Russian model Alesya Kafelnikova has walked the runway in a revealing leather corset for British brand R & M Leather at New York Fashion Week.
The 27-year-old model stepped onto the catwalk in an all-black ensemble featuring a leather corset top, high-cut briefs and stockings accented with satin bows. Her look drew inspiration from BDSM aesthetics and was paired with an elaborate hairstyle featuring coiled braids styled to resemble Princess Leia Organa Solo from the Star Wars film franchise.
Kafelnikova later published photographs of her runway appearance to her Instagram account, where the post quickly accumulated 37,000 likes from followers. In an accompanying caption, she asked whether she was an angel, adding that at least that was what people had said about her.
New York Fashion Week Showcase
The presentation formed part of the international designer schedule at New York Fashion Week, an event held twice a year in Manhattan that serves as one of the fashion industry's most watched commercial showcases. The bi-annual gathering draws prominent designers, international fashion editors and retail buyers from across the globe, providing a high-visibility platform for British leather specialist R & M Leather to present its latest runway collection.
Kafelnikova, who is the daughter of former Russian world number one tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov, has built an established career in the fashion industry after making her runway debut in Europe. Over the past decade, she has featured in campaigns for international luxury houses and appeared regularly in fashion editorial spreads, becoming one of the most recognisable Russian faces on global runways.
Criticism Over Pop Music Singles
Her turn on the Manhattan catwalk comes shortly after a public dispute over her attempts to launch a musical career. In August, Kafelnikova spoke out against online critics who urged her to stop singing following the release of two singles, titled Ego Problems and Show Me.
The model stated that the tracks had prompted a wave of negative comments across social media platforms. According to Kafelnikova, numerous critics reacted to her songs by advising her to give up recording music and go back to working as a fashion model instead.
