Olga Mikhailovskaya. Price and quality: Are Russian designers worth their money?

Olga Mikhailovskaya- one of the most professional and sought-after authors of glossy magazines in our country. Olga knows the work of the gloss from the inside: at various times she worked as an editor of the Russian VOGUE, fashion director ELLE And IN STYLE as well as creative director CITIZEN K. She has interviews with iconic designers such as Miuccia Prada ( Miuccia Prada ), Raf Simmons ( Raf Simons ), Hedi Slimane ( Hedi Slimane ) And Jean-Paul Gaultier ( Jean-Paul Gaultier ) , as well as photography with many famous world photographers, including Joshua Jordan ( Joshua Jordan ), Luis Sanchez ( Luis Sanchez ) And Kenneth Willard ( Kenneth Willardt ). By request Maxim Agakhanov she became the lead teacher of the winter intensive in fashion journalism at the British Higher School of Design and answered questions website about new professional experience.

- You have extensive media experience. Have you ever taught before?
- In the mid-1990s, in St. Petersburg, I read a funny special course "The Newest Trends" for fashion designers at the Mukhinsky School, and reviewed diplomas there. It was not a teaching, but a very valuable experience. In Moscow, I lectured quite a lot and held master classes, so I think I can cope with the role of a leading teacher.

- What will you talk about in the course?
- We cover all aspects of fashion journalism. The curator and I compiled the program in such a way that it turned out to be a purely practical course. I will tell you what the profession of a fashion journalist consists of and how to make specific material: a portrait of a designer, interviews, trends, brand history, etc. There will be homework for each lecture.

We will also fight stereotypes. For example, men who start writing for glossy magazines and, it seems to them, have a more serious art background, are sure, due to the Russian mentality, that glossy is a job for idiots, and you need to write, focusing on the fools who will read it. It's always terrible, because many talented journalists in our territory make stupid mistakes, even when they write about movies.

Another problem is the army of journalism graduates (I don't want to offend anyone, but I have to), who are taught some abstract subject of not very high quality. There are many people in Russia who write well by nature; this is historically a country of the word. But we are not taught that when you write about something, you must first of all understand it, you must understand the essence of the phenomenon, and not just link words into phrases.

Young journalists write about fashion with terrible clichés! Everything is sloppy, meaningless. I think it is very important when a person writes about fashion that he understands that there is a serious essence in fashion, references to history, art, cinema, and literature. For him to see it, to realize it. You may not write as beautifully, but on the case.

October 26 ended Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, October 29 - Fashion Week in Moscow. For some, this is a period of maximum social activity, which is a sin to miss, for some it is part of the work, and someone, at the mention of the Manezh or Gostiny Dvor, is baptized without hesitation. Among the latter are the profile press and the Russian designers themselves, who consciously avoid both sites, but go to regional weeks with pleasure. The main complaint of most of the professional community is "this is not Fashion Week." Together with market participants, The Village figured out why both MBFWR and Moscow Week, instead of becoming the main industry events, have been turning into objects of criticism and even ridicule for years.

Julia Lee

Two weeks

The Manege is in a rush. Young guys in fishnet tights and latex raincoats dance tango in front of photographers. The weather dictates a down jacket, but fashion is merciless to the degrees. For all Muscovites, this has already become a marker - Fashion Week has begun.

In Russia, there are two brands associated with this phrase: Fashion Week in Moscow - Gostiny Dvor, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia - Manege. It cannot be said that they differ significantly in their essence: both there and there have their own masters, brands - representatives of what we used to call street fashion, old-timers and newcomers. Unless the Fashion Week in Moscow has a zone for selling products of domestic designers, and MBFWR has a dominance of sponsors, from cosmetics to teapots. There is also a difference in the audience: Manege is young (sometimes too much), Gostiny Dvor is the opposite. Of course, MBFWR is much more popular.

