YANINA HAUTE COUTURE FALL WINTER 2017-18

Russian haute couture designer Yanina invited me to attend her couture show at the Westin Hotel in Paris. A huge ball room with amazing second empire-style frescos had been transformed into a snowy enchanted forest. What a magnificent scenery! It was like being at the opera.

The snowy enchanted forest was not set in Russia, but in Denmark. “This collection has been designed using my favourite fairy tale as inspiration – The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, said Yulia Yanina. “I didn’t want to portray a fairy tale girl, but a modern Gerda (originally a goddess of Norse mythology), an intelligent, romantic and perfectly educated girl who lives her dream. A modern traveler in search of true love, passion and inspiration.

In the tales of Andersen, two worlds are seamlessly intertwined – the real and the magical. Dresses take the form of heroes and heroines, whom Gerda meets throughout her journey, including a little robber, a Finn and a Lapland lady.

This fairy tale also reflects the struggle between good and evil. Gerda is the good girl and wears pretty school uniforms, while the audacious Snow Queen is both cold and attractive.

“Nature has always been an inspiration to me,” says the Russian designer. “This collection reflects the beauty of Russian winters. I always loved the fall and winter season very much. In fairy tales, the good always triumphs over the evil, women are feminine, and men are courageous. As long as beauty triumphs…”