Valentin Yudashkin (Q3592)
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Valentin Yudashkin is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Valentin Yudashkin |
Valentin Yudashkin is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
1988
fashion designer
Valentin Yudashkin wanted to bring joy into the world with his latest collection. The splash of color was a sharp transformation from his prior offerings, especially his winter pieces in white and black. This time, Yudashkin referenced the Spanish artist Joan Miró and his vibrant paintings. Yudashkin translated Miró’s work, dotting a bodysuit and dresses with itty-bitty geometric shapes. One standout was a sheer mini-dress worn over a white miniskirt that boasted beaded embroidery.However, Yudashkin’s designs were best when the inspiration was less literal. A modest yet curve-hugging eggshell blue dress had a white obi belt tied across its waist, making for a nice play on the silhouette while a flowing, asymmetrical white dress boasted two strappy cut-outs at the collarbone and across the neck.Yudashkin has been venturing into the casual realm, too, but still keeping things polished enough for his elevated Russian clientele. One look of note was a pair of wide-leg denim pants with a simple slate-gray zip-up—an ensemble that is sure to bring joy to whoever wears it.
5 October 2021
Valentin Yudashkin launched his fashion label in the Soviet Union. Though materials were far less abundant than they are in present-day Russia, Yudashkin made an international name for himself with his limited resources, even catching the eye of the late Pierre Cardin. The practice of thinking beyond what’s on hand was one of themes of Yudashkin’s new fall collection, which focused on space travel, Cardin himself, and the narrative of a young woman factory worker who studies at night to become a fashion designer.As usual, Yudashkin focused on silhouettes and technique. His supersharp blazers and double-breasted jackets were no fuss and impeccably cut. Regarding these masculine touches, he said he was thinking of his young protagonist reworking pieces from her father’s wardrobe. One cool example was a retooled white shirt that appeared to be worn in reverse with an exaggerated collar. Cardin and his space-age ’60s sensibility were the inspirations behind the collection’s trendy accessory: the balaclava. In a few instances, but especially when it was worn with a long black dress with bell sleeves, the optic white headgear evoked an otherworldly, even holy feeling.
11 March 2021
As Russia’s first post-perestroika fashion designer to earn great domestic fame, Valentin Yudashkin’s career has coincided with a tumultuous and transformative 27 years in the history of the world’s largest nation. This collection was based on his sketches of idealized Japanese garments and a flower that I think he and his team specified as “sweet pea” in the backstage hubbub. Yudashkin hadn’t recently traveled to Japan, he said. It was merely the catalyst of his this-season inspiration, as was that flower. He described his offering here as “a mix of haute couture, prêt-à-porter, and sport.”So, yes, there were plenty of outsider’s-eye Japanese stereotypes: topknots, kimonos, judogis, obi belts, and rope-on-crepe-sketched flower silhouettes in a parallel floral story that started with print, shifted to appliqués, then to the rope, and then to a sequin-fueled mix and match of all that had come before it.Japan-acana aside, however, this was also an interestingly broad reflection of what—to this outsider’s ignorant stereotype-led eye, at least—seemed like some especially Russo-centric fashion stories. The six-ish-strong closing flourish of layered-silk goddess gowns, some heaped with flowers, some with raised front hems, were unrepentantly lavish raiments for new-Russia princesses, while the nude, multicolor, petal-embroidered minis and all-white, layered, lace-and-ceramic detailed dresses were for champagne-spraying party players. The workwear, especially a white shirt in a paperlike material with a broad neck and tie details, a red cross-body jacket over a skirt and pants, plus a surgeon’s-scrub green cotton coat with flower embroideries all had an attractively twisted air of institutionally austere uniform. Inevitably, an English writer’s reading of a Russian designer’s collection based on costume from Japan will lead to some interpretative Chinese whispers, but this was—from whichever way you looked—a collection that delivered an unequivocally glamorous message.