But still, Moscow Fashion Week continues to compete with cosmetic improvements. The chairs in the halls connected with one chain (and this really happened) were replaced with pedestals a couple of seasons ago. There are fewer rows, but due to this, there is an opportunity to see the collection on the last of them. The scenery became more attractive, and the catwalks - wider. And yet this event still has an unspoken status of “folk” with its drawbacks: Fashion Week seems to have never heard of SMM, rare brands known in certain circles are presented as a real sensation, and their shows are delayed for a very long time.

At MBFWR, the main innovation of the season was the use of the site of the Museum of Moscow. The rest is stability. With the scenery, everything is relatively good, there are delays in the shows, but they are insignificant, people scurry back and forth with such intensity that sometimes the atmosphere of a subway car is created. And of course, the guests are met by a handsome Mercedes.

The history of relations between the two Weeks has more than one year, not one scandal. “The war was a serious one,” says a former employee of “Artifact”, “up to the disruption of shows, the struggle for venues.” At the same time, she noted that the situation at Russian Fashion Week (today's MBFWR) was much worse than the current one. “Before, there were not so many volunteers. However, now this is both a plus and a minus: many young guys simply do not know the invited faces, which means that they are unlikely to be able to competently seat them if the brand itself has not taken care of it, - she says. - So the struggle for advantageous places begins, and persons important to the designer watch the show standing up. But if earlier there were hellish delays in shows, now everything has more or less stabilized. There are separate entrances for VIPs, there are no huge queues at the entrance, as it was ten years ago.”

Olga Mikhailovskaya

Vogue Russia

There has always been a difference between Moscow Week and MBFW. Moscow was originally more Soviet, MBFW, of course, has always strived to fit into the international context, it simply had no other choice. This is an international brand in fact, there are strict limits and rules, at least in terms of technical characteristics. However, after I was escorted out of Gostiny Dvor many years ago and deprived of my accreditation, I did not attend Moscow Week. The reason for such repression was a review of the collection of one of the leading Russian designers.

A diverse audience deserves special attention. Both Fashion Weeks host all sorts of practical jokes invitations. They also do this the brands themselves. IN Facebook and on Avito there are advertisements for the sale of penetrations, messages are written to journalists and designers in the spirit of “You don’t have an extra invitation?”, Posts on the topic “How to get to Fashion Week” appear in blogs and publications. It is worth recalling the comment of Alexander Shumsky, president of MBFWR, regarding the mass nature of the Meduza event: “Fashion weeks around the world are events where you can go strictly by invitation. But we are doing a lot to distribute content for those who could not get here. This is the time to take a look at the experience of the world's fashion weeks.

Foreign experience

No matter how mysterious and inaccessible the fans of the Fashion Week would say, first of all, both domestic Weeks adhere to the principle “fashion is for the people”: the designer’s friends, celebrities, Instagram fans of the brand mainly come to the event. Thus, the event turns from a professional into a secular one.

Of course, star guests are also present at every show of the World Weeks - it is unlikely that the media will miss Kim Kardashian's visit to any show. However, the hall is mostly filled with people who are directly related either to the brand or to the industry as a whole.

The remark “you have nothing to do there” for the guests of our Weeks sounds, perhaps, rather harshly. But initially, in 1943, this event was called "Press Week". The first modern Fashion Week, held in Paris in 1973, also maintained a serious attitude towards the guests of the show. Until now, the list of invited persons at the most important world fashion weeks is limited to journalists, buyers, honorary clients of the brand and celebrities, and a very small percentage, if any, remains for "ordinary guests".

Today, not even every journalist can get accreditation, for example, at Paris Fashion Week (the story of Vice, when a journalist of the publication entered the show with fake business cards, introducing himself as a fictional designer, is good, but this is rather an exception). Therefore, there is a practice to ask for invitations to the show from specific fashion houses. And even in this case, a media representative can sometimes count on a standing place, which, by the way, he does not take offense, because he understands that there are colleagues around, and not bloggers or winners of the Instagram contest.

