Vika Gazinskaya: "A Touch of the Dramatic"

Vika Gazinskaya. I adore this girl. And no, not just because saying her name out loud (VeeeeeKAH!) makes you feel like Angelina Jolie looked in that leathered-up scene in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but because the young Moscow-based street style icon cum fashion designer, who—full disclosure, has become an e-pal of mine over the past year—has one of the most individual points of view, sartorially, I’ve ever come across. Evidenced by what she wears, of course (that’s a photo of her taken by ELLE.com’s Kelly Stuart outside a show last September), but also by whom she admires (hint: Stefano Pilati, Nicolas Ghesquière and Phoebe Philo rank high) and what she herself creates in her eponymous RTW line, Gazinskaya is someone who, like Lagerfeld, you wouldn’t be surprised to learn even dreams about fashion in her sleep.

In her newest collection (her seventh), Gazinskaya puts forth 14 looks, all of them dresses, with the “creative process of an artist” serving as its inspiration. Wanting to illustrate everything from “waking up” to “the big idea” to “editing,” even “stacks of sketch paper,” Gazinskaya translates into each look (most of which bear her favored mid-calf hemline and roomy cocoon silhouette) at least one, if not several of these steps through her color palette, use of texture, and oversized, asymmetric sculpturing. Though she didn’t say so, I like to think the shoulder knot in the black dress below—my favorite—represents a crumpled, discarded piece of parchment.

With a price point between $725 and $2,900 and currently only available by custom order, Gazinskaya’s designs don’t come inexpensively. In their defense, though, they are all hand-sewn, sourced from the same materials as Lanvin and YSL’s, and as Gazinskaya succinctly put it, are of “perfect quality”.

To see more from the designer, visit her website here (or just click onto any street style website during Fashion Week season).

(Elle)

This is one of the most beautiful and creative collections that I've seen in quite some time! The dresses appear as artistic and sculptural confections.