Price and quality: Are Russian designers worth their money?
Sometimes there is a feeling that many Russian designers exist in a parallel reality: their things flash in the shooting, but in everyday life you will rarely see this clothing. Wonderzine understands what makes up the price of collections of domestic brands, from young and democratic ones like I am to the already well-known Nina Donis and Viva Vox. We also ask experts - critic and columnist of Vogue Olga Mikhailovskaya and BHSAD design teacher Alexandra Saukova how well the dresses of Russian designers are made and whether they are worth their money.
I am
4 800 rub.
Click-boutique.ru
This is a cute thing, it looks decent and I personally like it. Quality - just 5,000 rubles. If we look at the details, it is clear that the performance is mediocre, but if you don’t particularly peer, then everything is fine. The fabric looks expensive, whether it is polyester or not - a separate question: polyester is different.
Cut good, raglan sleeves, front dress shorter than the back. At first glance, the quality is not excellent, the loop is already getting out. The edges are seam-double-stitched, in Moscow this seam is called “American”, and everywhere in Russia - “Muscovite”. It is made wide. On the back there are a lot of shortcomings, which is unacceptable. But 5,000 rubles this dress is worth it.
CG Cyrille Gassiline
3 420 rub. (including discount)
Trendsbrands.ru
Kirill Gasilin is a professional with good taste. His dress is cute and simple, for adequate money, he has a nice color and fabric. Although to say that this thing has no equal in the world and Gasilin will conquer the West with its design, we cannot. But the dress is definitely worth the money!
The quality is good, but there are not so many details here that you can spoil something. In this case, the same double stitch seam is made perfectly, and it should be the thinnest. I'm not sure about the fabric, because, judging by the price, it is polyester, but now polyester is easily confused with silk. The label says that it is cotton, but cotton cannot be. At best, it is viscose, but that is not a fact. Now there are so many modifications of fabrics that it is difficult to understand what it really is.
Viva Vox
11 200 rub.
Central Department Store, 2nd floor
I love Oleg Ovsiev, he is a good designer and he does good things, and this is the main thing. He worked for 15 years in the Netherlands, so his clothes always have a professional approach - just like in this dress. You can give this money for it, the price is more likely normal.
For labor there is not a lot of work, but neatly sewn. For processing, a bead overlock is taken, it is usually not used for seams, but why not, if you really wanted to. Now, with regard to technology, everything is very free. The sleeve is sewn by hand - nice, because now it is a rarity. Fabric - Jacquard, it is clear that the peas are obtained by interlacing, and not stuffing. Although the fabric is dense, it is natural and comfortable in it. Perhaps, taking into account all factors, it justifies its price.
LES 'by Lesya Paramonova
15 000 rub. Click-boutique.ru
Pretty theatrical thing, the investment of work in it is minimal. It is made neatly and well, but whether to invest in it is a question. This dress and tights at one time, and when you buy such things - the prices play one role, one account is maintained. When you buy a thing that you can wear and not wear once, like this dress, prices play a different role, the measurements are completely different. This is very subjective, and whether a set of their money is worth depends on the buyer and his plans for the near future.
From a design point of view, the dress and overalls are interesting, although the print resembles H & M. The processing of the edges is not bad, the beechki are good, although, unfortunately, the dress has its loops already scattered. They make cars, and they are capricious. Here a part of the eyelets is perfectly executed, but the others were not followed, and one, most likely, was not stuck to the end. The pocket is sewn not very soundly, and since the dress is transparent, it will be visible if you put it on the jumpsuit. There generally need to be very careful, look for allowances. The look of the dress, of course, is not quite neat. The jumpsuit is well-made, everything is as it should be in such cases: for example, the seams are pulled.
A la russe anastasia romantsova
14 900 rub. (with discount 50%) Boutique A La Russe Anastasia Romantsova, Malaya Bronnaya, 4
It is not clear what makes the brand and why. Russian theme can be interpreted beautifully and certainly more fashionable. In my understanding, this dress is not worth the money: I would have reduced its cost by half.
Somewhere abroad, this dress could be a success, but with us it is unlikely to find a great response. In the same Britain love Russian style, and there this dress could look interesting. The cotton is a little bit tight, but the dress has a rather loose silhouette, so it will be comfortable. The tucks are interestingly folded and go into the straps.
Roi et moi
23 700 rub.
Showroom Roi Et Moi, Artplay, Lower Syromyatnicheskaya, 10
Everything is clear about this brand, this is the case when you do not want to say anything. This dress does not cause rejection in me, but in general it does not seem to be a design piece. Price can be left without comment. There is no labor in the dress - it can be seen that the quilted panel is sewn from ready-made fabric, and not the skilled workers lined it up.
This is a simple bag, perhaps on a girl without forms, he will sit well. He has a lining that does not reach the bottom of the dress, I am totally against it: she shines through and cuts the figure. The lining should reach to the bottom of the hem of the product, and failure to comply with this standard spoils this dress. The tapes at the back certainly suggest tying in several ways at the request of the client, but in this case you need to show options. I would not give more than 3,000 rubles for this dress. Of course, you need to look at it in the context of the entire collection, then its price will become clear.