1 October 2018
Less than a week after a cold front from Russia created terrifically chilly conditions at the start of PFW, Valentin Yudashkin showed a Moscow Winter collection full of czarina coats and ice-queen gowns. Having spent the past two seasons experimenting with a more streamlined, comparatively edgier direction, he reverted back to the haute positioning for which he is most known. “The market is flooded with sport,” said the Russian designer. “We don’t want to waste people’s time.” Or, presumably, their money; hence a lineup rich with workmanship—although some details resonated stronger than others. The opening coat, for instance, boasted jeweled sunbursts instead of buttons, an extraneous sailor collar, and sculpted ridges at the waist. They were meant to evoke snowfall, but they came across as unnatural. Much better were the comparatively minimalist looks: a cashmere body-con dress with pretty pleated cap sleeves; and a perfect-fit pairing of tailored pants with a seamless, sleeveless high-neck top. When Yudashkin said the grouping of twisted taffeta dress skirts took a cue from garlic bulbs, they suddenly became less appealing (at least to this reviewer, who has an allergy to alliums).Most notably, the lineup never once deviated from shades of limestone, sand, gray sky, and silver, as though signaling that Moscow in the winter is a colorless place. In fact, this decision gave the collection a pleasing coherence, especially when the final eight creations turned far fancier and flashier. Highly reflective metal paillettes imbued bodices with next-level shine, but it was the pearlescent Op Art jacquard evening suit that really shone. It radiated a future-minded spirit that was lacking in the final gown, even if the organza snowflakes were enchanting. Chalk it up to a question of geographic tastes; this collection will be praised back in Moscow, whereas Yudashkin’s most recent outings related better here. Now he just needs to find the middle ground.
5 March 2018
Surrounded backstage by models wearing a summery scheme of sunflower, white, and parchment, Valentin Yudashkin revealed that this collection drew from Russian painter Kazimir Malevich. Cue the obvious question: Not a single nod toBlack Square? The designer noted that he needed a break from black after last season, instead showing off a dress tacked with sketchbook-style sheets featuring white bead embroideries of the artist’s self-portrait, plusWoman With Rake. Her depiction, plus male figures that resembled Malevich’s familiarSportsmen, later appeared as sparkly miniature appliqués floating on sheer fabric. Compare these to Rei Kawakubo’s use of Arcimboldo’s vegetable faces for her latest Comme des Garçons ball gowns, and you realize the utter subjectivity of art interpretation.Still, Malevich as inspiration forced Yudashkin into a more minimalist register than usual, and this purer approach reads far more relevant than his dramatic, decadent tendencies. Consider the streamlined opening look, a cropped white Perfecto with ample sloped shoulders and a matching A-line miniskirt, or else a traditional Russian full-length dress reimagined in layers of yellow organza trimmed in grosgrain, nothing more. A fold-over-neckline white blouse shown with roomy khakis and a crisp safari-parka hybrid might have been too basic for Yudashkin’s runway a few seasons ago; now they looked just right. And it’s probably for the best that he resisted replicating the Cubist outfits piece by piece—a softly striped dress came closest. At his side once again was daughter Galina Yudashkin, who takes some credit for leading Dad in this direction. Even if the athletic stripes seemed gratuitous, and the brushstroke effects achieved through pleating and embroidery no longer bore any resemblance to Malevich aside from their intense red, Yudashkin made a strong impression.
2 October 2017
At the end of today’sValentin Yudashkinshow, the designer and his daughter, Gala Yudashkina, emerged from backstage together. Last season, when he was unable to travel, she served as his surrogate and revealed her new role as artistic director. Since then, they have enlisted Baciocchi Associati, the architecture practice responsible for Prada and Miu Miu boutiques around the world, to imbue their retail locations in Russia with similar swagger. If everything runs like clockwork, this collection will drop alongside the store openings; it was not by coincidence that the clothes projected a sleeker, revamped image.Most notably, the looks didn’t stray from a dark palette aside from the liberal gilding of gold and bronze for the final gala gowns. This had a major effect on the vibe, before even factoring in an activewear influence defined by bandeaus under blousons, zip-up knit sweatshirts, and miniskirts accessorized with flat boots. Dad called them “sporty” while daughter rightly pointed out that they were “everyday looks.” One could even argue that the gunmetal dresses qualified when styled, as they were, over black tops. There were some outerwear eye-catchers, including a dramatic brushed wool coat with a ribbed sweater collar and a dressy padded houndstooth jacket that projected a quivery shine. Yudashkin singled out a black gown with a bodice of organza layers and a wrap skirt of faux astrakhan as prime example of how the designs are no longer dependent on glitz. It actually came as some relief to discover they had not abandoned the ornate surface details altogether—doing so would have been tantamount to renouncing the brand’s core identity—since this is where the workmanship is at its finest. The latest creations played up baroque tracery, bronze sequins, and even fleurs-de-lis. They may still be a few degrees too flashy for American red carpets; yet presumably with more of Yudashkina’s input this, too, could change.
