On March 30-April 6 fall-winter 2006/2007 Russian Fashion Week took place in RFW Pavilion on Red Square’s Vasilievsky slope. The project supported by the Russian Ministry of Culture and Mass Communications got much acclaim in western media. The Financial Times and Corriere Della Sera hail RFW reputation as impeccable. «In Moscow the format and professional standards are the same as at Milan and London Fashion Weeks», – write influential editions about Russia’s main fashion catwalk.
The season in numbers:
48,000 visitors came to see RFW shows on March 30-April 6 on Red Square’s Vasilievsky slope and in other Russian Fashion Week venues.
260 diamonds were used to decorate Motorola SLVR L 7 developed by Fresh Art pop/fashion trio under the project of RFW’s Official partner, Motorola.
300 models worked at the Week’s shows, but only one of them won Russian final competition of Fashion TV First Face Awards. This season according to Fashion TV / RFW Evghenia Tolstikova (Point model agency) was the best model.
1100 reporters and photographers got accreditation at RFW. Among them there were 25 influential western fashion editors and critics who visited RFW Moscow shows. This season famous photo agencies, Getty Images and Firstview.com, became official Russian Fashion Week partners.
17 RFW designers took part in «Russian Designers Against AIDS», a joint project by RFW and nongovernmental organization «Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS». The project kicked off fall-winter 2006/2007 RFW and was introduced by Natalia Glebova, 2005 Miss Universe.
NB! Spring-summer 2007 Russian Fashion Week will run on October 18-25, 2006.
The new Russian fashion Week season was started by the greeting of Russian Minister of Culture and Mass Communications to the Week’s organizers and participants. «The recognition of Russian Fashion Week as of the most important cultural event in Russia and one of the most prestigious international fashion weeks is an index of your success and potential available potential», – says the letter of Russian Minister of Culture and Mass Communications Alexander Sokolov.
«Our aim is to create a single fashion space on post-USSR territory», – said RFW General Producer Alexander Shumsky at a launching press conference that was held in RFW Pavilion on March 29. Russian designers are the priority of fall-winter 2006/2007 Russian Fashion Week. «The national project titled Russian Fashion Week can feature not more than 15% of foreigners», – commented Alexander Shumsky on the RFW organizers’ position, – «RFW is for Russian designers who live and work here. We are glad to see international participants, but our priority is placed on Russian designers». This was proved by St.Petersburg Fashion Day – a joint project of RFW and St. Petersburg Fashion Week «Defile On Neva».
Russian fashion Week aims to develop its regional activities. There are collaboration agreements with several fashion projects in Russia and abroad. Russian Fashion Week has reciprocal partnership agreements with Milano Moda Donna, Moda Athena, London Fashion Week and many other international fashion events.
Tatyana Parfyonova, Yulia Dalakyan, Max Chernitsov, Arsenicum by Enton, Shevchenko, Yegor Zaitsev, Lena Makashova, ROMINA, Chistova&Endourova, Daria Razumikhina, Larisa Pogoretskaya, Serghei Teplov, Masha Sharoeva, Frol Romanoff, NB& Karavay, Olga Samotshenko and many others. Those who determine the development of modern Russian fashion took part in the Week. «For us important is not only the reputation of designers, but also the quality of collections», – comments Alexander Shumsky.
«Russian Fashion Week has an impeccable reputation because in Moscow the format and professional standards are the same as at Milan and London Fashion Weeks», – wrote influential Italian edition Corriere Della Sera in the end of March 2006. The reporters’ estimated are matched by the Week’s participants’ opinions: «Here I feel practically at home, like in London. RFW organization level is the same as that of London Fashion Week», – says fall-winter 2006/2007 Russian Fashion Week participant Julien McDonald. RFW Pavilion at the Red Square’s Vasilievsky slope saw not only the McDonald’s show but also those of Zandra Rhodes (UK), Jenny Packham (UK), Armand Basi (Spain), Isabel de Pedro (Spain), Sitka Semch (Peru). It is worth noting that the Spanish designers show their collections at RFW for the second time running, and jenny Packham – for the forth. Jenny Packham: «Russian Fashion Week is a real international event, I can say that because I took part in London and Milan Fashion Week. But the most important is that RFW is the main professional event in Russia, I feel it because the Week boosts our business here».
«We build Russia’s main fashion event. We work a lot. We do not make void statements and do not sigh flamboyant agreements with shady organizations. We just can’t allow it, – says Alexander Shumsky. – The judgement should be based on doings and results, and not on press releases, and RFW has already done a lot: there are both newcomers, trade venues and international publicity for Russian designers. If today the world is speaking of Moscow as of a new fashion centre, that’s only a credit of Russian Fashion Week. The important thing is also that Russian Fashion Weeks is not based around three names, but attracts tens of talented, interesting and promising designers. Now the state is becoming active involved in those processes because today fashion lies in the sphere of national interests. That is also a result of RFW’s 5-year work. I know very well what are national interests and know how to defend them. This is only a start».
Russian Fashion Week event schedule featured special projects of the Week’s partners: Pantene Pro-V, Motorola, Evian, Carte Noire, Moet&Chandon, Simple wine company, etc. Every season Russian Fashion Week cements the established partnerships and attracts new fashionable companies.
FTV First Face Model Awards – a renowned Fashion TV competition held at all the influential international fashion weeks – announced the results of Russian stage of the competition at a RFW after-party in Dyagilev Club. And again Evghenia Tolstikova (Pont model agency) was titled the hottest Russian model of the season.
RFW General Partner – Pantene Pro- V
RFW Official Partner – Motorola
RFW Official Coffee – Carte Noire
RFW Official Spirit Partner – Moet& Chandon è Hennessy
RFW Official Water – Evian French mineral water
RFW Official Tobacco Partner – Vogue stylish cigarette brand
RFW Wine Partner – Simple Company
Official carrier – Transaero Air Company
RFW Official Photo Equipment – Nikon
Russian Fashion Week showroom ran on April 7-9 in GUM.
Make Up & Hair – Persona image agency
RFW General Media partners: Russian Radio station, In Style magazine
RFW Official Media Partner – Time Out magazine
RFW Society Media Partner – HELLO! magazine
RFW General Internet Partner – Gazeta.Ru
RFW Partner – Fashion Consulting Group
RFW Legal Support – Moscow college of advocates «Bartshevsky and partners»
RFW General Producer – Alexander Shumsky
RFW Director – Irina Morgunova
RFW Executive Director – Yury Basin
Executive producer – Olga Myagkikh
Official press agent – «Artefact» agency
For additional information call: 299-99-43, 299-07-07, 232-14-75/76/77/78. www.rfw.ru
Russian Fashion Week (RFW)