Versace: Russian women not so into bling anymore

Donatella Versace (sister of the late Gianni) says that, thanks to the success of Putinomics, Russian women aren’t as tacky as they used to be: A few weeks ago when I returned to Russia for the first time in a decade, I found it much changed. The arrival of more brands has transformed the retail ...

597045_gorbachev_lv_05.jpg
597045_gorbachev_lv_05.jpg

Donatella Versace (sister of the late Gianni) says that, thanks to the success of Putinomics, Russian women aren't as tacky as they used to be:

Donatella Versace (sister of the late Gianni) says that, thanks to the success of Putinomics, Russian women aren’t as tacky as they used to be:

A few weeks ago when I returned to Russia for the first time in a decade, I found it much changed. The arrival of more brands has transformed the retail landscape. When people have choice, they can decide what they like. Back in the Nineties there was little choice but now women can shop here in the same way that they can in Milan or London or Paris, and that has, of course, altered the way they dress.

But what really struck me was the way in which this choice is now being exercised. Gone is the tendency towards ostentation and “bling”. Instead, today’s Russian women are in search of something more sophisticated. At a cocktail party I held at my Moscow store, I was greeted by many extremely well-dressed customers; but two stood out. They had a great freshness and confidence, and were dressed in a modern and understated way. It turned out that they were the granddaughters of Mikhail Gorbachev.

Of course, grandpa Gorby prefers Louis Vuitton:

More from Foreign Policy

Residents evacuated from Shebekino and other Russian towns near the border with Ukraine are seen in a temporary shelter in Belgorod, Russia, on June 2.
Residents evacuated from Shebekino and other Russian towns near the border with Ukraine are seen in a temporary shelter in Belgorod, Russia, on June 2.

Russians Are Unraveling Before Our Eyes

A wave of fresh humiliations has the Kremlin struggling to control the narrative.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shake hands in Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shake hands in Beijing.

A BRICS Currency Could Shake the Dollar’s Dominance

De-dollarization’s moment might finally be here.

Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in an episode of The Diplomat
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in an episode of The Diplomat

Is Netflix’s ‘The Diplomat’ Factual or Farcical?

A former U.S. ambassador, an Iran expert, a Libya expert, and a former U.K. Conservative Party advisor weigh in.

An illustration shows the faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin interrupted by wavy lines of a fragmented map of Europe and Asia.
An illustration shows the faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin interrupted by wavy lines of a fragmented map of Europe and Asia.

The Battle for Eurasia

China, Russia, and their autocratic friends are leading another epic clash over the world’s largest landmass.