Gosha Rubchinskiy
About a decade ago Gosha Rubchinskiy presented his first collection inspired by post-Soviet youth, with pieces trademarked by an edgy ’90s aesthetic and the dismal aura of its urban fringes. Rubchinskiy’s work has continued to remain the hottest trend for a number of fashion seasons now, and though he might have been the first to recognise the potential of the Soviet legacy, he is no longer the only one. As a generation of young creatives from the former-USSR transform their Soviet past into a very fashionable present, we highlight the trending designers at the top of their game.
Sputnik 1985
From Soviet symbol to subculture style
For most visitors to the post-Soviet region, it doesn’t take long to notice the astonishing abundance of visual symbols. With so many graphics and signs, it’s only natural that the area’s designers have tapped into this as a source for creativity.
Earlier this year, Moscow-based label Nina Donis released a SS16 collection around the Soviet cult of sport, borrowing from the constructivist visual vocabulary of the early Soviet era. Additionally, Georgian designer Ria Keburia often uses Soviet symbols as a reference point in her collections and lookbooks. Ukrainian creative Yulia Yefimtchuk focuses on incorporating cinematic themes into her work, while other brands like street wear label Sputnik 1985 (now insanely popular among young Moscowites) have delved into the subcultural scene of the “perestroika” times.
It is obvious the Soviet era has turned into a reference platform on which the contemporary fashion of the former USSR is building its identity. But why is all of this happening now, and why has it become so fascinating for today’s young designers?
Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t really have anything to do with the revival of the Soviet discourse in politics. Instead, the true reasons can be found in the area’s societal and cultural history.
Yulia Yefimtchuk
A clash of cultures
The designers who are now reviving the Soviet visual lexicon are mostly in their late 20s to early 30s – meaning they were born to witness the last years of the Soviet Union, but they also experienced the inflow of western culture in the early 1990s. They grew up on the verge between two epochs, and among the remains of the Soviet culture. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union was not as shattering and devastating for them as for their parents. For this generation, the Soviet Union has always remained a mythical past, the traces of which still invade the everyday existence. This aura of a cultural myth is what stirs the imagination of young creatives and gives the region’s contemporary fashion the identity it lacked before. Paradoxically, it was the fall of the Soviet Union and the subsequent chaos of the 1990s that fuelled the development of the authentic fashion scene, as during Soviet times the local designers were mostly looking up to their Western – mainly French – counterparts, quoting Dior, Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint-Laurent in their work.
Vetements
Why Soviet style shows no sign of stopping
The traditional Soviet imagery also corresponds perfectly with the trends of normcore and gender-bending. Further, it is not a coincidence at all that Demna Gvasalia, the disciple of normcore, grew up in Soviet Georgia. After all, the early Soviet Union ideology propagated the absolute obliteration of gender in fashion design, proclaiming all decoration in dress superfluous and unnecessary. Soviet street style gained momentum later in the 1980s, during a time when the Iron Curtain was lifted and a variety of designs and brands flew in the country – including the dearly beloved Adidas sportswear with which cheap knockoffs have become the sartorial symbol of post-Soviet 90s.
What’s certain, however, is that now just might be the perfect time to be a designer hailing from the former Soviet. As the region’s first generation of creatives influenced by global culture as much as the local one, their work thrives on the attractive and mysterious myth of the Soviet Union. The success of Gosha Rubchinskiy, Ria Keburia and Yulia Efimchuk is the triumph of masterful storytelling, and hopefully these designers continue producing interesting stories to tell.
Heron Preston