In January of this year, The New York Times writer John Koblin penned the article The Russians Aren’t Coming, The Russians Aren’t Coming and stated, “It was not long ago that the Russians mobbed fashion week […] that is gone, kaput. The Russian buyers are not in the front row…” Indeed, with the colossal collapse of the Russian ruble—it closed 2014 as the second worst performing currency having dropped 40% of its value—Russian designers can only rejoice that trusty dirhams and riyals are not only still going strong, they are also lending a helping hand to Russia’s fashion economy.
In the past few years, Russia has produced several internationally compelling designers; among them are couturier Ulyana Sergeenko(, ready-to-wear designer Vika Gazinskaya, and Julia Kalmanovich.
It would appear that the romantic allure of Kalmanovich’s spring collection has caught the eye of internationally sought-after Middle Eastern buyers. D’NA (Riyadh, Doha), Blank (Riyadh), The Closet (Jeddah, Doha), and Boutique N (Kuwait) have all picked up the brand’s Spring 2015 collection.
The brand’s founder, Julia Kalmanovich, a Muscovite who learned the art of dressmaking from the patriarch of Russian fashion Slava Zaitsev, is a frequent visitor to Dubai, and refers to the emirate as “the place where history and the future become one.” Featuring denim separates, luxurious feather embellishments, fringes, and neutral-hued polka-dot numbers, the collection will speak to chic, Middle Eastern women who are always ready and able to satisfy their latest fashion whim.
View the entire collection here.
