Focus: Ulyana Sergeenko

Ulyana Sergeenko is a Russian designer, socialite and fashion blogger. Dubbed part of the “Russian Mafia” by fashion bloggers alongside fellow Russians Miroslava Duma, Elena Perminova and Vika Gazinskaya, Ulyana Sergeenko fueled her creative style into founding her own fashion label. Sergeenko told Harper’s Bazaar that she owes her fashion training to her modest childhood upbringing “Growing up, we only had two fashion magazines – Feminine Worker and Countryside Woman. We had to sew our own clothes. I was well-known in school because I would always change the designs. I broke the rules.” Even as a young girl she was prone to experimenting and adding creative twists to the provided practical patterns. A couturier’s in the making was born. On a warm July day in 2012 Sergeenko had her first couture show in Paris and received a very warm welcome. Ulyana Sergeenko draws her inspiration from Russian literary characters and fairytale symbolism while preserving modern sophistication relevant today. Sergeenko is popular among celebrity claiming singer Lady Gaga, burlesque performer Dita von Teese, socialite Kim Kardashian and model Natalia Vodianova as clients. Beyoncé appeared in Sergeenko Couture lace cape in her music video “Jealous” and her black velvet bodysuit in “Haunted“.

Ulyana Sergeenko Spring Couture 2015 collection was a celebration of Caucasian folklore. Embroidery on silk gowns, beads and 19th-century elements like bolero and capes were undoubtedly retrospective while the shape and construction of dresses gave them a modern twist.