The first day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia was reserved for the CHAPURIN fashion house, founded back in 1998. Igor Chapurin, its constant creative mastermind, has been a consistent feature of the Paris Fashion Week from 2005, and has created many costume designs for the legendary cast of the Bolshoi ballet corps.
This new collection is the first CHAPURIN creation rooted in the concept of “see now, buy now”. Shown as a special presentation to kick-start this season of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, the unexpected developments taking the world by storm have prompted the designer to create off-season universal things that can fit into a wardrobe of different styles and not lose their relevance over time.
The collection is based on the design techniques that have already become classic for the CHAPURIN brand: geometrically-perfect silhouettes, sophisticated cuts and an intelligent deep palette. The base of the new CHAPURIN collection consisted of voluminous coats enveloping the figure, blouses adorned with frills, dresses with cascading draperies, wide midi skirts, oversized flowing trench coats and palazzo trousers.
For the first time in his brand’s storied history, Igor Chapurin integrated men’s looks into the collection, including minimalistic overalls with patch pockets, massive coats, shirts with white cotton jabot scarves, nylon raincoats, bombers and bulky, brash trousers. The collection is created mainly from natural fabrics, including cotton and recycled cloth, as well as hi-tech materials such as smooth eco-leather. The basic color palette of the collection included shades of white, black, noble ecru terracotta and rich shades of pink.
Frilled shirts coupled with straight-cut loose silk trousers created a genderless but well-shaped theme throughout the collection, reminiscent of the works by Yohji Yamamoto. Effortlessly stylish, the black faux-leather skirts, one-piece jumpsuits and dresses gave the show a hint of The Matrix, while voluminous ecru coats and oversized jackets reminded one of similar works by Dior. All of it – chic and full of casual beauty, yet also retaining the classic style that Muscovites are known for in the Fall and Winter – utilizing such classic Soviet fabrics as corduroy, but making them elegant, in golden or bronze tone.
The latter part of the collection featured shapely dresses and raincoats of bright fuschia, accessorized with Chapurin’s own creations – shimmering crystal earrings and boxy leather waist bags. Finishing the show off was a beautiful yet still wearable black evening gown, coupled with a tightly-fitting black sweater.
With blacks, ochre yellows and pinks being the theme for this Winter season, this was a truly groundbreaking collection by Chapurin, a perfect start to the fashion season, and, in fact, a full wardrobe for a cosmopolite European fashionista, since it had everything one would need this season, up to and including the Spring of 2021.