Largely due to the strict selection of guests, the situation of a person accidentally getting into the first row occurs, but does not cause inadequate excitement. “The difference from foreign weeks is the same as the difference between our fashion and foreign fashion,” Mikhailovskaya clarifies. - The organization is most similar to the New York one (I'm talking about MBFW) in that the main shows take place on the same site, however, the Americans are now trying to get away from this model. Although it is convenient for journalists. Otherwise, the main difference is in the audience. There - professionals in the hall, here - first of all, friends, relatives, everyone has their own party.

MBFWR participant designer who voluntarily left the site

On our MBFWR to do a show in the evening is prestigious. Because the public is not a professional community that could treat such events as work, but friends and celebrities. Partly because of this, brand important people ignore the event, 10-15 people come. The rest are bloggers, people who won the contest, and so on.

Departure of designers

Of course, participation in Fashion Week costs a certain amount of money. This amount, according to the designers, is several hundred thousand rubles (the exact figures are a strict corporate secret). However, some brands are still allowed to participate either at a discount or completely free of charge (which is also carefully hidden by the organizers). Here the question arises of the expediency of investing, because for about the same money you can organize your own separate show, which many do. But still, there are those who want to get a share of secular attention, and the MBFWR brand and the Moscow Fashion Week have excellent recognition.

Regional Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks deserve special attention. For example, Georgian or Almaty Fashion Weeks invite Russian designers quite often. They, in turn, treat this favorably, despite the fact that in relation to our Weeks they are often quite skeptical.

According to the participants of different years, the organizers of the Moscow weeks categorically do not invite foreign buyers, the reason is “we are not interested in this”. One of the designers not participating in Fashion Week this year noted that this strongly influenced the decision to leave the site: “For example, journalists and designers have such a good attitude towards the Georgian Fashion Week precisely because they work with buyers from Luisa Via Roma, Matches Fashion, Net-a-Porter and other important stores."

Elizabeth Sukhinina

KURAGA brand designer (special guest of MBFW in Alma-Ata):

MBFWA is a great organization that is really interested in developing the industry and motivating creativity. There you can count on professional dialogue, and not on small talk. The places are divided in the ratio of 30% - clients and friends of the brand, 70% - journalists and buyers (moreover, from different countries). Our Fashion Weeks are more focused on commercial development. This can be seen from the selection of designers, from what kind of Olympic stadium they assemble for the show (in Alma-Ata, for example, there were literally two or three rows at each show). This is absolutely clear to everyone in the industry. Every year I am invited to Moscow Fashion Week with different conditions, but I don’t agree, because I don’t like this event in itself, and the brand doesn’t need it either.

Problems on site

Organizing a fashion show at Fashion Week is a costly and complicated business. At MBFWR, the Artefact agency allocates volunteers to help designers. “They always have a lot of responsibilities,” explains Tatyana Lonshakova, who has worked as a volunteer for three seasons, “from finding chairs to making sure that all the models arrive on time for makeup (sometimes you had to lead them by the hand!). In addition, there are various emergencies, you need to get out somehow. Lonshakova noted that in the agency itself, tension is growing exponentially. “You need to constantly keep your finger on the pulse, make sure that all the sponsors and partners of the designer are approved in advance (and preferably several times) with the organizers, because otherwise they simply won’t be allowed to use the products,” she explains. - A lot of personal moments that for some reason do not disappear anywhere at work. And, frankly, that's why I decided to leave Fashion Week, having gained the necessary experience. Many employees of Artifact openly want to leave, and someone, on the contrary, firmly believes in the coolness and prestige of MBFWR, almost at the level of the Paris week.

The information is confirmed by the designer with whom she just worked: “If you do not approve sponsors with the organizers (which for some reason is very difficult in itself), then permission, for example, for gifts for VIP guests can be obtained only by paying.”

Victor Kurilov

worked for MBFWR for several seasons in teams of different brands:

When a designer comes to the site of a brand like Mercedes-Benz and spends an impressive amount on it, he wants to get normal conditions. No one talks about golden thrones, but steamers that ruin things, dressing rooms with nowhere to sit, a shortage of badge lanyards can hardly be called normal conditions. As a result, you must rely on your own strength and interact with the organizers of the Week only on certain issues. In addition, the main audience is child bloggers. Perhaps this is due to a team change that occurred some time ago. Respected people in the industry do not go to this event, because they understand that it was made for those same children. Only they benefit from the event - hashtags and subscribers. In general - a total vanity fair.

