“I try to present all my mistakes as the musings of an artist”: Olga Vasyukova, founder of the Red September brand, about famous clients, inspiration and the most important thing in a designer’s career

Over the past year and a half, local brands have been rapidly gaining momentum, weight and importance. Almost every week, new players with big ambitions and obvious talent emerge on the fashion scene. We always follow such projects closely and implement the most promising ones.

The heroine of our today’s interview is Olga Vasyukova, the founder of the Red September brand, and we are almost sure that you are familiar with her work. Firstly, almost all metropolitan (and not only) fashionistas wear the designs of the Russian brand, and secondly, Red September is admired by Western stars. And this is a rare case when stylists request images of a Russian brand for their famous clients. Julia Fox rocked graphic bubblegum-print tights, Halle Bailey opted for a total blue look from the fall-winter 2023 collection, and Demi Lovato opted for a mint suit with an asymmetric skirt. The list of Western customers does not end there; now the brand’s products are proudly worn by Diplo, Romario Xolo, Ciara and many more.

It is worth noting here that this attention to the brand is highly deserved and more than justified. Olga Vasyukova copes with the task of surprising the picky consumer again and again. She creates flip-flops, paneled shirts from a residential area, leather jackets with vodka labels, and photo-printed long sleeves from the Cosmonaut Museum. Each item in the collection is full of references and meanings. This approach is, of course, fascinating. The Fashion Vibes editors were also captivated by the talented designer. Today we talked with Olga about famous clients, inspiration and the most important thing in a designer’s career.

How did your fashion journey begin?

When I was deciding where to go after school, I didn’t even know there was a profession called design. I didn’t know anything about the fashion industry in the 90s, it didn’t interest me in the 2000s and the only magazine that was close to fashion was Burda magazine. I was interested in technical sciences and, continuing my family tradition, I entered the Moscow State University of Transport; here I will study engineering, higher mathematics, descriptive geometry, etc. for the next five years. I worked happily in these fields.

I think I enjoy the process of creating something new more than the fashion itself. I am fascinated by the idea of ​​creating something out of nothing that has meaning and evokes emotions in other people, inspiring and encouraging them. And now I feel most comfortable doing this in the fashion segment.

You studied at the Fashion and Design Institute in Italy. How important and necessary do you think education is in the fashion industry?

My mother is a scientist, I had no chance of quitting my education after receiving a single diploma. And I love studying in general. The design education I received at Polimoda was far from commercial. We had complete freedom of action and creativity, professors helped us understand ourselves and find the direction of action. There we studied fashion history, ethnic groups and contemporary art. The school provided a great platform to network and create all aspects of communication in a creative environment.

What is fashion to you?

A game where chaos creates stability.

Every designer gets inspired by something or someone. Do you have a role model, such as a designer or brand that you look up to?

Inspiration is a lyric, an excuse for wasted time. If the work has a goal and excitement, then only perseverance, hard work, competent time management and a clear deadline will lead to results. No inspiration today; This means we are working without inspiration!

But I definitely get the momentum for my business from people. It is important for me that the people I see every day on the street, travel with on public transport or meet in ordinary stores experience the brightest moments of life in the things to which I devote so much emotion and time.

Let’s dream a little. If you were told that you could choose anyone from any era as your Red September brand ambassador, who would it be?

We recently sat down with the writers and discussed the dumbest ideas we’ve ever come up with. This is how the story was born about Zhirinovsky, who went to the future and returned to the present, predicting various events in order to correct history. I will choose it. Not the most obvious choice.

You once worked for a large LPP company with the Reserved brand. What are the pros and cons of the experience?

A large mass-market brand has a clearly structured system: Everyone knows the scope of their responsibilities, the system is worked out, and responsibility is distributed among many employees. There is practically no creativity factor in the mass market; There is a specific business task and the designer solves it without being disturbed by others. At the same time, excellent working conditions have been created, all processes are managed by very experienced professionals, there is an excellent corporate culture in which a large international team operates, the company owner is involved in all processes and is open to everyone. employees. However, this comfort eases, and the urge to create new things and try vague solutions disappears.

What if you were now offered to be the creative director of a big brand? Do you agree?

History does not tolerate the subjunctive mood. I review offers in real time and make decisions based on current conditions.

Let’s talk a little about Red September. How did the idea of ​​creating your own brand come about?

