Tatyana Parfionova's Autumn-Winter 2010/2011 Collection (Photo by Alexey Bondarenko)

 Visitors enjoyed a real art performance. The show included a display of Parfionova’s paintings, ballerinas and an opera soprano (who sang live at the show) as models, and of course sophisticated dresses. It covered numerous themes, from history to ethnicity and was indeed one of the highlights of this Fashion Week.

As this year is an anniversary one for Tatyana Parfionova Fashion House – it has turned 15 years – the designer is holding a number of projects to highlight all spheres of her creativity – from interior accessories design and furniture to painting.

Tatiana Parfionova told RT her opinion about today’s state of Russian fashion and shared her future plans. 

Tatyana Parfionova's Autumn-Winter 2010/2011 Collection (Photo by Alexey Bondarenko)

“I think that Russian designers are very strong. But to see and understand them one has to consider the context of all that happens in the world. We have a very strong basis. I have participated in many fashion weeks and seen a lot. Last year it was Montreal Fashion Week, China, France, New York. I can say that our designers are in many respects more original, as we face more difficulties. It’s obvious that if a man doesn’t love himself, would he love his native designers, artists, poets and writers? For some reason he tries to expel them abroad in order to then take a look on them from aside.” 

 This show is very unusual – no catwalk, opera singing, ballerinas instead of models – why is that?

“We are turning 15 this year, in April, that’s why all the shows that take place now are very unusual. We started with a show in Bristol in January, then we held a show on girls-classmates – they were all very different and very beautiful. Then comes today’s show. We call it spot shows. There will be more this year: We’re preparing a big story called “Emperor’s Gardens”. There will be a show in the Russian Museum – it’ll be a show of chiffon scarves with flower prints and ornaments, very beautiful. We have a lot of plans.”

Diana El-Bakri, RT