Atlas of Fashion Designers

245

Igor Chapurin

Igor Chapurin

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A witness to the Soviet change, Igor Chapurin belongs to a new generation of Russian

designers searching for an identity of their own in the fashion universe, and there is little

doubt that their search is proving fruitful.

Born near the Estonian border, he is one of the most celebrated Russian designers work-

ing today. He garnered attention fashioning dresses for the Miss Europe, Miss World and

Miss Universe pageants and, thanks to the international reach of these contests, gradually

accumulated a prestige that resulted in his being the fi rst Russian fashion designer to have

a show in a Paris.

His stellar year was 1998, when his haute couture collection won the Golden Mannequin

Prize awarded by the Russian Association of Haute Couture and he was also awarded the

Style Prize given by Harper’s Bazaar magazine.

Alongside his fashion career, he has been involved in a variety of activities that have only

served to enrich his brilliant trajectory as a designer.  ese projects include producing the

wardrobe for the production of Madam Lioneli in London’s Royal Albert Hall, the creation

of the line of products for the Chapurincasa fi rm in 2003, and the children’s line Chapurin

Child in 2005. Additionally, he was responsible for designing the set and scenic wardrobe

of the Bolshoi  eatre for works of classical dance by such composers as Stravinsky and

Tchaikovsky, an honor given only to an elite few.  e spectacle of Russian fashion has only

just begun, and the world is anxious to witness it.

Photography courtesy of Igor Chapurin

246

Igor Chapurin

In the legendary L’Imperiale lobby of

the Westin Hotel and Hall Souffl ot in

Paris, the Russian designer presented

his Fall/Winter 2007–2008 collection,

with a combination of leather and fur

in an atmosphere that transported the

spectator back to the forties.

Photography courtesy of Igor Chapurin

247

Igor Chapurin

Photography courtesy of Igor Chapurin

248

Igor Chapurin

- What inspires you?

 e sources of my inspiration are my personal hobbies and passions which I put on the paper. It could be the theme of

a ballet dancer, either the troubled revolution through the image of the daughter of Nicholas II, Anastasia, or the image

of a Nabokov’s heroine, Lolita. In the last collection, I tried to imagine how the Aztecs and Maya would look if they

were the aliens who came back in our twenty-fi rst century.

- What is your dream as a designer?

I dream to create the interior of the avialiners (airplanes).

- What has been the most important achievement of your career?

 e dream of my life has been realized. I`ve been dreaming about that, but I was afraid at the same time. Now I create

the decorations and costumes for the ballet of the Bolshoi  eatre in Moscow.

- How important are trends?

Trends defi ne society; I only create the clothes. It’s not up to me to govern fashion trends. Modern fashion is less the

proportions, more the elements which touch the person, their nervous receptors.  at is why the latest trends are seen

in accessories.

- Fashion has always refl ected a certain era. What does fashion refl ect in the twenty-fi rst century?

My time is crazy, dynamic, active, aggressive. It requires very simple, clear forms. Fashion today is very rational: femi-

nine silhouettes combine with harsh, almost masculine fabrics, silk with rude wool, delicate lace and brutal leather.

 e functionality of clothing is very important today. A woman needs to change clothes depending on the situation. A

day-to-day dress should be easily transformed into a cocktail dress, adding the right accents with the help of accessories

and jewelry.

- What book would you recommend to every fashion designer?

Alexander Vasiliev’s The History of Fashion.

Igor Chapurin

21 Savinnskaya embankment

119435 Moscow

Russia

www.chapurin.com

249

Igor Chapurin

Sketch courtesy of Igor Chapurin