As a result, the difficulties experienced by the designer when working on the site often outweigh the pros. And the whole industry understands behind the scenes that MBFWR is a people's show. The organizers cope with this task perfectly. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to call it only Fashion Week.

War with journalists

Every season, brands actively invite journalists to the show. But no matter how unusual the invitation, no matter how friendly the publication, the authors who write about the collections are seen less and less at the shows. Fierce competition between the two sites creates difficulties in the work. “By making a choice in favor of one Fashion Week or the other, the designer / publication / photographer actually finds himself in a position where he must make a choice of political side - explains the PR manager, whose brands have been participating in both Weeks for many years. - You can't count the industry professionals who have become persona non grata on one or another site. This creates problems primarily for designers who cannot invite one of the guests because he is not allowed on the site, or work with one of the photographers, directors, managers for the same reason.

Here it is worth recalling the latest scandal associated with MBFWR. We are talking about the proposal of industry representatives to remove the head of the National Technology Initiative FashionNet Alexander Shumsky (he is also the head of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week) from his post and appoint Valentin Yudashkin to her. FashionNet itself was created to form new markets and "create the conditions for Russia's global technical leadership by 2035." To the note of dissatisfaction, the Artefact agency responded - specifically to journalists - with a refusal to enter the site. Mikhailovskaya is one of the few journalists from major publications who attended Fashion Week this season. She described her impressions of what she saw in the material for Kommersant. From it it becomes clear that there is a place on the Manezh podium for folk crafts, and maestro Vyacheslav Zaitsev, and the "secular designer" Bella Potemkina, whose show was discussed in the press thanks to the accompaniment - the performance of Olga Buzova. Only from the fashion industry in this very little.

Designers admit that it is better to invite journalists separately to the showroom or organize a press day, because at Fashion Week there can be confusion with seating, and an inexperienced volunteer will offer an author important for the brand to take a seat in the sixth row. Working in the press center is a different story, which is complicated by the speed of Wi-Fi from the beginning of the 2000s and, accordingly, interruptions in online broadcasting. As a result, the journalist is more like a marathon runner who runs from the show to the press center and back.

The foreign press, of course, still notes some designers with MBFWR, but even the designers themselves still call it Russian roulette. Foreign publications pay more attention to street style than shows. The Artifact team is working very seriously on this direction: it arranges a street style meet, where everyone (not necessarily a visitor to the shows) can show off in front of a huge number of specially invited photographers, accredits many bloggers. Such a street style culture has already taught brands and stores to dress millennials for Fashion Week: they will get into the media, mark the brand on Instagram, and attract subscribers-buyers. The fact that designers have to rely mainly on social networks makes the status of a “blogger” very attractive.

Designer-participant of MBFWR, who voluntarily left the site:

Weekly bloggers write to me every season. Literally a week before the show, they become bloggers and report that they have been following the brand for a long time. So it was even in my first season, when no collections even existed. Of course, we work with opinion leaders, but if we choose them, then with great caution: not every top blogger can be good for the image, and focusing only on numbers is like jumping off a cliff blindfolded, listening to “yes there's nothing to worry about."

How to change everything, and is it possible?

Speaking of changes, of course, we always refer to the dreamy comparison - to be like in Paris. Shows at different venues, although not very convenient in terms of logistics, give the designer the opportunity to create the right atmosphere. The daily schedule (showings from the very morning) allows photographers to shoot great street style, and journalists to treat the event as a job. The latter is also facilitated by a good filtering of accredited persons. However, visible changes are still far away. First of all, you need to look at the industry as a whole.

