Ulyana Sergeenko, thirty-two year old Russian model, photographer and blogger, only until recently made her debut into the fashion world. At first renowned for her unique Anna Karenina street-style aesthetic, she then launched her eponymous couture line in 2011, which has only garnered more adoration for her sumptuous outfits.
Sergeenko's creations appear to be a halfway point between a marked nostalgia of old-world Russia and her own personal street-style. They are unashamedly reminiscent of the decadence of Russian aristocracy under the Tsarist regime yet all seem vaguely familiar when we remember the clothes that she herself used to sport when snapped by photographers on the streets of Moscow. "They are clothes I love to wear" she says "but they are also for every woman who wants to be beautiful."
Beautiful, indeed, is the word to describe her Spring Collection, which, this season took a turn to the West, remembering in more ways than one the classic American tale Gone with the Wind. Although retaining traditional Russian roots, Sergeenko's full-length corseted gowns, frills, crochet embroidery, velvet capes and hand-painted porcelain buttons, adorned with straw hats and parasols sparkle with the evocative romance and theatricality of the folktale. The meticulousness of detail that she pays to every item along with her innate ability to transport the wearer and the observers to another time through the power of clothing demonstrate that she is definitely one to watch for the seasons to come.
