We had a little snow this weekend, it is already the latter half of April though. I can't wait for wearing a summer dress which is now shown in a shop window. Meanwhile, in the fashion industry, next winter season has already arrived. Here in Moscow,
Mercedes-Benz Fashion week was held at the end of March and both international and local designers demonstrated their new collections for autumn and winter. The legendary Russian designer of 77 years old was honored at this event with a fantastic show, his name is
Slava Zaitsev(1938~).
もう4月も後半だというのに、みぞれ交じりの雪が降るモスクワ。ショーウィンドーを彩る、軽やかな夏服を着る日が待ち遠しい。ファッション業界では夏を通り越し、すでに2015／2016 秋冬コレクションが展開されています。ここモスクワでも恒例の
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weekが3月下旬に開催されました。そこで名誉デザイナーとして、77歳になった今もコレクションを発表している偉大な人物、それが
Slava Zaitsev氏。（1938年~)
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| Slava Zaitsev fashion show (Photo from official website) |
Since Soviet times, he has been leading the Russian fashion scene, for sure he is respected as the greatest designer in Russia so that anyone knows his name. I am very proud that I had an oppotunity to see him about two years ago. I joined the group tour and visited his office building called
"Dom Modi(Fashion house) consisted of office, shop and showroom. Without this visit, I would not notice that this typical soviet building is the legend house of fashion.
ソ連時代よりファッション業界の第一人者として活躍し、ロシア人でその名を知らぬ者はいないのはないでしょうか。私のモスクワ生活の中で数少ない自慢のひとつが、このSlava Zaitsevさんとお会いしたこと。2年前の春、とあるツアーで彼のオフィス、ショップ兼ショールームを見学させて頂きました。その建物は通称
〝Dom Modi（Fashion house)″と呼ばれ、一見よくあるソビエト建築なので見過ごしてしまいそうです。
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| Dom Modi (Moscow fashion house) |
I remember as it was yesterday, when our group entered the building, one gentleman in the colorful jacket of check patterns, coming to us with a chaming smile. He was the designer Slava Zaitsev himself. How stylish he was at age 75! At first he explained about his collections, then guided us to his atelier to show original sketches and image collages. Moreover, he even helped us to try on beautiful haute couture clothes. It was a quite touching moment.
赤チェックの素敵なスーツを着こなし、とびきりの笑顔で出迎えてくれたチャーミングな男性は、Zaitsevさんご本人でした！当時７５歳。なんて洒落ているのでしょう。彼はコレクションについて説明するばかりか、普段は立ち入れないアトリエに私たちを案内し、スケッチやイメージコラージュを解説、さらにはオートクチュール衣装を自ら私たちに着つけてくれるサービスまで。。。惜しむらくは、２年前の私が彼がどれほど偉大な人物かをよく理解していなかったことでしょう。
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| Russian fashion designer, Slava Zaitsev(2013) |
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| Haute couture salon |
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| The work desk with scketches |
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| Zaitsev's sketches |
Zaitsev was born in 1938, in Ivonova city which is traditionaly the center of textile industry, located in north-east from Moscow. His family was in the typical working class. Ivanova was used to be the bright town with colorful textiles, however his childhood was in gray under the Soviet socialism. People were only promoted to work hard and the little Zaitsev spent a lot of time in a tiny block house. Then the World War had started, his father was heavily wounded and labeled "Enemy of the people". Father was sent to Stalin's camp and forced to work till he died. Zaitsev's mother, Maria worked hard as a cleaner to bring up his son, she was always his mentor even after he succeeded. He graduated the Faculty of Applied Arts at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Ivanovo, and became a textile artist, then moved to Moscow and studied at Moscow Textile Institute, he graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor's degree in painting and designing.
He soon became well-known and got the position of
the Chief Designer at the All-Union
Fashion House. In 1978, he started working on his own, from a small studio, later to
become «Slava Zaitsev» Dom Modi. His work caught more attention from world wide, when he created costumes of Moscow olympics in 1980 and designed the official wear for the Russian first ladies. Even the President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, appreciated Zaitsev and awarded him
the State Prize of the Russian Federation in 1996.
