Vyacheslav Zaitsev Wants Russian Fashion Designers To Be More Original, Not To Be Influenced By The West

Russian couturiers and designers "should be more original" and should not be influenced by the West, famous Russian couturier Vyacheslav Zaitsev told RIA Novosti at the opening ceremony of the Week of Haute Couture in Moscow. "We have brilliant opportunities to discover and realize our ideas. Russian couturiers are original and not spoilt. I am sick and tired of the fact that we are only associated with matryoshka dolls and Soviet symbols. I think we should develop our national pride on the basis of the history and traditions of the Russian national costume," Zaitsev said adding that this history is "a remarkable treasure". Speaking about his creative activity, Zaitsev said that he focused on "deeper understanding of traditions and the desire to find a new interpretation of them." But he meant not only the Russian costume. Russia is a multi-national country with an extremely rich culture which can give a designer a lot of brilliant ideas, Zaitsev said. "Foreign couturiers borrow ideas from our history and culture and we admire them but still we are influenced by the West although this material is right under our noses," he added. "Russian designers can do everything, they have many remarkable ideas and the richest Russian culture. We have great hopes for Russian designers and the Week of Haute Couture," Tatiana Mikhalkova, the president of the charitable foundation "Russian Silhouette" told RIA Novosti.