'Fashion Forward': HSE University-St Petersburg Holds Fashion Show of Young Designers
During the International Partners' Week, the Rope Shop building hosted the fashion show of the graduates of the School of Art and Design—master's track 'Creating a Fashion Brand' and bachelor's programme 'Fashion Design'—under the supervision of Leonid Alekseev, curator and founder of the brand 'House of Leo'.
The fashion show finished the Student Day of the International Partners' Week 2025. The defile was attended by more than 80 representatives of international delegations, including ones from Indonesia, India, Oman, Brazil, Japan, China and Mexico. The topic of young designers' works was 'Fashion Forward'. The idea lies in the constant movement of fashion towards the future: using modern technologies and concepts, it offers a new perspective on the clothes task and its place in our life and world.
Young designers Kirill Ostanin, Anastasia Khashchivskaya, Marina Shirnina, Natalia Kramar, Evgeny Abramov and Ivan Kutuzov brought their bold ideas to life. They presented six collections, the authors were assisted by 30 models, make-up artists, hairstylists and photographers, and their work was displayed for participants of IPW-2025, representatives of the fashion industry, stylists and fashion bloggers.
The results of the designers' work were both collections suitable for real life—tracksuits and evening dresses—and art experiments in the avant-garde style raising questions about the perception of the human body in space. Among the displayed outfits are women’s and men’s collections. The designers shared that they strived to convey their reflections on the endless development of fashion, its renewal and its connection with other topical design directions.
According to Leonid Alekseev, the main curator of the track 'Fashion Design' at HSE University-St Petersburg School of Art and Design, the topic of the future was not accidental. Exploring the borders of fashion with the help of modern technologies allows us to find unexpected ideas.
Leonid Alekseev
Main curator of the track 'Fashion Design' at HSE University-St Petersburg School of Art and Design
The collections of our participants are something novel both for the fashion world and the School of Design. The authors interpreted the topic in different ways: some through exaggerated forms, some through the image of a festival and carnival, and others through sporty and light materials exploring corporeality.
We see the connection between fashion and the idea of international partnership. I wish that the aspirations and vibe would let the young energy move forward.
The work on the collections lasted for six months. The designers were carrying out research, looking for inspiration sources and preparing the sketches for the project. The final stage before creating the outfits was the presentation of a layout and search for forms, technologies and materials.
The role of personal assistants for young designers played by the first-year students of the bachelor's programme 'Fashion Design' at HSE University-St Petersburg.
'I am a senior assistant. I did everything to make the designer feel comfortable: caught up and fastened on the clothes, selected shoes and helped with the casting. Working with the alumni of HSE University in Moscow is exciting, it appeals to my style and what I would like to do further creating my personal brand.
I like HSE University-St Petersburg. The first academic year flew by very quickly. I gained a lot of emotions and skills. From point A, I've reached point D over that time', says Marusia Biriukova, 1st-year student of the track 'Fashion Design' at HSE University-St Petersburg.
'Supporting new talents and creating bright projects which can influence the fashion industry is what we are always striving for. For us, communication between students and graduates is important. We hope that the connections will develop so that they can exchange ideas and experiences', emphasises Leonid Alekseev.
'Synergy allows us to share the skills and knowledge acquired. In the first year, students always have a twinkle in their eyes, and a great desire to see how everything happens. It seems useful from a practice-oriented perspective. For them, it is a huge experience, they can ask questions directly and immerse themselves in the process', underscored Evgeny Abramov, participant of the fashion show, designer, and graduate of the master's programme 'Creating a Fashion Brand' of HSE University School of Art and Design.
The audience highlighted the special atmosphere of the fashion show: the casting of models, rehearsals, and organisation of the space—everything was created by HSE designers. The guests highly appreciated the level of the collection preparation emphasising the identity and uniqueness of each outfit.
'We truly liked the programme of the International Partners' Week and cordial reception of HSE University. The hospitality is top-level! The creative industry serves as a bridge between various cultures and traditions, under these circumstances, the experience exchange between universities and designers strengthens international ties and promotes creative ideas of multiculturality', summed up Rahmatsyam Lakoro, representative of the ITS Faculty of Creative Design and Digital Business (Indonesia).