Olga Mikhailovskaya

Vogue Russia:

Now the situation is changing all over the world, because the industry itself is undergoing a serious breakdown. Therefore, we will also change. But how? I would like to a little bit reasonable. To begin with, I find it ridiculous that there are two Fashion Weeks in a country where, in fact, there is no professional environment. There are designers, but there is no professional environment itself.

Sometimes there is a feeling that many Russian designers exist in a parallel reality: their things flash in the shooting, but in everyday life you rarely see these clothes. Wonderzine understands what makes up the price of collections of domestic brands, from young and democratic ones like I am to the already well-known Nina Donis and Viva Vox. We also ask experts - critic and Vogue columnist Olga Mikhailovskaya and BHSAD design teacher Alexandra Saukova how well the dresses of Russian designers are sewn and whether they are worth their money.

liza kologreeva

Photographer: Ivan Kaidash

Olga Mikhailovskaya,
critic and columnist for Vogue

This is a nice thing, it looks decent and I personally like it. Quality - just for 5,000 rubles. If you look at the details, you can see that the performance is mediocre, but if you don’t really look closely, then everything is fine. The fabric looks expensive, whether it is polyester or not is a separate issue: polyester can be different.

Alexandra Saukova,

The cut is good, raglan sleeves, the front of the dress is shorter than the back. At first glance, the quality is not excellent, already the loop comes out. The edges are finished with a double stitched seam, in Moscow this seam is called "American", and everywhere in Russia - "Muscovite". It's made wide. There are many flaws on the reverse side, which is unacceptable. But this dress costs 5,000 rubles.

Olga Mikhailovskaya,
critic and columnist for Vogue

Kirill Gasilin is a professional with good taste. His dress is cute and simple, good value for money, nice color and fabric. Although we cannot say that this thing has no equal in the world and Gasilin will conquer the West with his design. But this dress is definitely worth the money!

Alexandra Saukova,
head of the BHSAD clothing design workshop

The quality is good, but there are not so many details that you can spoil something. In this case, the very seam with double stitching is done perfectly, and it should be the thinnest. I'm not sure about the fabric because judging by the price it's polyester, but now it's easy to confuse polyester with silk. The label says it's cotton, but it can't be cotton. At best, this is viscose, but even that is not a fact. Now there are so many modifications to fabrics that it is difficult to understand what it really is.

Viva Vox

11 200 rub.

Central Department Store, 2nd floor

Olga Mikhailovskaya,
critic and columnist for Vogue

I love Oleg Ovsiev, he is a good designer and does good things, and this is the main thing. He has been working in Holland for 15 years, so his clothes always have a professional approach - as in this dress. You can give this money for it, the price is rather normal.

Alexandra Saukova,
head of the BHSAD clothing design workshop

In terms of labor costs, there is not a lot of work here, but it is sewn neatly. A beaded overlock was taken for processing, usually it is not used for seams, but why not, if you really wanted to. Now in terms of technology, everything is very free. The sleeve is hemmed by hand - nice, because now it is a rarity. The fabric is jacquard, it can be seen that the polka dots are obtained by weaving, not stuffing. Although the fabric is dense, it is natural and will be comfortable in it. Perhaps, taking into account all the factors, it justifies its price.

Olga Mikhailovskaya,
critic and columnist for Vogue

Quite a theatrical thing, the investment of work in it is minimal. It is made neatly and well, but whether it is worth investing in it is the question. This is a dress and tights for one time, and when you buy such things - prices play the same role, one account is kept. When you buy a thing that can be worn, and not worn once, like this dress, the prices play a different role, the measurements are completely different. This is very subjective, and whether the kit is worth the money depends on the buyer and his plans for the near future.

Alexandra Saukova,
head of the BHSAD clothing design workshop

From a design point of view, the dress and jumpsuit are interesting, although the print is reminiscent of H&M. The processing of the edges is not bad, the twines are good, although, unfortunately, the loops of the dress are already crumbling. They are made by machines, and they are capricious. Here, some of the loops are perfectly executed, but the others were not followed, and one, most likely, was not stitched to the end. The pocket is not sewn very soundly, and since the dress is transparent, it will be visible if you put it on the overalls. Here, in general, you need to be very careful, look for allowances. The look of the dress, of course, is not quite neat. The overalls are sewn well, everything is as it should be in such cases: for example, the seams stretch.

