Russia’s Very Own Christian Dior, Legendary Designer Slava Zaitsev

At 79 years of age, Russian designer Vyacheslav “Slava” Zaitsev can still seduce a runway audience as easily as he did when he first launched his career during the Soviet Union in the early 1960s. His signature gowns and coats, often made with the rich, traditional floral prints of pavlovo posad scarves, are finished with a couture-like hand. At Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, attendees erupted in applause after seeing one of Zaitsev’s wildly ornate creations, a look that could have been plucked out of a Russian folktale. Though Zaitsev’s traditional style may seem out of place at a Fashion Week focused on emerging technology and talent, the event’s organizers consider it important for the designer to present. “This is the first [designer] that young people should learn from, the roots, the cultural background, the craftsmanship,” says Alexander Shumsky, executive president of the Russian Fashion Council and founder of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. “[These are] all the Russian essentials that Slava Zaitsev has been expressing since his first collection was revealed.”