A Chat With Kate Moss’s New Fave Label: Vassilisa

Posted by Styloko

If there’s one accessory that should be adorning your neck right now, it’s a Vassilisa scarf. Don’t believe us? Ask Kate Moss, who was spotted wearing a sumptuous piece from the label’s AW12 collection just last week. Yeah, we thought that’d get your attention.

Inspired by fairytales and mythical creatures, Vassilisa’s unique prints are enticingly dark. Having trained at Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen, Russian-born Nadja Solovieva set up the label, known for its luxurious silk and cashmere scarves, straight after she graduated from Central St. Martins in 2008.

Needless to say that Nadja – who counts Gweneth Paltrow and Britain’s fave supermodel among her growing list of celeb fans – is one of the hottest new designers to watch. We pinned down the winner of this year’s Elle Talent Launch Pad Award to chat to about her latest collection, her love for simple style and how, despite her long legs and good looks, she prefers being a fashion designer to a model.

Tell us about your label. How did it start? What’s your aesthetic? 

When I was graduating from Central St. Martins, my collection was one of the ones chosen for the press show.  A number of publications saw and covered it, and people purchased pieces straight from collection. So I signed with an agent and immediately started production to supply to stores under the Vassilisa trademark.

Your label’s named after a Russian fairytale princess, Vassilisa the Beautiful. Do you have a special connection to that story? 

She is a mythological heroine who epitomises a number of great qualities and overcomes some levels of adversity (disregarding of her privileged background) to find love – a bit like the beautiful ladies living in this complex modern world who I design for.

Kate Moss was recently spotted wearing one of your designs from the AW12 collection – you must be thrilled! What do you think of Kate and her style, and why do you think she chose that particular piece?

Kate Moss chose the black shawl with gold foxes and tails print and she has been seen wearing it with a variety of clothing combinations. My favorite is with skinny jeans, a leather jacket and her careless but perfect hair – I just love that casual cool look.

What kind of woman do you have in mind when designing?

Most often it is the women who have something unique about them.

You worked with stylist Zoe Bedeaux for your new AW12 collection – tell us about the collaboration. Why did you choose Zoe?

Firstly, we have become very close friends. She is also a very unique person who’s well known for her distictive style. We started to look at things together, starting from antiques market shopping… and then we thought ‘why don’t we do this season’s designs together?!’.

Has your interest in history and art shaped your design philosophies and aesthetic? 

Sometimes I think too much knowledge makes life complicated, but then some say it adds depth to design. So I guess it is all interrelated.

You used to be a model – what’s it like being behind the scenes as a designer now rather than being in front of the camera? You must have some interesting stories about your time as a model…

Ha! I absolutely hated modelling, actually. I never photographed particularly well but I did catwalk shows on contract with one of the fashion houses in Moscow and around the country. It was was more than 12 years ago now. When I was modelling, I remember always thinking that I couldn’t wait for my evening drawing classes!

What are your favourite pieces from the latest collection and how should we wear them?

I think snakes with florals and fox prints are particularly lovely in this collection – both come in cashmere and silk. I’d add a bohemian silk blouse with skinny trousers and a bit of a heel.

Does your personal style influence your work? What would you say is your ‘uniform’?

I am more of a casual person, I spend everyday in jeans, a top and a design-led scarf, which adds a pleasant touch. I really like a luxurious silk skirt or a unique print dress for the evening.