A La Russe Anastasia Romantsova

14 900 rub. (including 50% discount)
Boutique A La Russe Anastasia Romantsova, Malaya Bronnaya, 4

Olga Mikhailovskaya,
critic and columnist for Vogue

It is not clear what the brand does and why. The Russian theme can be interpreted beautifully and certainly more fashionably. In my understanding, this dress is not worth the money: I would reduce its cost by half.

Alexandra Saukova,
head of the BHSAD clothing design workshop

Somewhere abroad, this dress could be a success, but here it is unlikely to find a great response. In the same Britain, they love the Russian style, and there this dress could look interesting. Cotton is a bit thick, but the dress has a loose enough silhouette, so it will be comfortable. The darts are interestingly laid in the folds and pass into the shoulder straps.

Roi Et Moi

23 700 rub.

Showroom Roi Et Moi, Artplay, Nizhnyaya Syromyatnicheskaya, 10

Olga Mikhailovskaya,
critic and columnist for Vogue

Everything is clear about this brand, this is the case when you don’t want to say anything. This dress does not cause rejection in me, but in general it does not seem to be a work of design. The price can be left without comments. No labor was invested in the dress - it is clear that the quilted panel is sewn from ready-made fabric, and not craftswomen sewed it.

Alexandra Saukova,
head of the BHSAD clothing design workshop

This is a simple bag, perhaps it will fit well on a girl without forms. He has a lining that does not reach the bottom of the dress, I am categorically against it: it shines through and cuts the figure. The lining must reach the bottom of the hem of the product, and failure to comply with this standard ruins this dress. Ribbons at the back are probably offered to be tied in several ways at the request of the client, but in this case, you need to show the options. I would not give more than 3,000 rubles for this dress. Of course, it must be viewed in the context of the entire collection, and then its price will become clear.

LUBLU Kira Plastinina

25 000 rub.
Showroom LUBLU Kira Plastinina

Olga Mikhailovskaya,
critic and columnist for Vogue

I changed my attitude towards Kira Plastinina when I took pictures of her things and saw that she put everything on a serious footing. Nevertheless, this dress of hers is expensive, as it is quite a serial item and it is a Russian brand. In the case of Nina Donis, such a price is justified, but not here. Lublu is positioned as an expensive line, but it is too expensive, I would drop the price by at least 30%. Nevertheless, the brand is worn by rich and glamorous young ladies, well, maybe they are friends with the designer, and this increases their self-esteem. I think that this kind of public creates fashion for Russian designers. Although I personally know magazine editors who also carry this brand, having the opportunity to wear anything. It is clear that they have probably been given a lot, but still.

Alexandra Saukova,
head of the BHSAD clothing design workshop

The cut is uninteresting, but sewn neatly and with high quality. The shuttlecock is well made: it keeps its shape thanks to the lining. If the print is individual, and not from the finished fabric, then perhaps the dress is worth the money, but generally a little expensive.

Nina Donis

42 800 rub.
"Kuznetsky Most, 20"

Olga Mikhailovskaya,
critic and columnist for Vogue

I love them very much and consider them the best Russian designers without a condescending attitude and discounts for the country. They are objectively very trendy and fresh, and this collection is one of the best they have, it is good from start to finish. The price of the dress can be justified by many. You can see that it is not just cut from a roll of fabric, and I kept wanting to ask them how the fabric is made from a technical point of view. Money, labor, and brains are invested in this dress. Of course, for Russian designers they are a little expensive, and I would like it to be cheaper, but these are rather selfish considerations.

Alexandra Saukova,
head of the BHSAD clothing design workshop

I wonder how the knurling will behave after washing. Most likely, the dress should be dry-cleaned - a common story in this case, but the product already limits your options. The fabric is a little wrinkled, it will be difficult to iron. It looks like cotton with some kind of impregnation; in my experience, in a similar fabric, it gets hot in summer. The quality of the brand has always been good, although the corners of the collar are made lazily here. But if it is sewn in production, then they try to simplify everything. Double seams are neat and without overlock, this already indicates that the thing and how to wear it have been taken care of. The sleeves are well lined.

