Famous Russian designer Svetlana Tegin, a member of the International Union of Designers, founder of the Fashion house TEGIN, told "MM" about her participation in showrooms at Paris Fashion Week 2019 and how Russian brands are accepted abroad.

 

 

Svetlana, tell us if you and your brand have participated in foreign events before?

 

– For several years we have been making a presentation of the seasonal collections of our brand Tegin to international buyers and the press within the framework of Paris Fashion Week. This year in January we showed the collection at the Tranoi exhibition, in March the collection in the showroom Moredash.

 

 
– What are your impressions of participating this year? Were there any difficulties with organizing the presentation of the collection in the showroom? Many domestic manufacturers complain about problems at customs and during transportation. Have you encountered something similar?

 

Our brand already has a good reputation in Russia and abroad, so there were no problems with this, as well as difficulties during transportation and when organizing our participation in the showroom. We submitted all applications independently, without intermediaries. However, I always have a dumb question in such cases: why Chinese, Singaporean, even Georgian designers are supported and partially compensated by the state for their participation in exhibitions, and when will the time come when Russian designers will be taken seriously and supported by our state?

 

 

Did you manage to communicate with the foreign press?

 

Yes, I am very glad of the support not only of the Russian, but also of the foreign press. Such journalists as Diana Pernet (French fashion journalist), Giorgia Cantorini (Italian Vogue), Karina Dobrotvorskaya and Ekaterina Darma were at my presentation, and this is very important for me.

 

– In what mode did this Fashion Week take place for you? What impressions did you leave?

 

This Week was special for me, because, in addition to presentations, I had to be in Vienna to support my daughter when entering the University of Vienna in the direction of Fashion. In Paris, it is always important for me to meet and communicate with all my friends and colleagues who come from America, Japan and Europe.

 

I love Fashion Weeks in Paris, despite the minimum of sleep and a lot of emotional stress. At this time, you realize that fashion is art, creativity, a huge world. Being a part of this world is priceless.

 

 

In what way does Paris Fashion Week radically differ from similar Fashion Weeks in Russia? Is the quality of the organization comparable?

 

In my opinion, the difference is that in Paris fashion is a business and participation in the local Fashion Week makes sense only for those who are ready to become part of the global industry and choose regular seasonal events as their strategy (be it shows, participation in exhibitions or shows-rooms). This is a very interesting, but difficult job. But Fashion Week in Moscow is still an entertainment program, it's something in between cabaret and pop, funny, but inapplicable in life. And it's not about the quality of the organization, it's about the same everywhere. The point is in the sense of events. In Paris, the meaning of participation is brand sales, and in Russia, the meaning of participation is the opportunity to make a catwalk show. And period.
 

Photo: press service of the Fashion house Tegin, Moredash