Alena Akhmadullina loves fur. She loves embroidery. And she adores a print. These themes, often over-the-top, appeal to her Moscow-centered customer base, but they can seem too much for the U.S. market, especially at a time when designers are opting to go fur- and reptile-skin-free. Coming off of the Fall 2019 season in which she created a whole ball gown out of python, Akhmadullina seems to have cooled it on her signatures. Fur was used minimally and smartly on a boyish-cut jacket—on the collar, peeking out of the placket, and on the sleeves. It was far less overwhelming than in previous outings.
On a lighter note Akhmadullina is translating Western trends in her own way. There was a royal blue camp-type shirt printed with florals and a bedazzled cowboy fringe across a cashmere sweatshirt for an elevated yeehaw moment. While Akhmadullina did pare things down somewhat, one dress was fully embroidered with swans, a look that was based on an Alexander Pushkin poem. But not every reference to Akhmadullina’s homeland was serious: Her take on Russo-athleisure, a soft blue hoodie had an embedded babushka scarf in the hood, was a hit.