Walk of Shame

RUB 25,680 (including 40% discount)
"Kuznetsky Most, 20"

Olga Mikhailovskaya,
critic and columnist for Vogue

I personally have a good attitude towards Andrey Artemov. And this dress is not bad, but I saw a lot of his things that are embarrassing even to look at. It's probably worth something, but definitely not a lot of money. Walk of Shame is a typical design example for friends. His clothes cost too much, and brands like this justify this by saying that they have a small production. But you and I, as buyers, should not worry about this. For conditional Dolce & Gabbana, the selling price of a dress, I think, is several times lower, or at least comparable to their Russian counterparts, because this is mass production, while for Russian designers, dresses are, in fact, piece goods. But they cost about the same. We will go and buy for this money those very conditional Dolce & Gabbana. Artemov sells T-shirts and sweatshirts with slogans well, but selling them is one thing, and selling a dress is another.

Alexandra Saukova,
head of the BHSAD clothing design workshop

The dress is designed normally, it's more about the design, which reminds of the New Year's party in kindergarten. On the corresponding figure, it will sit perfectly. Technologically, it is medium, in expensive products they do not process the lining along the neck, it is necessary to make a facing. The edge is processed with an overlock, and this indicates that they wanted to sew the dress as soon as possible and reduce labor costs. It looks pretty neat, but otherwise it would look more expensive. Inside looks clean, made a slanting inlay. Here the price is taken for the brand, and the design is a matter of taste.

The consultant tells how the price of a thing is formed
Ekaterina Petukhova

Ekaterina Petukhova,
independent fashion expert

In a good way, first you need to spend money on the production of a sample, and for this you need to create patterns and make changes to them. Most often they buy ready-made patterns - why reinvent the wheel. Next we look for fabric and accessories. All companies that produce and sell materials have their own minimums, and often they are quite impressive. Many do not work with small orders at all - for example, it is difficult to agree with China or Korea on the amount of fabric that is relevant for our designers. The Italians and the French have smaller volumes, but also more expensive. One Swiss company told me that Russian designers have difficulty ordering 30 meters. There is also the option of buying fabric in stock: they collect everything that was not sold in previous years. The discount is very large, so sometimes this is the way out. The same is true with accessories.

Further, the following processes - cutting, tailoring and finishing, finishing - labels and so on. This stage is the stumbling block where everyone is trying to save money. The most important thing to reduce the cost of the process is the labor force. It is these processes that everyone is trying to outsource, and the cheaper the labor force in the country and region, the more willingly they produce there. We have a wildest shortage of qualified specialists - designers, cutters, tailors. The fact is that in Moscow there are about a dozen of the best, and they are trying to outbid all of them from each other. Accordingly, these people cost serious money, which increases the cost of the process. Not everything is with people: you need to lay down the costs of running the company, renting an office and all the design assistants. These expenses are often included as a certain percentage and paid off within a few years, because otherwise the prices of things will become generally unaffordable. Participation of brands in exhibitions and shows, shooting videos and lookbooks also cost money.

This is how the price is formed. The cost of the product is multiplied by 2 or 2.5, and for this price the item is bought by buyers, although here it all depends on the pricing policy (read, greed) of the designer. Next comes the mark-up of the store for the thing: TSUM has one, Kuznetsky Most 20 has another, Click-boutique.ru has the third. I think that domestic designers in the minds of the consumer are too expensive, and most often they are. Each of them must solve their own problems, because the consumer is hardly interested in how much work it took to make this or that thing. So, by and large, Russian designers are a niche fashion, where the consumer is ready to pay for a specific thing, because the design is close to him, the designer, or, for example, he has a strong sense of patriotism.

Wonderzine thanks Jeanne Kim for providing Nina Donis dress for shooting