Ulyana Sergeenko Talks About Her SS'18 Haute Couture Collection In A Brides Today Exclusive
Ulyana Sergeenko gives us a glimpse into her SS’18 haute couture collection, with outfits suitable for a modern bride.
Though her name isn’t as red-carpet-recognisable as her counterparts, Ulyana Sergeenko is a bona fide star. The 37-year-old Kazakhstan-born designer has cultivated an aura of old-school glamour—think mid-length skirts, wasp waists, tailored tops, and headscarves. Her clothes are invariably compelling in their thought process and extraordinarily executed, typically speaking in her razor-sharp manner, sharing an insight into the cultural moment of fashion's arrival in Russia.
In 2011, being the first Russian designer to be officially enlisted on the couture week calendar in Paris, Sergeenko silenced critics (with pre-conceived notions) by showcasing a strong, but small debut collection with striking individual style and an uncompromising attitude towards craftsmanship and quality. “For us it was an honour to be included into the official calendar and our team was very happy and proud to have that opportunity,” she says, talking about her invitation less than a decade ago by the Fédération française de la couture (the French fashion industry’s governing body). Over the years, Sergeenko’s team has slowly started to build up, and now, with more than 100 people, the Ulyana Sergeenko brand has created a small world of its own in Moscow. Born in the environs of the Soviet Union, her childhood did not associate much with fashion and her grandmother was her only source of inspiration. “My grandmother was an average Soviet lady and dressed soberly enough like others but her cotton dresses with floral painted designs, hand-knitted sweaters, cardigans, and a modest and simple style of jewellery were always elegant. I guess she was the one who influenced my style the most,” she says, with a sense of nostalgia. Sergeenko’s clothes have majorly been inspired by Russia’s rich history in art and folklore and her haute couture garments seem to have sprung to life from the pages of Mikhail Lermontov’s whimsical poems. Each and every collection in the designer’s ateliers begins with a concept. “The longest part of the design process is making prototypes,” she says. “Variants of embroideries, shapes, colours, and fabrics are developed in-house from scratch,” she adds.
Sergeenko’s SS’18 collection, which she presented this year in January, is devoted to Russian porcelain and its unique beauty. “The collection is built on the memories of the priceless porcelain sets, that could be found in every Soviet home—from family tea ceremonies to porcelain animals on the shelves,” she says. There are Russian hand-knitted laces like the Vologda and the Yelets that act as a decorative element on most of the dresses. “One of the dresses in the collection was handcrafted by 12 seamstresses for a period of two months and the choice of drawings influenced the intricacy and diversity of the embroidery,” Sergeenko tells us, talking about the intrinsic details of the collection. Complex multi-layered sculptures and patchworks of coloured fur can be seen on a knee-length overcoat or a seersucking evening dress with a corseted bodice. And though in this fast-paced world, embraced with digital technology, where a lot of brands do not focus on craftsmanship, Sergeenko’s dreamy couture creations are of extremely high quality. “It is important for us to bring back all the great techniques our culture was so rich with,” she says. Many of them were almost lost over the years but it seems that her team somehow manages to find specialists who can master the same. “We use craftsmanship from all over the country with the aim of supporting the great masters whose skills might otherwise be lost. Of course, you do not have these possibilities with ready-to-wear where you have commercial limitations,” she says.
We ask Sergeenko whether she feels that haute couture is a dying art form, to which she disagrees by saying, “I have noted, as a person who works with clients in search of special pieces, the demand for couture has increased. It seems like people just get tired of the constant change of trends and often, things no longer bear any value.” She adds, “Even though fashion has become more democratic, there will always be people who would support old values, people who would want to invest in, let’s say, an exceptional coat that they can cherish for years to come.” Talking about India as a market for haute couture, Sergeenko tells us, “There are so many stunning women who appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. And though I haven’t gotten a chance to visit the country yet, our connections with Indian clients remain strong. I feel honoured to see Bollywood celebrities such as Sonam Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra wearing my designs!” At a time when there’s much talk in fashion about “new chapters,” mostly as a way to frame the seemingly endless and increasingly problematic entrances and exits of designers, Sergeenko’s clothes come from a different era, divorced from current trends. They are both a pointed commentary and a dare, given that paper and couture are regularly declared dead. Sometimes, you have to write your own poetry and let people discover it themselves.
All images: courtesy.