Producer and fashion designer Alya Melnikova about favorite outfits

FOR RUBBER "WARDROBE" we take pictures of beautiful, original or strangely dressed people in their favorite things and ask them to tell stories related to them. This week, our heroine - fashion designer and producer Alya Melnikova.

I do not buy clothes on purpose - things find me themselves. The maximum that I may need is a white T-shirt, and behind it I go to Uniqlo. Everything else comes to me by chance. My basic principle is to buy a thing, only if I like it so much, no “well, like nothing, but I need pants”. I never make sets. If I like the thing, but it’s not clear what to wear it with, I still buy it and hang it on my rail. After some time, things themselves somehow agree there without my participation in the form of endless fittings.

Wherever I go, I’ll definitely learn everything about local designers and study all the flea markets - from New York to the Fines. And I can tell you where and what to look for. My favorite point on the map is “Finishing,” despite the fact that I have been to many places.

I believe that clothes are a reflection of a person, and I always clearly see when things exist as if separate from him. I started making clothes as a designer a couple of years ago, after studying short courses at CSM. I remembered very well the words of our teacher: "Students come to the first course as a masquerade, who is in that much, and by the third they are all dressed in black T-shirts and jeans." I don’t wear jeans in principle, but my casual clothes are more like black COMME des GARÇONS black T-shirts, silent, but with a sense.

Marithé + François Girbaud Dress, Sandals & Other Stories, Vintage Trenchcoat

This is my little black dress. It looks very simple, but at the same time it has a complex cut and an ideal geometric proportion. It is absolutely Gothic: for me, the “patterns” at the bottom are clearly associated with the rib of the medieval Gothic church.

The rubber raincoat was bought on the "Finishing" for 700 rubles, it says something in French, and I prefer to think that it is a raincoat from the form of the French army. What I cannot understand in any way is the absence of a hood - these are such utilitarian clothes. Sandals & Other Stories - like slippers. Always go to them in the first place in the department of shoes.

Crea Concept dress, work jacket, adidas NMD sneakers

I call this dress "butcher's apron" - because of leather coarse strapless rivets and a large pocket as if for a knife. The jacket is the work wear of my friend, a street artist, and the most inspiring gift in the last few years. I think that this model of the sneaker looks the coolest in just such a color - a combination of deep purple and dark blue.

Top and trousers of own design, Benetton sneakers

I sewed the top out of a carpet-type fabric, that is, it is generally static — it doesn’t bend because of a rigid twisted thread. In general, I like textured hard fabrics, and my entire female mini-collection is made of such materials. As a friend said, I sew body armor. In general, this has a double meaning.

Recently made a few men's things, and these pants from among them. But I myself wear them with pleasure. They are of dark green bottle velvet. In general, in a cool velvet you feel as if in water, and this is my favorite feeling.

Tigran Avetisyan raincoat, Nina Donis top, MM6 pants, COMME des GARÇONS shoes

I produced a video for the Tigran collection, and we became friends. He prints all the prints on the fabric himself, full of ideas, and it is incredibly interesting to watch this. Tigran is really about design. It seems that this raincoat with a leopard print, but in reality, if you look closely, this word "NO". Put it on backwards - with “wings” is somehow better than with open breasts.

Nina Donis respect very much - what else is there to add? Trousers from dense silk ideal. The belt is treated with a satin ribbon, as in dress pants. Another case from the “simple but not really” series is an indicator of a truly smart thing.

COMME des GARÇONS is the number one brand for me. The shoes themselves - a gift of his beloved friend's birthday. They are funny knocking, like Japanese wooden shoes. A friend once asked to wear them less often when we were together, but he does not like them and his grandmother has a similar model. All that I was able to answer: "Cool Grandma."

Rundholz trousers, Acne Studios sweater, sandals of unknown brand

Pants - my "parachutes" in case of heat. Brand shops seem to be only in Germany and Belgium. At one time, JNBY made up half of my wardrobe, but at some point you grow out of them and get tired of them. So, Rundholz is for grown-ups, let's say. Sweatshirt bought in UK Style with some huge discount. I think that he does not paint me, but he is very pleased with the eye - color therapy on my rail.

Sandals bought in a small town in Italy. I wear them the third summer and regret not having bought a few. Suit absolutely everything. Elastic gum steeply fixed foot, and I even managed to squeeze into them, being on crutches last summer.

Dressing gown Zara Home, pants Pascal Humbert, top Dries Van Noten, shoes of unknown brand

Who is wearing such a cool dressing gown at home? I combine it with everything, and everyone constantly asks what a cool coat is. Pascal Humbert trousers: fine wool with cashmere, perfect fit, if you turn the knobs off - there will be straight classic trousers to the floor. Neither subtract nor add.

I remember about ten years ago I took from my mother my friend the catalog of the Dries Van Noten collection from almost the 90s. Did not understand anything. Recently I found it and understood what development is.

Fuchsia velvet shoes are bought in a Chinese store in Italy, either for 6, or for 7 euros. They took two pairs of different flowers as a joke with a friend. But who would have thought that the shoes of this model will look so cool!

