If you happen to be in Moscow this May, take a chance to see breathtaking photoes of celebrities and top models taken by one of the most influential fashion photographers Paolo Roversi. His works are on display in the Manezh exhibition centre and are part of the Photobennale 2010 event. It may take you hours to go through the whole exhibition, as apart from admiring the outer beauty of these mostly monochrome polaroid shots, you are bound to stand in front of each of them engaged in inner conversation with the models. Natalia Vodianova, who seems to be his favourite model, and other celebrities seem to expose the depth of their soul. Roversi puts this down to the slow exposures of two or three seconds that he uses. Don't miss the show.

Paolo Roversi's triumphant presence in Moscow was not limited by the exhibition though. Below is the result of his colaboration with Vogue (Russia) magazine.

In a fashion shoot called 'Russia that we didn't lose' he and a famous British make-up artist Linda Cantello were inspired by the crative work of a famous Russian theatre impresario Sergey Dyagilev. 100 years ago this energetic man from a remote Russian countryside performed a revolution in the classical ballet, making it much more expressive and sensual. Roversi and Cantello aimed to create very provocative, intellectual and fashionable photos. Fashionable, indeed, as they are not the first artists to refer to the Dyagilev motives. Latest haut-couture shows in Paris payed tribute to the great master by including feathers (Jean Paul Gaultier), semi-transperent eye bandages (Valentino), white as a sheet make up (Armani Prive). However, great talent and great deeds never lose actuality.

Make maximum use of this season's trend - maxi. As designers transfer maxi-skirts and dresses from the wardrobes of literary heroines and bluestockings to catwalks, even the most addicted fans of daring minis are trying on this new length. Long sun-dresses weared with flat sandals and denim or leather jacket are a perfect day outfit, while combined with wedge-heeled shoes can create a nice variant for a night out. Looks great with long coat or belted trench in nude colour.

Where does a fine line between politically engaged art and that coming from the artist's heart and reflecting his soul, lie? Moscow celebrates the work of a famous Russian Soviet-time artist Alexander Daineka featuring his painting, sculptures and mosaics - all depicting people making their contibution to the promotion of socilaism as a political philosophy. They are either joyfully playing sports (sports and public activity promotion), enjoying themselves on a sea resort (to support good state of health), or selflessly doing socially useful work (no comment). In case a disaster, such as war, occured people were facing them surprisingly imperturbably, humbly and courageously. Public's impressions from the exhibition vary waving on the scale between "sickly-sweet and improbable" to "admirable and inspiring". But to make bold judgements and not to sound as bold as brass, one needs to spend hours and hours in libraries and archives, thoroughly researching the period, the artist's biography and creative activity. Daineka himself said that he wanted his creations to stay positive, no matter what. And he is definitely worth looking at and admiring as the author of fantastically beautiful mosaics made especially for the Moscow metro station Mayakovskaya. see below


another pic from the exhibition

By the way, the show is called “To Work, To Build And Not To Whine”. Very inspiring and timely

One of the brightest and the most unusual shows was that of a famous Russian designer Tatyana Parfionova. Her clothes are so ornate and elaborate that they could easily become costumes for a theatre performance of historic films. The show could be called anything but catwalk, with opera singers and ballerinas showing their talents, alongside dresses, instead of models. The designer is showing once again her distinctive style and live for her country: she found inspiration in Russia’s rich history and art of all forms from poetry to music.

A touch of politics on the runway. A politician, business woman and designer Irina Khakamada presented her Autumn-Winter 2009/2010 collection, dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory in World War II. Solid shapes of military coats and uniform jackets rethought into feminine-looking dresses in predominantly white, grey and black colors, flat boots and knee-high boots and shortcut boyfriend-fit pants go in line with the brand’s style credentials – creating easy to wear, practical and at the same time very stylish clothes.

Day 2 of the RFW was announced the British Day, which saw cutting-edge fashion designers from the UK presenting Moscow with their latest collections. Clare Lopeman, Eley Kishimoto, PPQ and Osman Yousefzada attracted attention of the audience and fashion people, both on the runway and the backstage. His ‘Collection number 9’ is an amalgam of elegance and sexiness. The blooming fashion Afghan-British designer whose clothes are worn by Sarah Brown, Cate Blanchett, Kate Moss and Mischa Barton, communicates his idea of fashion to the audience through his show: fashion is not just for the young.

The first big event which grabbed my attention and much of my time was Russian Fashion Week. Despite recent report by a US-based trade consultancy RTW predicting a severe crisis in the Russian fashion industry, the top 6-day fashion event got underway in the Russian capital on April 1. By tradition, this anniversary 20th season kicked off with a show by Russia’s landmark designer, Slava Zaitsev (RTW, report rates him among the most well-known Russian fashion brands, along with Denis Simachev and Valentin Yudashkin). Once referred to as the “Red Dior” by the Western media, a 72-year-old designer remains a guru of the Russian fashion, known for his timeless style associated with quality, tradition and respectability.