Japanese fashion designer Tadashi Shoji presented his Russian-royalty themed collection at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion week. The multi-colored dresses worn by the models were both elegant and formal and equally floor-length and short. According to USA Today the dresses were "dreamy" and "frothy" and inspired by harsh Russian winters. The dresses were also described by USA Today to be "red-carpet worthy".
The inspiration for the dresses came to Shoji while traveling in St. Petersburg. "I had something in my head, Russian themed, so I went there and I made a story," Shoji stated backstage before the show according to International Business Times. "The Romanov Empire was collapsing and all of the royal princesses were escaping from St. Petersburg disguised in peasant dresses and running to Siberia in the cold, cold winter."
"This time it's pre-revolutionary Russia", Shoji also exclaimed about his inspiration, "The clothes have a wintery, snowy feel." One can imagine the animated film Anastasia while watching the models walking the runway. The Romanov dynasty with its fashion sense does not seem to be too far into the past but actually coming forth in a new light.
Shoji also described the fabric used for his dresses. "We always use silk. Silk chiffon, silk cut velvet and a lot, a lot of lace. The new fabric is neoprene, but we made it thinner so it can stretch. It's very comfortable because it can stretch", Shoji stated according to International Business Times.
When the Academy Awards takes place on February 24th there is no doubt that many of the stars and celebrities will be wearing Shoji's collection.