War and Peace within the Temple of Fashion. Part III.

War and Peace within the Temple of Fashion

interview with Nikolay Krasnikov

Part III.

 If in obedience of ignorance
The Author sentenced us to live
Nonsatisfiable desires
Would not he put our souls‘ within,
Beteem He‘d not the aspirations
For unfulfillable temptations,
Would not He let ensue ideals
Within thyself, in outworld realms,
Whenever utter blessing‘s plight
Was to perceive it at no time.

M.Lermontov

Human is God’s perfect creation. The Author has put in us the eternal aspiration for sophistication and beauty by virtue of both passive contemplation and creation. 

Nikolay Krasnikov Fall Winter 2012-2013 fashion show.
Photo © MBFWR

I first became acquainted with Nikolay’s work when I saw his second collection. At that point I did not know it was inspired by Mathilde Kschessinska. The collection, undoubtedly, was a strinking difference to what is usually shown on cat-walks. It was chic, glamorous, feminine, bohemian and “touched” by past times or rather by an entire epoch. Despite these presences are old as the hills, Nikolay has managed to represent them in a totally fresh way, they gained new spirit. Special atmosphere and some drama reigned owing to what every single image was emphasized. This has destroyed the common idea of a collection which highlights solely the most remarkable outfits of all created. This drama created a feeling of a social event, where not a single person remains unspotted. Richness of fabrics, dramatic and vivid outfits could not leave a spectator unfazed. And sure enough I appreciate that Nikolay, unlike most Russian designers, does not try to escape in his work from Russian culture. On contrary, the designer has accentuated how beneficial and rich this source of inspiration is, its ability to be revealed in a different way by each creator. Whereas Zaytsev in my mind is bound with national costume features, Nikolay creates bohemian and poetic images which seem to have stepped down from Kramskoy’s painting or materialized from Blok’s lines. 

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