Vyacheslav Zaitsev is struggling with a serious illness. Vyacheslav Zaitsev found himself on the verge of ruin - Your clothes are really chic, but can you really walk along our streets in such clothes? Can they be worn not only on the catwalk? It is customary for us to wear something warm and non-staining.

Vyacheslav Zaitsev is a Soviet and Russian fashion designer who rightfully holds the lead in Soviet and Russian fashion. Vyacheslav Zaitsev, without having a corresponding industry, managed to create the very concepts of “high fashion” and “fashion design” in the Soviet Union. Today Zaitsev is perceived as Great master of worldwide significance. But something else is surprising - Western designers and couturiers saw Slava Zaitsev unique talent 30 years before its compatriots considered it.

Childhood and youth

Vyacheslav was born in Ivanovo. It is unknown whether the atmosphere of the city of brides influenced the decision future star create for women fashionable clothes, but with the direction of the future professional activity the young man made up his mind quickly. The profession of a designer has imposed a romantic flair on the life of Vyacheslav Zaitsev, but it is impossible to call a simple biography of the fashion designer.

Vyacheslav Zaitsev was born into a poor family. The boy knew that his parents were forced into marriage, “by accident,” and that his mother was unhappy in her marriage. The boy’s childhood was during the war years, and the life of the future designer became even worse. My father went to the front, was captured, escaped and reached Berlin, and after the war he ended up in a camp as a former prisoner of war.

There was no food in the family, mother and son picked berries in the forest. When Vyacheslav and his mother were visiting their father, the family was robbed, the woman was taken to the hospital, and the boy began begging and singing outside the store to get food.

Nevertheless, Vyacheslav went to school, traveled to collective farms with the school group and sang, helping teachers draw posters. After graduating from seven-year school, he entered the Ivanovo Chemical-Technological College, where he studied to become a textile artist.

Then - moving to Moscow and student years at the famous Moscow Textile Institute. According to the assignment, Vyacheslav Zaitsev was sent to the town of Babushkin near Moscow, where the experimental technical garment factory of the Moscow Regional Economic Council was located. There, a young man created his first collection - workwear for working women rural areas, which was practical and comfortable, but at the same time feminine. Of course, the collection did not pass the inspection of the Soviet methodological department.

This line of workwear attracted the attention of the Western press to the aspiring couturier. The collection was published by the French magazine Paris Match, and representatives and, later talking with a colleague from Moscow, unanimously recognized Vyacheslav Zaitsev as their equal. And although until the end of the 80s the Soviet designer was unable to leave the country, in Europe Zaitsev has long been considered one of the world's leading designers.

Fashion and design

At the factory in Babushkino, Vyacheslav Zaitsev managed to prove himself more than convincingly, regularly offering new solutions in clothing design. As a result, he was invited to Kuznetsky Most, where the famous All-Union House of Models was located. Vyacheslav Zaitsev worked there for 13 years and collaborated with the best fashion models, including Leka Mironova and Mila Romanovskaya.

Vyacheslav Zaitsev and his son EgorThe first result of Vyacheslav Zaitsev’s work at the House of Models was the “Russian Series” collection, created according to folk motives. It also included the “Russia” dress, demonstrated by Zbarskaya at World Festival fashion and received the Grand Prix. After this dress, the Western press calls Zaitsev nothing less than “Red Dior”.

There were many other successful developments, but by the mid-70s, Vyacheslav Zaitsev was extremely dissatisfied with the work. It depresses him that because of the principles Soviet system the sketches reach the factory too late, and by the time the consumer sees the product in the store, it is already hopelessly outdated. Vyacheslav comes to the conclusion that the work of a fashion designer in the USSR is ineffective and meaningless, and eventually quits.

After the Fashion House, the designer works at a custom tailoring factory for the Fashion House, and later moves to this very House, where he becomes the artistic director. It was there that, starting in 1982, Vyacheslav Zaitsev created his world-famous author's collections. The designer is distinguished by a constant search for style and giving the shapes and lines of clothing his own unique touch.

In 1992, Vyacheslav Zaitsev created his own “Fashion Laboratory”, a design academy at the Vyacheslav Zaitsev Fashion House, and five years later the talent forge also had an official website.

Among the most recent images created by Zaitsev, especially memorable to the public, are a luxurious evening dress made of cream lace and a snow-white dress, as if straight out of the painting “The Swan Princess.” Both outfits were demonstrated by Mrs. Russia Alisa Krylova at Fashion Week in Moscow.

Along with fashion, painting and drawing play a significant role in the work of Vyacheslav Zaitsev. His paintings have nothing to do with clothing design. They convey the author’s emotions and feelings, even his philosophical perception of life. Vyacheslav's works are decorative and always bright and original.

Solo exhibitions artwork Vyacheslav Zaitsev was held several times in cities of the United States, Belgium, France, and Estonia. Five of his paintings, both pictorial and graphic, are permanently exhibited in the Moscow Tretyakov Gallery, and several paintings from the series “How Young We Will Be” can be seen in the Museum of the History of Moscow.