6 March 2017
Valentin Yudashkinwas absent from his show today. He hasn’t been well (apparently, he will be fine), and his doctor advised against the travel. We wish him a smooth and speedy recovery. But in the meantime, he couldn’t have found a better replacement than his daughter, Galina Yudashkina. While she may not be a household name outside her native Russia, her nearly 170,000 Instagram followers would suggest a respectable level of recognition that she can reflect back to the brand. More important to the issue at hand, she has officially joined her father as artistic director.At 25 and a mother (she showed her infant son at the end), Yudashkina’s point of view matters; and there were enough signs to suggest her influence. Removed of any theme, which in the past had subjected the clothes to a certain camp glam, this lineup was forced to stand on its own design. The opening look, a drawstring-waist safari jacket in frosty white paired with glossy white oxfords, was the essence of a fresh start, as were subsequent men’s-inspired looks. The geometric lace blouson covered in sequins worn with a tank and high-waisted trousers showed how the brand could adapt its specialty fabrics without any dramatic turns. Ditto the striping of fringed passementerie, tulle, and sequins in shades of blue denim, which had broad age appeal. A lighter treatment of the gala gowns (it’s all relative) was welcome, and excused the few space-princess styles. So do we owe the sleeveless jumpsuit smartly accented with tuxedo lapels and a dropped-back blouson in organza to Yudashkin’s vision or his daughter’s? At this point, they’re likely learning from each other.
4 October 2016
Valentin Yudashkinbumped up his show by a few days because his usual spot on the Fashion Week calendar coincides this year with International Women’s Day, and he will be staging a ceremonial show at the Kremlin. While the designer is a far bigger celebrity in his home country than in Paris, this latest collection suggests he is increasingly aware of what women abroad want as well. Calibrating his embellished looks with oxfords, for starters, was a smart move. Ditto a black turtleneck base layer appearing repeatedly, whether under an astrakhan-effect velvet minidress or a glimmering smock in bronzed faux fur. More significantly, he presented a number of luxurious long coats; textured all over in hand-cut silk or ornamented in moderation, they gave his floor-sweeping tulle dresses the necessary masculine-feminine frisson. He achieved similar results with the super-slim suiting in patterned brocades that vibrated like Op Art.Backstage, he admitted that the menswear mixing is newer territory for him, yet he gave no impression of feeling forced to go there. And to be sure, the collection did not break with the decadence that defines his brand, from the plush grayscale fur to the final gowns lashed with layers of appliqué and beaded embroidery. Their topographies atop the diaphanous chiffon were inspired by the Ural Mountains, which he metaphorically mined to arrive at the vivid malachite green. But aside from a trippy digitized print presumably evoking the core of the stone, this point of departure wasn’t overworked. Anyway, it’s fair to say that Yudashkin’s glam take on everyday dressing wouldn’t be what you’d wear in the middle of Siberia. But this season, it will translate much better everywhere else.
