Simply Abu Dhabi XXXI

ULYANA SERGEENKO R ussian couturier Ulyana Sergeenko devoted her latest haute couture collection to the persona of the First Lady. Who is a First Lady? What’s her role in society? What does she represent to women and State? And what is her style? Those are the questions that Ulyana answered with her collection presented at the Russian embassy in Paris. The whole show was a declaration of independence, a monument to women’s empowerment and a homage to woman seen as mother and as custodian of the state order. Sergeenko’s muses were women as diverse as Raisa Gorbacheva, Nina Khrushcheva, Jackie Kennedy, Michelle Obama and Lady diana: symbols of progress, kindness and generosity. The show opened with the simplicity of a white dress and continued with day dresses that looked back to the Fifties and the First Ladies who made history. In particular, business tailleurs with powerful jackets wide shoulders, capes or pants were a pleasant highlight of the collection. The spirit of the show was bon-ton and classic in the clothes silhouette. Elegance is found in the dresses with their soft hues of a colour palette ranging from shades of pink, yellow, green, brown and blue with touches of black, red, grey and white. The whole Ulyana Sergeenko spirit has evolved into a more mature approach to fashion, depicting a new era of the designer that is gaining a pivotal role on the fashion scene, as seen in the international guests invited to the show: from the US to China, Middle East and, of course, Russia, Ulyana’s home land. There was an interesting use of fur, at times as light as silk and matched with dresses or colourful fur patchwork coats which dominated the runway. Silk, fur, crepe, taffeta, wool, mesh, mink fur, velvet and satin-duchess are the fabrics used for the collection while the accessories are very glamorous: leather gloves in different lengths, leather belts, clutches, bags and shoes with small heels in crocodile, cat’s eye eyeglasses and Panama hats to set the mood. For jewellery, Ulyana collaborates for the third season in a row with House of Faidee, who are known for the world's rarest collection of Burmese rubies. Their collection of pearl necklaces finished with ruby cabochon clasps framed with a scattering of diamonds, ruby earrings and ruby brooch with playful bow was a fitting accompaniment to Sergeenko’s creations.