Soviet Christian Dior: Who is Vyacheslav Zaitsev?

Russian fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev died in Russia on April 30, 2023, at the age of 85. Zaitsev, the owner of the fashion brand Slava Zaitsev, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2016. His spokesperson said that the fashion designer celebrated his birthday with friends in March.

Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Zaitsev (2 March 1938 – 30 April 2023) was a Russian fashion designer, painter, graphic artist, and theatrical costume designer. He was considered to be one of the most prominent fashion designers of the Soviet Union and had been compared to Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent.

Zaitsev was born into a very poor family living under state pressure in Ivanovo, Russia. He was known for his bright clothes decorated with floral patterns on traditional Russian shawls. However, due to his dialogue with Western fashion designers, he was closely watched by the Soviet secret service KGB for a long time. At the beginning of his career, he was not allowed to leave the Soviet Union as he was seen as "suspicious". Zaitsev's first collection of clothes, inspired by the floral shawls and patterned skirts of the traditional uniform for Russian female workers in 1962, was also rejected by the Soviet authorities.

Western countries embraced

During the years when Zaitsev could not leave the Soviet Union, his collections were presented in fashion shows in Western countries without him. Despite obstacles, Zaitsev's designs found their way on the runways in Paris, New York, and Tokyo. Zaitsev was described as "Soviet Christian Dior" in the French media in the 1960s. “My colors were very bright and contrasted with the grayness of Soviet life, where an individual should not be different from society,” the fashion designer later said of the Soviet authorities' approach. Zaitsev's clients included actresses, singers, and President Putin's ex-wife Ludmila Putina.