Russian fashion designer gets best foreign designer award in New York

Russian fashion designer Yelena Yarmak has won the best foreign designer award at the New York Fashion Week.

The awarding ceremony and the show of about 60 items of the Russian designer's exclusive collection took place on Tuesday night at one of New York's prestigious halls.

"I think this award evidences that Moscow is becoming one of the world's fashion centres. Fashion is part of Russian culture," the laureate said in a RIA Novosti interview.

The Russian designer offered a collection comprising clothes made of old fabrics and furs. Sable clothes were, by all means, the hit of the show. "Sables have long been a major item of Russia's exports, i.e. of its prestige. Working with sable fur I mean to revive my country's glory and greatness," said Yelena Yarmak.

Almost all the items of her collection are transformers, to a certain extent. They can be worn "the wrong side out." The designer employed the latest fur treatment technology-plucking, dyeing, trimming and dressing. Her fur clothes are of an unconventional look and colour.

"Our fashion house's creed is that fur clothes must be comfortable, light and soft and cause pleasant sensations for those who wear them," said Ms Yarmak.

The ceremony at New York's Capital took place the day before the September 11 tragedy. Commemorating the victims to the terrorist attacks the Russian designer presented a beautiful white mink coat, which costs a minimum of $18,000, to New York's fire-fighters union. The sum will go to a charity fund and will be given to the widows and children of those who were killed in the World Trade Centre explosions.