Our favorite street style muse, Ulyana Sergeenko, has just sent her second couture collection down the runway. Although slightly off-schedule, her Paris show held at Theatre Marigny (January 22nd 2013) had a star studded front row: Carine Roitfeld, Natalia Vodianova, Derek Blasberg, Dita von Teese, Hamish Bowles and an array of less known Russian socialites and personalities sporting her designs head to toe and showing their support.
All her collections including this one have a constant fairytale/royalty feel that’s actually a wholesome extension of Ulyana’s own style. And while many have said this is going to get old soon, I feel the exact opposite – her being so true to her own brand and visual identity only shows how much she believes in it and how she’s in this business of fashion for the long run.
The models turned princesses for a day were literally stepping out of a life-sized fairytale book down a glittery yellow brick road inspired runway which perfectly embodied the feel of the entire collection: Scarlett O’Hara via Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz meets a heroine of eclectic descent – we had Russian off course, but also British, Mexican, French, Spanish and even 19th century American influences mixed in.
In fact, this American princess exploring the prairie was the main thing polishing off every look as far as I’m concerned. Ulyana Sergeenko Couture Show even had a bit of Salem witches, puritan wives flare here and there.
In fact, this American princess exploring the prairie was the main thing polishing off every look as far as I’m concerned. Ulyana Sergeenko Couture Show even had a bit of Salem witches, puritan wives flare here and there.
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Isn’t this green silk number the most beautiful homage to Scarlett O’Hara’s famous curtain dress?
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I don’t know if I’m the only one, but this is the thing that does it for me when it comes to Ulyana’s collections: the original mix of regalia elements with national costume details.
I imagine this spoiled princess bored out of her mind with her overly rich/complicated dresses who decides to borrow some things from her chamber maid wardrobe to transform herself and go mix in with the commoners.
I imagine this spoiled princess bored out of her mind with her overly rich/complicated dresses who decides to borrow some things from her chamber maid wardrobe to transform herself and go mix in with the commoners.
The wasp-waisted silhouette with peplum details is again highlighted and, as in real life, it’s becoming a trademark of Ulyana’s fashion sensibilities. The floor length skirts have wonderful volumes due to delicate layers of lace and even beautifully done frills trailing down the runway so that every modern heroin can feel royal and empowered.
The looks are finished off with wide brimmed straw hats, fingerless lace gloves, Mexican style knit shawls and ponchos, lace parasols, small box clutches, head scarves and cute aprons.
The looks are finished off with wide brimmed straw hats, fingerless lace gloves, Mexican style knit shawls and ponchos, lace parasols, small box clutches, head scarves and cute aprons.
I love the Old World nostalgic vibe of everything, the subdued color palette with eccentric pops of green and red, the mix of sheer fabrics, silks and heavier tweeds, the subtle prints and the demure bare shoulders – it’s like all of the characters I loved reading about as a child and teenager have just landed in modern times. And I say "Welcome" to them all and "Can, I please borrow what your wearing?"!
How do you like it? Do you think that the transition from a street style icon and couture collector to fashion designer is a success story in Ulyana Sergeenko's case?