Grungy 1990s back in style

Published 02 April, 2009, 21:52

A 1990s atmosphere, depression and crisis, combined with street fashion – this is the latest collection by the young Russian designer Anastasia Zheleznova.

Zheleznova’s interest in fashion started in her Soviet childhood, when there was absolutely no choice what to wear. “I have always wanted to dress prettily and started to make some pieces with my own hands.”

Zheleznova used to study fashion design in one of the prestigious colleges in London and established her own brand Anastasia Z, which is successfully sold in England, America, Japan and Australia.

click to enlarge                              Photo by Aleksandr Azarov

“Today’s fashion is reviving the tendencies of the past; we have already passed all periods from 1920s up to 1980s, so I think now it’s time to give another chance to the 1990s – crisis and all correlates with the present time”, Zheleznova says.

The collection’s main theme is grunge – the rock-style of the 1990s, often related with the streets, drugs and decadence. “Remember Curt Cobain, Nirvana – the sense of depression, intoxication. In my collection it’s not exactly depression, but some uncertainty about the future.”

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Zheleznova says now “casual style” is needed and has borrowed from street fashion. “The time of long evening dresses haute couture has already passed. We need to make something in-between.”

She presents sporty jackets and dresses. But it’s all high quality. “All fabrics remain luxurious: 100 per cent natural wool, cashmere, silk.”

click to enlarge                              Photo by Aleksandr Azarov

In the 1990s everybody wore leggings, leather and latex, Zheleznova has leggings as the symbol of the time she refers to. “The collection is mostly in dark colours: earth, frayed colors of grunge. However we refused grey and replaced it with pale blue to somehow dilute the collection.”

The designer moved back to Russia as “competition is less heavy here, despite being good at sewing, Russians lack creativity,” she says. She believes it’s impossible to create talent in a student. “The teacher should bring out freedom of mind.”

“It would be much harder to stand the competition in London and it would take much longer to get to the top there.”

Now Anastasia Zheleznova feels the fashion industry in Russia is developing, young people interested in fashion now have the opportunity to travel, to see and learn from Western designers, from art, she says.

“We are not closed within the boundaries of Russia and its culture anymore, now Russia is an open free country and this is being finally reflected in fashion and in art,” she adds.

Diana El-Bakri, RT

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