6 March 2016
Russian designerValentin Yudashkinwanted to take a break from black, a decision that could have been motivated by any number of influences outside the fashion realm, but probably just boiled down to newness. Thing is, he does black very well and was finding his groove from a balance of precise tailoring and sexy sportswear. Surely some more recently arrived clients might soon be wishing he indulged his darker side a bit longer before pivoting sharply back to color.But for all the early-’80s evocations, Yudashkin’s focus remained forward: He used neoprene and technical mesh inserts to update suiting, day dresses, and a versatile motorcycle jacket, and ornamented eveningwear with acrylic, geometric embellishments. Yudashkin mentioned being inspired by contemporary art this season and singled out painter Piotr Uklanski as the strongest influence. Indeed, the drip print that seeped down a jumpsuit or splashed forth in sequins on a hot, disco-worthy number nodded directly to the Polish artist. However, the designer was at his most original when he showed a weightless pastel dress topped with a bouncy neon green blouson; this felt fresh and not overworked. On the few occasions when he did seem to overwork a design—the final gowns that swirled wildly in a riot of magenta and red taffeta and tulle—he did so with the conviction that this represents glamour today. “If you do it from the heart, the customers will follow,” he said backstage, of his vibrant collection. He sounded too sincere to object.
6 October 2015
Given the volatility of the ruble, you'd assume Russian designer Valentin Yudashkin might feel compelled to play things safe. And if you were to evaluate this latest offering solely on the first eight looks, you'd be correct. While the vaguely '70s progression from a red velvet suit to a hunter green leather shirtdress was hardly basic, it gave an early impression that Yudashkin was reining himself in. Surprise! Before even reaching the halfway point, the designer boomeranged back to his usual OTT showmanship, whereby a basic men's trouser looked gold-plated and zippered sweatshirts became baroque confections.As it turned out, this was just a lead-up to dresses that interpreted the legendary Amber Room, a chamber composed of amber, gold, and mirrors that dates back to early-18th-century Prussia and was destroyed during World War II. First, Yudashkin showed panels of trompe l'oeil patterning in intensely glowing orange followed by gowns that incorporated holographic tiling, antler-shaped appliqués, double layers of embroidery for dimension impact, and feathers for extra volume. Imagine cabaret costumes for czarinas and you get the idea; they were spectacular even while registering as stubbornly excessive. Yudashkin is akin to a Russian Bill Blass, which is to say, his clients are a rarefied bunch with active social diaries that demand his creations. But even if this never changes, his more-is-more approach feels less and less modern.
10 March 2015
For several seasons, Valentin Yudashkin has shown his collections in the ornate Salon Impérial at the Westin Hotel, mere steps from the Tuileries with its beautiful flower parterres. So when he cited French gardens as his latest point of departure, it was almost as if he were looking to his own grand backyard. As inspirations go, it was a loose one, although a keen eye might detect a resemblance between the golden tracery embellishments on his final gowns and the filigreed gates that hem in châteaus around France. Hydrangeas, Yudashkin's favorite flower, appeared as his own hand-painted watercolor print, as fragile openwork, and as encrusted dimensional clusters and branches.The real news, though, was in Yudashkin's movement toward daywear that showed a lighter approach than usual. Against a tight backdrop of white and pastels, he showed flounced skirts like upside-down flower heads, and well-proportioned Spring suiting (the peony bolero with high-waist languid trousers was a standout look). Sport elements were handled with polish, from a tulip-shaped shift dress in a spongy tech fabric to a white lace bomber. A relaxed drawstring linen dress with pouch pockets teased at Yudashkin's willingness to think like a minimalist; it was serene in its simplicity and a welcome surprise. Granted, the success of these comparatively streamlined looks doesn't cancel out the fact that Yudashkin is obstinately attached to his fairy-tale designs. But then, what are French gardens if not fairy tales?
30 September 2014
It might be that Valentin Yudashkin settled on a nineties-rock theme for Fall because it required more edge than he conveyed in his last season. And it's true that the Russian designer's near-total use of black and ivory helped to achieve a look that felt more in step with what the cool kids are doing. As usual, he showed a few strong outerwear options, including a double-face gray fox-fur coat and a liquid-slick polyamide parka in gunmetal. The surprise was underneath: sweatshirts and jeans. Granted, these pieces were either embroidered or embellished with a black rose pattern that recurred further on, once Yudashkin reverted back to his laudably ornamented evening dresses. All that beading and appliqué—this time with streaks of latex—does not happen without days of meticulous handwork. But most rock stars record in a studio where a producer and team modulate their work; designers, by comparison, often compose without the equivalent editing. And in Yudashkin's case, things can get visibly loud pretty fast. With the final succession of gowns, the issue was less the decoration itself—although black branches across the décolletage seemed more sinister than sexy—than the denial of moderation. Yet Yudashkin is capable of toning himself down, even with his eveningwear; a slinky long skirt and velvet bomber worn atop a sheer georgette layer confirmed as much. It had the classical beauty of a piano solo. It resonated.
