How completed 2016 the world of Russian fashion and where is it today? How to dress and, most importantly, how will be dressed the Russians? Navigation in these matters to the cultural-political magazine “E-Vesti” is provided by the best Russian expert in fashion market – General Director of Fashion Consulting Group Anna Lebsak-Kleimans.
Fashion Consulting Group– it is the leading consulting Agency in Russia in the fashion industry. Over 16 years it deals with the study of the Russian fashion market, but also to some extent the company creates it, providing practical services in business solutions for retailers, clothes manufacturers and its creators – designers.
E-Vesti: How the Russian fashion market interacts with the world and European markets?
Lebsak-Kleimans A.: Without a doubt, Russia remains a market with a high share of imported clothes, shoes and accessories. Despite falling imports in 2015, 2016 took the vector to the positive.
EV: What result showed the fashion world in 2016. What trends are visible today?
Lebsak-Kleimans A.: In 2016 in the Russian retail market was twice more brands than in 2015, the majority – some 60% of the brand – presented in the medium price segment, 30% – in mass, cheap brand and 10% in premium brands.
You can consider positive the fact that none of the foreign networks left the Russian market, in contrast to the high-profile closures in 2015. On the contrary, large foreign companies show a quiet confidence in the future and step by step increase their presence on the Russian market. H&M and Indetex is the largest fashion retailers in the world, it can serve as a touchstone for the strategic decisions of other fashion companies. For 2016, both companies are actively increasing their presence in the Russian regions than demonstrated its belief in the potential of the Russian market. H&M opened a new store in Moscow, Pskov, Barnaul, Tula, Voronezh, Zelenograd, Bryansk, Belgorod, Saratov, Perm, Irkutsk, and Saransk. INDITEX continued to open new stores in Moscow, Stavropol, Irkutsk, Zelenograd, Perm, Petrozavodsk, Naberezhnye Chelny, Smolensk, Saratov. In Moscow, finally, firmly established the legendary Victoria’s Secret, and in Ekaterinburg and Kazan – Armani Exchange. New shops were opened by such serious players of the luxury segment as Versace, Alberta Ferretti, Giuseppe Zanotti, Etro and other major international brands. Italian chamber of Commerce ICE said the growth of sales of Italian goods in 2016 compared to 2015 is 15 percent, and some Italian brands have grown even more (Furla increased its sales in 2016 almost a third).
Many retailers, both foreign and Russian, declare plans for growth and expansion in 2017. All the trends make signals of returning the market to positive dynamics in 2017.
EV: What are the main trends today, which determine the Russian fashion?
Lebsak-Kleimans A.: Goods with label Made in Russia or the goods showing any connection with the Russian culture, continue to gain popularity.
On the one hand, this is a typical Russian ornaments, Gzhel, Khokhloma, etc., appealing to the past, they are actively used, for example, when creating children’s clothing collections.
On the other hand, referring to modern Russian culture – celebrities, political events, Russian cartoons are also extremely popular today. These trends are widely used and well accepted by young people. These trends were introduced by Russian designers, and their compatriots, mass retailers, picked them up and gave a scale.
EV: It is told that the Russians have own taste, different from the European one. Do it globalize?
Lebsak-Kleimans A.: Trends in big cities of Russia already for a long time are in full harmony with the global trends, and this means that in 2017 the growth in popularity of sports style named athleleisurе (elements of sport equipment with all popular things that are in the closet) will continue. Sport shoes Russian fashionists will continue to combine with a business suit and evening wardrobe, the shirt will go to trendy cafes and at parties, and sports bombers to a business meeting.
The trend of “personalization” will increase. It will increase demand for things made by “personal touch” of the creator, or subject to “individual wishes”, for example, the service of personal embroidery initials, or applied to customer’s selected print. We can also suppose the increase in the number of interesting and original projects and niche designer brands sellling goods themselves via the Internet and social networks. Interesting discoveries can appear from projects that integrate clothes, shoes, accessories and high technology, which are conventionally called “in search of his Triangle”. The Triangle is a fantastically successful brand, the founders of which invented and licensed the idea of swimwear neoprene (neoprene is a special porous waterproof fabric for wetsuits).
EV: Who today is the sample of the fashion world in Russia (if you can call a few stars and promising designers)
Lebsak-Kleimans A.: You can call nteresting and successful those designers who were able to come out and became popular on foreign markets. This is Alena Akhmadullina, A la Russe (Anastasia Romantsova), VASSA, Rubchinskiy, Andrey Artemov (Walk of Shame), IRFE.
EV: The Ministry wants to develop design, creative direction, light industry, and supports it. Do You see the results, embodied in the names, figures and trends?
Lebsak-Kleimans A.: It is important that the Ministry of industry and trade said the position of patronage. This is reflected in the support of two leading Russian fashion weeks held in Moscow, and also in the organization of shows at international fashion weeks and exhibitions, where the Ministry sends the individual designers. It is important to note that due to the active promotion of Made in Russia today, almost all multi-brand boutiques sell the clothes of the Russian designers.
