High Lights

No fewer than 70 labels have just presented their collections at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Moscow, Russia, with plenty of support from sponsors. With focus on shows from Goga Nikabadze, Tatyana Parfionova, Carmen Emanuela Popa and Julia Nikolaeva.Twice a year, Moscow hosts Russian Fashion Week. Conceived in the early 2000s, this Fashion Week, usually held in April and at the end of October has gained international recognition since 2011, when Mercedez Benz become the official sponsor, followed by L’Oréal Professional and Ebay this season. The main events take place at the Central Exhibition Hall where stands, exhibitions and conferences unfold throughout the week, not forgetting the fashion shows. No less than 70 labels come to present their collection, from fully-fledged couturiers to emerging designers. For Spring/Summer 2014, four shows capture our attention. Goga Nikabadze, a 28-year-old Georgian designer, allows romanticism to take on a new dimension in his mixed collection. For Tatyana Parfionova, a genuine artist living in St Petersburg, her love of different art forms is felt all over the clothes on which paintings, pen strokes and abstract drawings are present, creating a colourful and appealing wardrobe. Carmen Emanuela Popa’s collection combines several worlds across strong, very couture silhouettes in rigid materials, reminiscent of the imaginings of Alexander McQueen. As for Julia Nikolaeva, she highlights an urban, easy-to-wear wardrobe that is always a success especially as the designer dares add a message every season, fighting in her own way for more just democracy in her country.