Slava Zaitsev

House of Slava Zaitsev was founded by Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Zaitsev known as Slava Zaitsev in Russia. He is a Russian fashion designer, painter, graphic artist and theatrical costume designer. His designs are influenced by traditional Russian and Slavic styles.
In 1952, he enrolled at the Faculty of Applied Arts of the University of Chemistry and Technology in Ivanovo to acquire a diploma of a textile artist . He moved to Moscow in 1956 and enrolled at the Moscow Textile Institute, where he earned a diploma in painting and design.

Zaitsev was one of the dominant figures in haute couture during the Soviet regime and was often compared to the most esteemed Western designers.

One of his first positions was that of artistic director of the experimental technical clothing factory in Moscow, where he was responsible for the production of women's clothing for retail stores. He quickly became known for designing a smart version of traditional Russian clothing, but nevertheless the regime did not approve the production of his collection. His next position was the chief designer at the All-Union Fashion House, known as Dom Modeli. His work caught the attention of French designers and he was nicknamed Red Dior.

It was in 1978 that he began working on his own hand, from a small studio, to later become «Slava Zaitsev» Moscow Fashion House or Dom Modi. It was one of the largest Soviet couturiers, serving thousands of customers and popular with high society ladies like the Soviet Firts Lady. During that period he even wrote two books about fashion - "Such Changeable Fashion" and "This Multifaceted World of Fashion".

After having shown his designer items in Japan and Canada, Zaitsev signed a three-year contract with Intertorg Inc. in 1987, which enabled him to offer and sell his designs in the United States. Soon after, he conquered Paris, joined the Maison de Couture and was named "Man of the Year in the Fashion World".

In 1991, created Zaitsev's first perfume. It was a classic women's perfume called Maroussia, created in collaboration with the French house L'Oréal. The perfume is a floral oriental and is still a favorite not only for Russian women, but for a worldwide audience.

In 1992, Zaitsev conquered the USA and attracted much attention with his fashion shows and exhibitions of his paintings, which were widely visited, marking the beginning of cultural exchanges.

Even Russian President Boris Yeltsin appreciated Zaitsev and awarded him the State Prize of the Russian Federation in Literature and Art in 1996. He was also close to President Putin and designed an outfit for his wife for the presidential couple's visit to the Queen of England. Zaitsev also used his collection for menswear.

Slava Zaitsev has always been true to his Russian roots and has therefore designed in Russian style and primarily for a Russian audience.

The designer Slava Zaitsev has 4 perfumes and sometimes they can be bought at emma.co.uk at a reduced price or at sale. The earliest edition was created in 1992 and the most recent is from 2009.