Pants Carla C, skirt of an unknown Belgian designer, vintage blouse, T-shirt from the "Garage", Benetton sneakers

Blouse bought at a flea market in New York. It seems to me that she is from the 40s - they are not doing this now. This is a thin double organza with very beautiful cuffs and buttons on the back. The fabric was rotten - I had to shorten the sleeves and restore it in every way. Mike "When it comes now" from the "Garage". At the wild moment of procrastination, the word "when" was crossed out with a pink spray paint.

Unknown Brand Dress, Nike x & Other Stories Sneakers

Dress some Belgian designers. For a long time I thought that it didn’t go to me until I put on backwards and it turned out to be a beautiful back - this is basically a good reception.

Sneakers bought in Berlin just because of the color. I like that the sole is pink too, not white. I had a whole period of love for bright pink, I even painted the crutches and the front door. In general, this is the most uncomfortable sneakers.

Dress fy: r, boots Ann Demeulemeester

She helped develop a wardrobe as a personal stylist for one girl and came across a rail fy: r in Tsvetnoy. Very impressed with the quality of sewing. I was sure that it was something Scandinavian, and was very surprised when I learned that it was a Moscow brand. Most often, when looking at the things of our designers, it is clear that everything is done on the knee, and here everything from material to filming is very thought out.

Dream Boots. Even sewed covers for them to keep safe. I got twenty percent from the original price. And for their full value, you can buy a good supported car.

Oxana Agadzhanova dress, Max Mara boots

Ksyusha is a Petersburg designer, my friend. This is the case when the dress feels like the queen of the ball, wherever you appear. This is Ksyusha's second dress with me. The first, black with a fully open back, I put on a party on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the “Poster”, and somehow a couple of years later my colleague said that the most interesting thing that happened at the party was Ali Melnikova's dress. In general, the dress is a separate hero, a work of art.

In St. Petersburg, many know one-sew dresses Oxana Agadzhanova. Men come and personally order a few for their ladies. This is the undoubted object of desire. Ksyushin's dress is she herself - a true bohemian woman from St. Petersburg who drinks champagne in her kitchen with an old sideboard in the morning, dressed in a light dress with one stitch.

Boots Max Mara concise, with the right roughness. When they grow old, they only get better.

Annex pants, Ivan Grundahl shirt, vintage top, Rocco P. boots.

Separately, these things are practically not worn. They somehow stumbled into one compass - and so did the burden. All together looks like a very Marzhelovsky bow.

Pants, it seems, from somewhere in the 90s - from very thick cotton, which can not be pierced with a needle. In fact, they are designed for very cool weather. Vintage top made of fine wool purchased on the market in Italy. I brought a shirt with an asymmetrical hem Ivan Grundahl from Tbilisi, although it is a brand from Copenhagen. I bought Moda Moda in the cafe when I went to drink coffee.

Bomber jacket of your own design, skirt of an unknown Korean brand, adidas NMD sneakers

A bomber jacket from my same men's collection as velvet green trousers. It all started with a drawing of an exploding light bulb with acrylic on black paper. Then I transferred it to a snowboard fabric with a membrane by sublimation printing. The thing is not for every guy, but I know as a maximum of two people who can look completely organic in it.

Skirt Korean brand, bought in St. Petersburg. I never wear anything that boys like. But here we matched.

Zara Jumpsuit, Ann Demeulemeester Shirt, Prairie Padded Shirt Padding by Matthew Ames, Nike Sneakers

Overalls - the only thing Zara with me. Gave my Ksenia from St. Petersburg, and in the summer I just do not take it off. We often give each other things to her - and always unmistakably.

I was in Berlin and when I didn’t have a penny left, I saw this padded jacket with a delicate blue strip like on a quilt. I realized that I would not leave without him, I wrote to a friend Timur, and he threw 20 euros on him. I love him and I will thank Timur forever. This is the case when I know for sure that my thing for some reason hangs on a hanger in the store and I just can not leave it there.

Vintage pants, sweater - gift, shoes United Nude

Leather pants bought by weight in Brussels for some few euros. They are new, stunning brown-green color, from very soft skin. Pierced all winter - not blown at all. However, there was a dispute with a friend that, they say, girls can’t wear leather pants at all, almost all of them are disfiguring. But if I am sure that this is good, do not embarrass me.

Sweater - a gift. In my opinion, this is a painting canvas. United Nude shoes bought in London for the full price - of course, because of the heel. I really like that the designer of the brand is an architect.

Vintage Earrings, Heart Pendant H & M Kids

Decorations

Top row: “Awakened Arctic” badge, rattle ring and mother's Soviet earrings in the form of bay leaves (I always remember how much my mother puts bay leaves in all her dishes and rakes these leaves on the edges of the plate).

Bottom row Mineral Weather ring with aquamarine in the shape of a heart and tourmaline - the coolest Neapolitan master Koine, a few years later found his mail and wrote a letter that I was his fan. A ring from a flea market in Yerevan, a ring from a flea market in Brussels and a titanium ring from Vladivostok. The author of the latter worked at the defense space factory and, when it was closed, he took titanium plates and began to make incredible rings: this is specifically called “Do not escape the shackles of love,” it broke off from me, so I saved myself and now wear on two fingers.