The Russian Czarina has done it again. For the second year in a row, she held her spring 2013 couture collection at the grand Théâtre Marigny.
The set for the show included a giant book, whose Cyrillic printed pages opened up to illustrations by Yuri Vasnetsov, setting a fairy tale backdrop for Sergeenko’s “American Collection.” The runway complete with yellow brick road paved the way for the Americana inspired fashion which referenced classic American tales such as Gone With the Wind, The Headless Horseman and Huckleberry Finn.
The collection opened with a pioneer look straight from the prairie with a model wearing a Mexican knitted shawl with needlepoint embroidery over a sheer black blouse paired with Sergeenko’s signature high-waisted, voluminous hoop skirt. Nipped in waists were accentuated with straw corsets and mini, pin-up girl style shorts that elongated the legs. Straw hats and little sling shots tucked into belts referenced Tom Sawyer’s Huck Finn, while frilly frocks with high-necked blouses looked like something from the tale of the Headless Horseman.
The famous classic Gone With the Wind was cleverly referenced with an eye-catching, chartreuse, floor-length gown resembling Scarlett O’Hara’s green curtain dress, followed by a red oversized, taffeta, Little Red Riding Hood-cape worn over a nude, satin, corset one-piece.
Sergeenko’s eccentricities were also front and center in this collection. She used little, hand-painted, porcelain buttons that trailed up the neckline of some of the dresses and small, plastic fruits were painted onto the thick frames of eye glasses. Some of the looks even featured earrings with dangling cats. Intricate craftsmanship of the garments was visible upon closer inspection of the clothes.
Although under immense scrutiny, Ulyana Sergeenko has managed to pull off yet another bit of magic delivering a collection that emulates the very style that put her in the spotlight to begin with. Many skeptics still question if she has what it takes to be a full-fledged couture designer. It is evident that Ulyana Sergeenko is definitely taking a step in the right direction.
