NEWS| Ksenia Schnaider and Georgia Hardinge featured on Vogue Italia 'Emerging and Green Berlin'

Vogue Italia have featured two Fashion Scout designers who showcased at Berlin Fashion Film Festival. Georgia Hardinge's 'River Island for Georgia Hardinge' collection by Alex Turvey won the Berlin Fashion Film Festival 2013 Award for Best Fashion and Best Cinematography.  Meanwhile Fashion Scout Kiev designer Ksenia Schnaider showcased in the Edged Showroom initiative, a platform created to showcase emerging designers. To read the full Vogue Italia article click here, congratulations to both Georgia and Ksenia!  

By Cass Gowing, Fashion Scout Editor @CassGowing

NEWS| Ksenia Schnaider's AW13 Bodywarmer collection

Ukrainian designer Ksenia Schnaider has combined her latest look book, inspirations and presentations, including the Fashion Scout exhibition, and placed them within an online publication. The designer, whose AW13 collection entitled Bodywarmer is inspired by the classic body warmer of the Soviet Union, founded her label in 2011 and showcased her work as a part of our Kiev Fashion Days in February. "For Ksenia Schnaider collections we're inspired by the clothes themselves," she said in an interview on her latest collection. "We only work with codes, utility and the history of clothes."

Schaider's digital showcase of work can be viewed here. 

By Josh Walker (@josh_walker_)

NEWS| Ksenia Schnaider Bodywarmer A/W13 collection.

We're delighted to present Ksenia Schnaider's AW13 collection, Bodywarmer. Inspired by the quilted cotton winter garment of the Soviet Union, Schnaider has injected style into the functionality of the warmer through her dark colour palette and use of leather, velvet and silk.

Presenting her SS13 collection with Fashion Scout in February, the designer exhibited alongside eight other Ukrainian designers as a part of our Kiev Fashion Days. Founded in 2011, the Ksenia Schnaider brand aesthetic is an innovative one that not only edges on the avant-garde, but strives to give space and freedom for the wearer to express their personal beliefs. 

By Josh Walker (@josh_walker_)

Images from kseniaschnaider.com

INTERVIEW| Kiev Fashion Days: Ksenia Schnaider

Ksenia Schnaider founded her label in 2011 with Russian graphic designer Anton Schnaider and has since created unisex pieces that are both practical and stylish. The designer's garments, along with 8 more of the best Ukrainian designers will be exhibited as part of the Kiev Fashion Days today until 18:00 at our Freemason's hall.

How do you feel having your work exhibited at Fashion Scout?

I love it! I am amazed by the building, atmosphere and brilliant work of the Fashion Scout team. 

You started your label with a graphic designer - how does that feed into your designs?

I am responsible for cuts, silhouettes, general concept of the collections and Anton is responsible for digital part of the brand and special art projects. He's very busy with his independent projects but always finds time to discuss everything with me. 

How does being Ukrainian influence your designs?

I am surrounded here in Ukraine by ugly beauty and I can't close my eyes and pretend that I don`t see this bad architecture, lots of advertising in the streets, homeless dogs and long grey winter days...  But somehow I can find beauty in all this. But I don`t use this sources directly in my design. For Ksenia Schnaider collections we're inspired by clothes themselves and we don`t play with reality. We only work with codes, utility and history of clothes.

What inspired your AW13 collection?

For next season we work with so called 'telogreyka' or 'bodywarmer'. It's a quilted cotton garment for winter and was very popular in the Soviet Union. It was very cheap and almost every citizen owned one but not because it's fashionable, it was only about utility and that`s why I love it. It's an iconic garment and I transformed it into evening dresses, t-shirts, coats and other great items made from leather, velvet and silk. I bring more luxury into it.

How has this season changed from your last?

I have a logical strategy for our collections - is it always about clothes. For SS13 we worked with camouflage and disguise and for AW13 we work with bodywarmer suits.

And what does the future hold for you and your label?

I don't think we will have sudden succsess, we will work and work and work, keeping our line strong, and little by little the fashion audience will understand our philosophy.

Interview by Josh Walker (@josh_walker_)
Photos by Max Barnett (@MaxBarnettPhoto)

PREVIEW| Kiev Fashion Days Designers

Taking place at Fashion Scout today for the first time, Kiev Fashion Days. We are thrilled to showcase nine Kiev Fashion Days designers at Fashion Scout London allowing us to cement our global talent rebrand through providing them with a UK platform. Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days is the only international fashion event in Ukraine, it represents a new generation of designers and acts as a strong platform for their development and growth as designers.

Taking place in the Kiev Fashion Days catwalk showcase: 

Anna Kolomoets 

Paskal 

Yasya Minochkina 

Anna October 

Whilst joining them at the Kiev Fashion Days exhibition:

Ksenia Schnaider 

Natasha Zinko 

Sasha Kanevski 
Mariia Bekh 

Zinaida Lihacheva 

The Kiev Fashion Days exhibition takes place today, Sunday 17th February at 12pm whilst the exhibition runs from 10am to 6pm on Monday 18th February.