Another side of the work of the famous fashion designer is stage costume for theater and stage. Vyacheslav Zaitsev designed clothes for the Satire Theater, Moscow Art Theater, Mossovet Theater, Sovremennik and many others. Most often, he was invited to add unusualness and uniqueness to the standard styles of classical plays.

Moreover, not only domestic directors wanted to collaborate with the famous fashion designer. He also performed commissions for several Broadway theaters. Most famous production, where the actors come out in outfits from Zaitsev, is the musical “Sophisticated Ladies”.

He also made couturier costumes for cinema, pop stars, and athletes. It was Zaitsev who “dressed” the Soviet sports delegation at the Moscow Olympics-80. He also developed the appearance of the show group “Na-Na” and the rock group “Integral”.

But Zaitsev did not limit himself to clothes alone. For example, for the play “ The Cherry Orchard", which was staged on German and Hungarian stages, Vyacheslav, in addition to costumes, designed stage posters and other decorations.

Personal life

At the age of 24, the still aspiring and little-known couturier married a girl from a wealthy and high-ranking family. The chosen one's name was Marina. The girls I knew were shocked that Marina chose Vyacheslav Zaitsev rather than the famous diplomat or pilot, who constantly courted the wealthy heiress. The Zaitsev couple lived together for three years and gave birth to a son, Yegor, who, by the way, would later follow in his father’s footsteps.

The designer learned that his wife was leaving after returning from Hungary, where he created costumes for the film. The divorce from his wife made a strong impression on Vyacheslav, since the designer sincerely treated Marina and loved his ex-wife for a long time after the breakup. The fashion designer also sought the right to see his son. At first, the child did not know that his mother was not giving Vyacheslav the opportunity to meet him, and believed that his father had abandoned him and was worried about this.

Problems in the family crippled the designer. Vyacheslav even began to experience depression because of this. One of the employees of the House of Models named Inna, who had long been in love with the fashion designer, helped to get out of this state.

The lovers lived for some time in a civil marriage, after which they separated. But when Zaitsev fell into the most difficult car accident and was in the hospital for a long time, Inna looked after him and helped him in every possible way. Vyacheslav Zaitsev spent nine days in intensive care, then spent six months on rehabilitation.

The designer was seriously injured in a car accident, the worst was right leg, the doctors have already begun to mentally prepare Vyacheslav and talk to the patient about amputating his leg.

According to the designer, this terrible period Vyacheslav Zaitsev even managed to come to terms with the thought of losing his leg. The fashion designer came up with a new fashionable image for himself that would fit the new state: Vyacheslav Zaitsev imagined himself walking along the Kuznetsky Bridge in a black hat, black glasses, a white shirt and with a cane. But at the same time, Zaitsev did not stop training and rehabilitation, and forbade himself to give up. As a result, doctors still saved the fashion designer’s leg.

Later, Vyacheslav and Inna tried to renew their relationship, but the new union lasted only a year, and this time the separation was final. Vyacheslav Zaitsev did not try to start a family anymore.

Vyacheslav Zaitsev now

On March 2, 2016, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich celebrated his 78th birthday. After the party, the couturier admitted to reporters that he had been suffering from a serious illness - Parkinson's disease - for several years now.

Due to illness, the designer developed problems with his joints. Doctors even insisted on a titanium prosthesis. On the eve of the holiday, the designer underwent surgery on the knee joint and underwent a rehabilitation course in Karlovy Vary.

Health problems do not interfere with the designer’s creativity. In 2017, Vyacheslav Zaitsev traditionally opened the show for the spring-summer 2018 season at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. The collection of Slava Zaitsev came out in scarlet colors and in retro shock style. The designer rethought Dior's classic silhouettes, diluting French trends with kitsch a la Russe: kokoshniks, Pavlovo Posad shawls, folk ornaments.

Achievements

• 1980 – Knight of the Order of the Badge of Honor
• 1983 – winner of the “Veteran of Labor” medal
• 1991 - Honored Artist of the RSFSR
• 1992-1996 - professor of the department of clothing modeling of the faculty applied arts Moscow state university service
• 1993 - creator and head of the jury annual competition"Textile Salon"
• 1994 - creator and head of the jury of the annual competition of professional fashion designers named after Nadezhda Lamanova
• 1994 - creator and head of the jury of the annual competition of children's fashion theaters "Golden Needle"
• 1994 - creator and head of the jury of the permanent competition of young fashion designers and costume designers “Exercise”
• 1995 - creator, artistic director and chairman of the jury of the annual competition “Velvet Seasons in Sochi”
• 1996 - State Prize laureate Russian Federation
• 1998 – Knight of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree
• 2003 – laureate of the Presidential Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of literature and art
• 2006 - folk artist Russian Federation
• 2007 - Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts
• 2009, 2010 - twice laureate of the Russian Government Prize

Every now and then he is credited serious illness or quick emigration to Paris. The maestro, in order to dispel all the rumors, himself invited “Antenna” to the Fashion House and assured: he is alive and well, he flies to France only to buy fabrics for the new collection, which he is now drawing and sewing for his 80th birthday. He also declassified his grandson, whom he had never talked about before.

– For the first time, getting ready for an interview, I thought more about how to dress rather than about questions.

