Haute Couture

The 23rd Haute Couture collection by Ulyana Sergeenko marks the House’s 15th anniversary, reflecting on its archive, its history, and the traditions of haute couture. This season, the House’s heroine journeys through her own story, captured in the collections created over the last fifteen years.

Sketches

The collection unfolds across several thematic lines. One series of looks evokes characters of noir fairy tales and myth, another draws on floral and natural motifs, while a distinct thread explores avian imagery. At its core, however, the collection is anchored in the Maison’s archive, referencing iconic couture collections presented over the past fifteen years.

One of the most intricate looks in the collection is dedicated to the House’s long-standing collaboration with the artisans of Yelets lace. The corset is complemented by elements that recreate the pillows traditionally used for lace-making, along with lace bobbins. The lace components alone required more than 1500 hours of work by the artisans of the Kruzhevnoy Krai atelier, while the bobbins themselves were produced in Italy to the Maison’s special order.

The creative process

Season after season, the Maison continues its commitment to preserving and supporting traditional crafts and techniques. This season, alongside the Yelets lace and crystal from Gus-Khrustalny, both longstanding collaborators of the Maison, Ulyana Sergeenko has, for the first time, partnered with artisans specializing in Balakhna lace and Kazakovo filigree

The blueberries featured in one of the looks required more than 150 hours of work by the atelier’s artisans. Each berry was constructed from dozens of layers of couture tulle in varying shades, then hand-trimmed to achieve its precise shape.

Backstage

Every decorative element in the collection is the result of extensive research, experimentation, and close collaboration between designers, artisans, technologists, tailors, and embroiderers. To create the carved crystal details, for instance, the artisans of Gus-Khrustalny had to rethink their whole production process and develop entirely new methods for working with such delicate, almost jewelry-like forms. Some looks in the collection represent months of work by dozens of highly specialized artisans.