Fashion

More Russian Fashion Week Images to Gawk At

This morning, we showed you 15 gorgeous images from Russian Fashion Week. And this afternoon, we're taking the opportunity to show you more. Why on earth would we devote this much time to Russian fashion, you ask? Please, let me explain.

When it comes to fashion, you've got your sartorial powerhouse cities (NYC, Paris), your scrappy innovators (London, Tokyo), your historical figureheads (Milan), and everyone else. For decades, Moscow hardly even fell under the "everything else" category when it came to couture — Russia was closed off from the rest of the world, and the style that did come out of the country was forgettable at best, overdone at worst.

But Russia's sartorial image is changing. Finally. And it's happening unbelievably fast. Last year, the New York Times ran a fantastic article about the "Russian Fashion Pack," a group of wealthy and strikingly beautiful Russian It girls who both consumed massive amounts of couture and acted as global trendsetters themselves. Russia was filling up with billionaires (WSJ reports that 35 percent of the country's wealth is in the hands of 110 people), many of whom were married to these women — and people were ready to shop.

This week, the Spring 2014 shows of Russian Fashion Week managed to be both striking and subtle, effectively decimating stereotypes of Russian fashion as gaudy and overblown. It's taken decades, but Moscow may just be moving out of the "everything else" category.

by Tori Telfer

Bessarion

At Bessarion, the models wore wet hair, bondage-esque platforms, and the occasional kerchief slung around the neck. This dramatic peplum look is a silhouette that's meant to be moved in.

Image: @nytimesfashion/Instagram

Atelier Galetsky

The severe hair and prison-stripes of this dress begin to seem monotonous until you realize, quite gradually, that the whole piece is transparent.

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Shoes at Atelier Galetsky

Unbelievably cute loafers and pink, patterned heels kept the dresses and coats at Atelier Galetsky from taking themselves too seriously.

Image: @ulyana_krasava/Instagram

Nikolai Kyvyrzhik by SLAVA ZAITSEV

Maybe it's cliché to say so, but these looks channel Anna Karenina all the way.

Image: @julia_stolyarova/Instagram

Tatyana Parfionova

There are cocoon coats, and then there are cocoon coats. This coat is clearly the latter. A girl could metamorphosize inside it.

Image: @nytimesfashion/Instagram

Maria Golubeva

Dreamy curls, blush hues, and slightly-destroyed shapes gave this collection a Lolita-on-her-honeymoon vibe.

Image: @mariagolubeva/Instagram

Alena Akhmadullina

The Akhmadullina show was by far one of the strongest offerings at Moscow Fashion Week. The models wore alien-like topknots and powerful dark blush that blended into the eyes; in contrast, the clothes were clever and wearable. No surprise that the designer has shown in Paris.

Image: @alenaakhmadullina/Instagram

ART Square

Why are demure looks so haunting? This dress conjures up both religious gowns and mourning-wear.

Image: @maria_gotova/Instagram

Biryukov

An extreme, almost frightening studded choker paired with a pretty, almost conservative skirt/blouse duo makes for a striking marriage of mainstream and counterculture.

Image: @nytimesfashion/Instagram

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