3 March 2014
Valentin Yudashkin just published a book of photos showcasing his earlier work—there was a cocktail party celebrating its release tonight. Many would be surprised to know that the Russian designer has been showing his collection in Paris since the early nineties. Yudashkin can't claim to enjoy the same kind of visibility that Russian talents of a younger generation, like Vika Gazinskaya and Ulyana Sergeenko, have been experiencing lately, even if he's doing a bang-up business at home. His niche is superflashy evening gowns. This season's showpiece—in gold with arabesques of three-dimensional embroideries—looked like it walked off the hood of a vintage Cadillac and onto the runway. For Spring, in addition to those extravagant long dresses, Yudashkin feels passionate about eighties-style shoulder pads, repeat prints in the mold of old Versace (they were modeled on Scythian jewelry), and eye-searing shades of yellow and blue. The eighties rematerialized on Saint Laurent's runway last night, it's true, but Hedi Slimane took a much grittier view of the era. If Yudashkin is as keen to expand into Europe and the United States as he claims to be, he'd be smart to study the ways in which the major labels are leaning and figure out how he can participate in that story. For the time being, he remains an outlier.
30 September 2013
Russia isverrrycold. Valentin Yudashkin wants you to know that. And because the Russian designer experiences this cold firsthand, it allowed him to interpret it in a myriad of ways: spirit, look, fabric, llama-hair stiletto boots…The white earring puffs resembled snowballs. Cutouts on a leather dress evoked paper snowflakes. You might get a chill just looking at the silver shards shooting forth from the shoulders of the final evening gown.While that gown was the most ornamented look of the collection, the rest was hardly restrained. There were at least three different furs on one fit-and-flare coat, and the lapels of a well-cut suit had been elongated like sharp icicles. It helped that Yudashkin restricted himself to an icy palette, never venturing beyond sand or winter sky. In fact, the strongest moments of the collection occurred when he turned cold into cool. All the mini party frocks, whether bejeweled or covered in a metallic cubist brocade, felt more relevant when topped with a slouchy men's blazer or shaggy llama cape.
3 March 2013
New Old Money: That was the first impression of the audience at Valentin Yudashkin's show this season. This is old in the post-Soviet sense—so not very old at all, really—the first generation of people to make money in the nineties after the collapse of the Communist empire. And perhaps this was on the designer's mind, since his show notes said that his interest in "contemporary art—the cutting-edge art of the nineties—was the starting point which inspired me to create this spring-summer collection." Of course, the art market has become saturated by such new old money; it's a plaything and social pastime for some Russian high-society clients.How appropriate then that Yudashkin's first look was almost "Tom Wolfe" in feel: a white trouser suit and white fedora worn on a female model. Was the designer readingThe Painted WordorThe Bonfire of the Vanitiesor maybe both? They uncannily applied, at his show. Shortly after was a navy variation, worn with a navy bow tie—a perverse take on the traditional male preppy look. The navy, gold-buttoned blazer with a crown crest was emphasized in hourglass form, and the trousers were tailored to within an inch of their lives. Besides being a nice play on the masculine/feminine theme, this was the best suit of the collection. It would have been great if the designer had carried on in the vein of this look—like a hyper-sexualized Thom Browne. Unfortunately he didn't, and the mood dissipated too soon.Yudashkin has a thriving wedding dress business, judging by the amount of long white looks that were included in this show, but it left the collection feeling like it had lost its focus. The designer can cut clothes and he has an extravagant and detailed eye for embroidery, but how his view really translates outside of Russia and into an international climate is difficult to see at this point. It was quite telling that the next generation of high-society Russians, the offspring of the oligarchs, who have been brought up with this more international view, were conspicuous by their absence at today's show. Too busy being photographed by street-style photographers and actually buying contemporary art, no doubt.
30 September 2012