LUBLU Kira Plastinina
25 000 rublesShow room LUBLU Kira Plastinina
I changed my attitude towards Kira Plastinina when I was taking off her things and saw that she had put everything on serious rails. Nevertheless, this is her dress is a little expensive, since it is quite a serial thing and this is a Russian brand. In the case of Nina Donis, this price is justified, but not here. Lublu is positioned as an expensive line, but it is too expensive, I would have dropped the price by at least 30%. Nevertheless, the brand is worn by rich and glamorous ladies, well, maybe they are friends with the designer, and this increases their self-esteem. I think that the fashion for Russian designers gives rise to this kind of public. Although I personally know the editors of magazines who also wear this brand, having the opportunity to wear anything. It is clear that much is certainly given to them, but still.
The cut is uninteresting, but sewn neatly and efficiently. The shuttlecock is well made: it keeps its shape thanks to the lining. If the print is individual, and not from the finished fabric, then perhaps the dress is worth the money, but generally expensive.
Nina donis
42 800 Rub. "Kuznetsky Most, 20"
I love them very much and consider them the best Russian designers without a condescending attitude and discounts on the country. They are objectively very fashionable and fresh, and this collection they have one of the best, it is good from beginning to end. The price of the dress can be justified by many. It can be seen that it is not just cut out of a roll of fabric, and I wanted to ask them how the fabric is made from a technical point of view. In this dress and invested money, and labor, and brains. Of course, for Russian designers they cost a lot, and I would like it to be cheaper, but these are more selfish considerations.
I wonder how the knurling will behave after washing. Most likely, the dress should be dry-cleaned - the usual story in this case, but the product already limits your ability. The fabric is slightly crushed, ironing will be difficult. It looks like a cotton with some kind of impregnation; in my experience, in a similar fabric in summer it is hot. The quality of the brand has always been good, although the corners of the collar are made lazily. But if it is sewn in production, then they try to simplify everything. Double seams neat and without overlock, it already says that about things and how to wear it, cared. The sleeves are well-pointed.
Walk of shame
25 680 rub. (including 40% discount) "Kuznetsky Most, 20"
I personally feel good about Andrei Artyomov. And this dress is not bad, but I saw a lot of his things that are awkward to even look at. Probably something worth it, but certainly not a lot of money. Walk of Shame is a typical design example for friends. His things cost too much, and these brands justify it by the fact that they have a small production. But you and I as buyers should not care. In conditional Dolce & Gabbana, the selling price of the dress, I think, is several times less, well, or in any case is comparable to their Russian colleagues, because it is mass production, and for Russian designers, dresses are essentially a piece goods. But they are about the same. We will go and buy for this money those very conventional Dolce & Gabbana. Artyomov sells t-shirts and sweatshirts with inscriptions, but selling them is one thing, and selling a dress is another.
The dress is designed normally, it’s rather a matter of design, which reminds of a matinee for the New Year in kindergarten. On the corresponding figure, it will sit great. Technologically done medium, in expensive products do not handle the lining of the neck, you need to make facing. The edge is treated with an overlock, and this suggests that they wanted to quickly sew a dress and reduce labor costs. It looks pretty neat, but with a different treatment it would look more expensive. Inside it looks clean, made an oblique beyku. Here, the price is charged for the brand, and design is a matter of taste.
A consultant Ekaterina Petukhova tells how the price of a thing is being formed
In a good way, you first need to spend money on the production of a sample, and for this to create templates and make changes to them. Most often buy ready-made patterns - why reinvent the wheel. Further we look for fabric and accessories. All companies that produce and sell materials have their own minimums, and often they are quite impressive. Many do not work with small orders at all - for example, it is difficult to agree with China or Korea on the amount of fabric that is relevant for our designers. The Italians and the French have less, but more expensive volumes. One Swiss company told me that Russian designers hardly bought 30 meters. Another option is to buy fabric in stock: they collect everything that they did not sell in previous years. The discount is very large, so sometimes it is a way out. So it is with accessories.
Further, the following processes - cutting, sewing and finishing, finishing - labels and stuff. This stage is a stumbling block on which everyone is trying to save. The most important thing to make the process cheaper is labor. It is these processes that everyone is trying to outsource, and the cheaper labor is in the country and region, the more willing it is to produce there. We have the wildest shortage of qualified specialists - designers, cutters, tailors. The fact is that there are a dozen of the best in Moscow, and they are trying to outbid each other. Accordingly, these people are worth serious money, which increases the cost of the process. People are not everything: you need to lay the costs for the work of the company, renting an office and all the designer's assistants. These costs are often set as a certain percentage and pay off within a few years, because otherwise the prices of things will become generally very heavy. The participation of brands in exhibitions and shows, shooting videos and lookbooks also cost money.
So the price is formed. The cost of the product is multiplied by 2 or 2.5, and for such a price, buyers buy things, although here everything depends on the price policy (read, greed) of the designer. Next comes the shop's mark-up on the thing: it’s one at the Central Department Store, 20 at the Kuznetsky Most, and another at Click-boutique.ru. I think that domestic designers in the mind of the consumer are too expensive, and most often it is so. Each of them has to solve its own problems, because the consumer is hardly interested in what works it was worth doing this or that thing. So, by and large, Russian designers are a niche fashion where the consumer is willing to pay for a particular thing, because the design is close to him, the designer or he, for example, has a strong sense of patriotism.
Wonderzine thanks Janna Kim for providing Nina Donis for shooting
