Russia’s biggest lingerie distributor, Dikaya Orkhideya (Wild Orchid), held their 2003-2004 Fall/Winter collection fashion show in Gostiny Dvor on September 24. On June 27, the company celebrated the 10th anniversary of its first shop in Russia, which is located at 9 Petrovsky Bulvar, and just like then, this show was also amazing. This year’s collection, whose advertising campaign was titled "Mechanical Mind," was as memorable as the famous American label Victoria’s Secret fashion show. When the show opened with a brigade of military men and music, the 5000 guests thought it was another terrorist attack. But then it turned out that it was the trick of the show’s director.
They chose this beginning because it just so happens that the "military" style is the theme of the Fall/Winter 2003-2004 season. The style influenced most of the world’s fashion collections, and the new season will be totally ruled by the military style.
John Galliano follows the trend and uses not only khaki, but also elements of military uniforms (laces, buttons etc.) These aggressive motives are mixed with wild nature images, which have also been popular among the major fashion houses. Roberto Cavalli continues presenting snakes in different formats and shapes, and Naory’s flower garlands represent all the wild colors of tropical jungles. Another demonstration of the total aggression is prevalence of the color red and Millesia and Argentovivo’s topical red combined with black
Absolutely opposite the military theme is the classical theme of femininity. The new collection is based on the polarity of these two styles. Nina Ricci takes us back to thin laces and bows, Versace turns underwear into an evening gown, and Valentino creates a fairy "Christmas" collection, with translucent lace.
The third trend this season is the eastern motif. Pictures from kama sutra are striking in Roberto Cavalli’s collection, Blumarine experiments with Japanese motives and Ritratti uses eastern cucumbers on black silk.
"Mechanical Mind" attracted the attention of all high-profile fashion folk, who actually always make up the majority of Dikaya Orkhideya’s guests, among whom are fashion designers Yelena Suprun, Julia Dalakian and Masha Tsigal, as well as numerous models and pop band Hi-Fi with their numerous retinue. Head of Russkiy Standart Rustam Tariko was alone – his girlfriend is pregnant and is about to give birth to twins, so she couldn’t be present.
But the stars of the evening were none other than woman of the world Kseniya Sobchyak and her new boyfriend Leonid Nerushenko (part of pop music collective Dinamit). They spent the evening hiding from the importunate paparazzi in the darkest corners of Gostiniy Dvor.