Immediately after graduating from Polimoda, I went to Poland to work. All this time I was updating my Instagram account (banned in the Russian Federation. – Premium. to organise.), where I tell stories about my fashion work, publish photos of student projects, my collections and small capsules around my brand. A few months after moving to Poland, my current partner found this account, wrote to me and offered to work together. I left the Polish company soon after and returned to Moscow to focus on developing the brand. We celebrate November 11, the day I returned to Moscow, as the brand’s birthday..

Could you tell our readers what the brand name means?

Many people associate this name with the theme of revolution and my country’s Soviet past, especially because of its color. I do not want to confirm or refute this theory, because in fact, every interpretation that a person reaches through the prism of his own opinion has the right to life. The important thing is that this name once brought together a large team and now moves in one direction.

Do you remember what started it all?

I work on each project using photo collages and illustrations. In the first project, I wanted to focus as much as possible on the daily life of ordinary Soviet people. Understand with what thoughts they wake up and fall asleep, what their life consists of, what surrounds them. I have collected archives of photographs, studied information and interesting facts. For example, until a certain point, milk in the USSR was sold only in glass bottles. The entire industry was built around working with glass. With the introduction of tetra pak packaging in the late 80s, the culture of glass milk packaging completely disappeared. After use, empty Tetra Pak packages were washed, the top cut off and used as boxes for bulk products or to grow plants inside. I had drawings of milk cartons and a photograph of an ordinary Soviet child holding a glass bottle of milk. First I made a collage in which the child was part of a milk carton, then I changed them and it turned out that the tetra pak bag became part of the child. Then my curiosity and excitement began; I wonder if I can adapt such a design to clothing and make it wearable?

What is the brand’s “trick”?

We propose to think beyond stereotypes by rethinking cultural symbols.

Is there a piece in the collection that became iconic as a result of an accidental mistake made by the designer?

I try to present all my mistakes as the deep thoughts of an artist. Yet no one knows how this should happen.

How would you describe the brand in three words?

Big. HEAD. Pain.

What qualities do you think a person should have to create a successful brand?

I would listen to the person who has this information. Personally, I am still only coping with workaholism and God’s help.

Do you think it is possible to create a creative project that will also be commercially successful?

The program will only work if people with specialized experience and knowledge are responsible for creativity and work and do not violate each other’s professional boundaries.

You said in an interview that you are not interested in collaborations with other brands. If you were asked to collaborate with a director or artist, who would it be?

I am more interested in representatives of more specific professions in the film industry. Nadezhda Vasilyeva, one of Russia’s best costume designers, and Sergei Fevralev, an incredibly talented production designer, are people it would be great to work with in any format. Speaking of artists, the work of Vadim Mikhailov and Vladimir Grieg at Cosmoscow last year really resonated with me. I will also name Pavel Kiselev and Maxim Demin.

What do you think is the most important problem of the fashion industry in Russia?

There are many promising young Russian designers. So far things have been nothing short of hopeful. Huge creative potential is shattered by the complete impotence of the country’s fashion industry and the lack of qualified personnel. Design ability alone is not enough.

What is the most important thing in your design career?

I just got off the ground in my career and it didn’t last long enough for me to draw any conclusions. It’s important to be passionate about what you do, but I believe this works in every profession.

Red September is currently worn by Julia Fox, Halle Bailey, Demi Lovato and others. Can you share some advice on how to reach the global level in modern realities?

Just like in other realities. We receive a request for a shoot or a public appearance, our PR evaluates the request and responds. All requests from the CIS are evaluated by our team in Moscow, requests from European stylists are evaluated by our press office in Milan, and requests from American stylists are evaluated by the press office in Los Angeles. We as a brand can only coordinate the stylist’s request, but we cannot influence the star client’s final choice in any way. Every particular situation is a matter of chance and coincidence.

Can you remember the best compliment from a brand customer that you will remember for a long time?

Not long ago, an ordinary middle-aged woman came to see us. Not a model, not a star. Just a woman who is not familiar with the brand. She walks, looks, tries things and everything suits her. Every product, men’s, women’s, everything fits perfectly. And he looks in the mirror and gets high. There is such happiness in her eyes how she looks right now and how much she likes herself! The fact that our customers look at themselves with such eyes is a small plus in my karma.

What are your plans for the future? Where are you planning to move next?

I am now a second-year screenwriting student at the Moscow Film School; I try to expand my horizons, add new aspects to my work and look for points of interaction between fashion and the film industry.