Zaitsev氏は1938年、モスクワ北東の織物工業都市イヴァノヴォ生まれ。労働者階級のごく一般的な家庭に育ちました。かつては色鮮やかな織物が景色を飾る美しい街だったそうですが、Zaitsevの幼少時代にはソビエト共産主義のもと労働を鼓舞され、箱のようなアパートから見る灰色の景色がすべてだったと振り返ります。間もなく始まった世界大戦の末、戦傷した父は「人民の敵」と見なされ、スターリンの抑圧により強制労働キャンプで没す。その後清掃員として働きながら息子を育てた母Mariaは、後もZaitevの心の支えとなったようです。地元の応用美術学部を優秀な成績で卒業し、テキスタイルアーティストの資格を得た後、1956年にモスクワへ拠点を移す。専門学校でデザイナーの資格を得た後、国の繊維工業でデザインを担当し、ついには全国ファッション組合でチーフディレクターを務めるようになりました。1978年には独立したスタジオ
「Dom Modi（Fashion house」を設立し、自らのブランド「Slava Zaitsev」の礎を築く。その後世界的にコレクションを発表、1980年モスクワオリンピックの衣装デザイン、また歴代大統領夫人の公式訪問着を提供。1996年にはエリツィン大統領より
国家栄誉賞も受賞されています。
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The meeting with world designers in1965
( left to right; Pierre Cardin, Slava Zaitsev, Mark Bohan from Christian Dior) |
This spring, I visited again "Dom Modi" looking back on the day I saw him. The shop on the 1st floor remains Soviet mood, honestly it is not that stylish, however I rather like that atmosphere.
One of features of his collection is that he takes design essence from Russian traditional folk art including CIS countries, for example the Turkmen embroidery, flower prints inspired from Pavlovsky Posad scalves and so on. As well as a fashion designer, he is a talented graphic designer and he creates multi-color printed accessories with his own graphic works.
Zaitsev氏の功績を振り返りながら、この春再び「Dom Modi」と訪ねてみました。1階のショップ兼ショールームは一見、町の洋装店といった雰囲気で実に気楽。ソ連時代そのままのような空気を感じられるところが、逆に新鮮です。彼のコレクションで特徴的なことは、旧ソ連圏も含めた多様な民族芸術のエッセンスを取り入れていること。それはトルクメニスタンの刺繍であったり、ロシア伝統の花柄スカーフの模様であったり。また画家としての才能を生かし、近年グラフィックデザインを用いた小物類も充実しているようです。
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| This collection is inspired by Turkmenistan |
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| Zaitsev's graphic artworks |
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| Printed scarves with Zaitsev's graphic design |
Now I note the impressive phrases from his autobiographical book. Imagine the Russian society after World War, many of widows worked hard to make a living.
”I felt that beautiful clothes coud be the only joy in their lonely exsistence. ....as a textile designer I mentally reffered to such women, I sincerely wished to help them find their proper place in life."
I can imagine how well Zaitsev's design worked for brighting up womens life in Soviet time. I deeply respect him not only as a great designer, but also as a warm-hearted man. His creation is being inheritated by his son,
Yegor Zaitsev and by his granddaughter,
Marusya Zaitseva. Both of them manage their own brand. I look forward to seeing how they will lead Russian fashion to the world.
今私の手元には、2年前Zaitsev氏から頂いた自伝があります。そこに印象的な言葉が載せられてありました。戦後、彼の故郷には母のように多くの未亡人が日夜懸命に働いていました。その記憶から、
”I felt that beautiful clothes coud be the only joy in their lonely exsistence. ....as a textile designer I mentally reffered to such women, I sincerely wished to help them find their proper place in life."
Zaitsev氏の華やかデザインが、ソビエト時代の女性の心をどれほど明るくしたことでしょうか。彼の創作への想いと温かな人柄を知ったとき、ますます尊敬の念を抱かずにはいられませんでした。彼のクリエイションは、次代へと引き継がれています。息子のデザイナー
Yegor Zaitsev、孫娘のデザイナ
ーMarusya Zaitseva。今後さらなる活躍が楽しみです。
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| Designed by Yegor Zaitsev |
For you information:
Slava Zaitsev official website
http://zaitsev.info/
The address of Dom Modi: Москва, Проспект Мира, 21
