.
