Can the Russian capital be listed alongside internationally recognized fashion capitals like Paris and Milan? Two insiders from the fashion world say Moscow rates a definite yes - but it’s still off in the future.

“You’ve got such a great diversity of incomes in this city [Moscow]. So you can see people dressing up more luxuriously than in Paris, more stylishly, maybe, than in London – and maybe worse than they did in the Soviet Union,” says Svetlana Kolchik, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Marie Claire Russian edition.

“I think it’s still quite a bold statement to make that Moscow is a fashion capital. It does have potential to become one, maybe in the next five to ten years – but it does have strong competitors, I would have to say,” she told RT.

London-based fashion designer Marie Su agrees:

“In the near future, Moscow will get on track with Paris, London, New York and Milan,” she said in an interview with RT. “Moscow is the capital of Russia and has a beautiful range of people, plus they have the capacity to be fashionable and they are really interested in fashion.”