The General Inspector on photography at the French Ministry of Culture, Aniez de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, says that “the young generation is no longer afraid of photography. They have a lot of opportunities to see photographs in the magazines, in the streets – everywhere. And the biennale [festival ”Fashion and style in photography«] gives them an overview of the history of fashion photography».

Comparing today’s fashion photography in Russia with some thirty years ago, she speaks of tremendous changes and huge work which has been done in the field during the past three decades. In the mid-Soviet era there were very few people competent in photography, let alone fashion photography as we know it today.

Aniez de Gouvion Saint-Cyr says that today, many Russian photographers have become world-renowned names, as is evidenced by the growing interest of the international community towards Russia.

The festival was founded by Russia's first photography museum – the Moscow House of Photography, which is now being reconstructed.