New York museum exhibits Slava Zaitsev-designed costume

An outfit designed by legendary Moscow couturier Slava Zaitsev will go on display as part of exhibition exploring 250 years of fashion at a museum in New York. RetroSpective at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) will feature a design from Zaitsev’s 2004 Invasion collection alongside others dating as far back as the 18th century, as well as more contemporary stylings from notable designers such as Alexander McQueen, Yohji Yamamoto and Anna Sui.

Zaitsev, who is known for his unique blend of Russian and Tatar design with elegant Western motifs, was one of the key figures in haute couture during the Soviet era. He has been compared to some of the world’s most famous couturiers including Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint Laurent. In addition to fashion, he is also known for his work as a graphic artist and costume designer. In 1987, the then French president Jacques Chirac made Zaitsev an honorary citizen of Paris.

The exhibition at FIT, located on 7th Avenue in Manhattan, will go on show at the only museum in New York dedicated entirely to fashion. Zaitsev’s inclusion in the exhibition is being celebrated as part of the 11th Annual Russian Heritage Month in New York, an event that takes place every June.

This year’s programme also includes The New Land Festival, a collaborative project by the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and the Russian American Foundation. In honour of the 65th anniversary of Israel, the two institutions will screen four films from Russian-speaking directors who share a Jewish heritage. The films are: My Father Evgeni (2010 dir. by Andrei Zagdansky), Lost Temple (2010, Serge Grankin), No One But Us (2011, Roman Shumunov) and The Territory (2012, Dmitriy Khavin).

From the 10 to 12 June, The Brownstone, a Jewish centre in Manhattan’s East Village, will host an exhibition featuring the works of pop artist and designer Margarita Korol. Spoils of War examines the journey undertaken by the artist’s mother from the Soviet Union to Chicago.

RetroSpective runs until 16 November 2013.