Continuing his invitation-only tour of post-Soviet Russia, having made the decision to leave Paris a few season's ago, Gosha Rubchinskiy opted to show his SS18 collection in the cultural centre of St Petersburg. Flying in a carefully crafted selection of global buyers and press, Rubchinskiy presented his latest interpretation of contemporary youth culture in Russia which this season centred on two of St Petersburg's most fundamental cultural cornerstones: football and raving.
Drawing inspiration from St Petersburg's historical importance to Russia's adoption of football as the national sport, Rubchinskiy's now iconic collaboration with adidas continued this season with a range of traditional on-pitch styles and silhouettes irreverently paired with elements of sartorialism. This post-modern/post-soviet DNA that is hardwired into the Gosha identity was elevated this season, moving his revered Eastern-bloc influence forwards to take on new meaning as a uniform for youth rebellion rather than a geo-political stamp of origin.
Alongside the coveted adidas styles, Gosha unveiled a controversial collaboration with British fashion house Burberry as an homage to the significance of Britain in Russia's footballing heritage. The inclusion of the infamous Burberry check in a collection heavily influenced by working-class style codes has seen many commentators decry Burberry for 'class tourism'. In the early 2000s, Burberry was the subject of public outrage after taking the decision to stop production of the Burberry check when these products became popular with working-class customers. In a bid to protect the brand's position, Burberry pulled their iconic check from shelves to curb further 'damage' to the brand's luxury identity. With the high/low collision becoming the defining habit of a new generation of luxury consumers, critics question Burberry's suitability to appropriate working-class culture after taking such decisive action to preclude these communities from their customer base in 2005.
With the 21st FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place in Russia in summer 2018, Rubchinskiy's SS18 collection delivers a potent snapshot of casual culture in contemporary Russia, undercut with a raving spirit that feels forever young.
Gosha Rubchinskiy SS18 is coming soon to END.
