This is the first and probably the last time the WWS will delve into the world of fashion, but over the past 48 hours I've stumbled across two opposing points of view on the current fashion situation in Russia. First, Radar reports on a fashion show held in an underground nuclear bunker in Moscow:
Two thousand of the city's fashion throng crowded into the gritty hideout, where it was said that Communist chiefs could have survived for three months in the event of a nuclear holocaust. One of the group's designers, Maxim Kushnaryov, said the choice of location was "a political statement," and served to "show our opposition to the whole fashion scene in Russia."
I don't really know what that means, but I gather the guy isn't a huge fan. Then, at FP Passport, Blake Hounshell notes this comment by Donatella Versace:
Gone is the tendency towards ostentation and "bling". Instead, today's Russian women are in search of something more sophisticated. At a cocktail party I held at my Moscow store, I was greeted by many extremely well-dressed customers; but two stood out. They had a great freshness and confidence, and were dressed in a modern and understated way. It turned out that they were the granddaughters of Mikhail Gorbachev.
Make of that what you will. I need to go read some Defense News and try to restore the testosterone levels. Update: Sonny Bunch says we shouldn't be doing fashion here unless it's accompanied by pictures of models. I couldn't agree more. Picture of Russian model added.