– The black and white classic you chose is the best. Women know how much I love her, so they usually come in a classic jacket, straight or flared skirt. Everything is fine. I am conservative in form, but vice versa in colors. Initially, the Fashion House was lined with such gray-white porous stone. As soon as I saw him, I said that they had gone crazy. And when he earned money, he decorated everything brightly, in Russian: green and blue, yellow sun, red joy. I created a festive atmosphere for people who come here to order something - a feeling of childhood.

Vyacheslav Zaitsev

– Do you accept orders yourself?

– My designer takes the measurements, and I do fittings and draw sketches. I just returned from Paris, where I bought fabrics for the anniversary collection. First of all, it will be a Russian theme...

Vyacheslav Zaitsev in Paris, December 2015

– The theme is Russian, but do you buy fabrics in France? What about your native Ivanovo and its chintz?

– There is no chintz in Ivanovo for a long time. Around there too shopping centers, where they sell goods from everywhere. The exception is coat fabrics, which are made at the Bryansk factory. Nobody produces decent silk in Russia anymore. Once a month I fly to Paris to pick him up for two or three days, because I have a small studio there.

– Probably because of this studio, there was talk that you were moving to France for good.

“They don’t know what nasty thing to say anymore.” If I wanted to, I would have left a long time ago. Moreover, since 1996 I have an apartment there, in the very center, on Rue Kleber, from which you can see the Eiffel Tower and Triumphal Arch. When I come to France on business, I spend the night in this apartment, but it’s empty.

– Is anything valuable stored there?

– No, everything valuable is stored in an estate in the village of Kablukovo, 70 km from the Fashion House. I go there every day and suffer terribly from terrible traffic jams.

– Why, when work is in full swing, don’t you spend the night right here?

– I need visual images to relax. There is a wonderful forest, real pine trees, wonderful air, complete silence. I spent the night here once, and it was terrible: a constant terrible hum, very stuffy in the summer, very cold in the winter. That's why I get up at 4 am. I leave at 6 am. I start work at 8 am. Now I’m selecting fabrics for underwear, umbrellas, scarves, scarves and more.

What to talk about with the model

Shooting a clothing collection in the Fashion House studio, 2016

Photo: personal archive of Vyacheslav Zaitsev

– You worked with fashion models in different eras. Are the girls of the 1960s, when you were just starting out, any different from the girls of today?

– In the 1960s and 1970s we had the same girls. There was something completely different about them than there is now about fashion models. They were intelligent, you could talk to them on any topic. For example, we talked a lot about literature.

– Then the models began to become stupid?

– They have become different. In the previous ones there was more life, fullness – both spiritual and physical. Now is the era of skinny girls: I once tried to attract plus-size models, but it’s not working yet, we’re not ready for this yet. Which is strange, because most of our women are plump, and they need to be dressed first.

– Could you talk about literature with the current models who represent your collection?

- No, it’s not necessary. We don't talk about anything at all.

– Who was your craziest fashion model in your entire career?

– I remember there was one incident with Mila Romanovskaya. While filming in Tashkent, she climbed over the hotel balcony into another room and went for a walk. She should have been fired for this. On the eve of my dismissal, I took her to the set, and she opened the car door and said that she couldn’t live without me, and almost fell out - I caught her. It was such a sad incident.

– What is the most important thing in a model?

– Posture is very important. Average height models today are 180 cm, and the proportions must be appropriate.

– What should girls of non-model appearance do?

“You shouldn’t destroy yourself because of this, because there are absolutely no problems with clothes.” My ex-wife Marina is 156 cm tall and has been elegant all her life. My mother was overweight, at the end she was size 56, but she thought she was buying 48, and I did not dissuade her.

Vyacheslav Zaitsev with his wife Marina, 1965

Photo: personal archive of Vyacheslav Zaitsev

– Maybe you married Marina because you were tired of tall women that looked alike?

- Certainly. I liked her intelligence, she was a fun girl. Erudite and talented. That's how she remained. She turned 80 in June, I went to see her for her birthday. We are friends.

– Didn’t you want to get back together?

- No, we are too different. She talented person, I’m talented in my own way and don’t want to overwhelm her. When two people are talented, it is difficult for them to coexist. Son Yegor also married a fashion model, who became his wonderful assistant. Katya Romashkina is now doing her own show, she is a wonderful girl and a wonderful director.

- And you? Is it really true that after marriage to Marina you didn’t meet a single woman you loved?

- Yes she was only love all my life.

Young Slava Zaitsev

Photo: personal archive of Vyacheslav Zaitsev

- How long have you been living alone like this?

– Since 1969. This God's grace. He gave me solitude so that I could concentrate on my purpose. The creator must be lonely. The family is very busy, although I have a son and granddaughters. Egor is already 57 years old, he is a deputy general director Fashion houses. But he arrives at work at half past one, however, and works in network resources until 3–4 o’clock in the morning (laughs). Granddaughter Marusya is 23 years old, she successfully worked in fashion, created collections, but then decided to leave and is now studying at the directing department, because someone wrote to her online after her show that she would make an excellent director. Granddaughter Nastya is almost nine. She graduated from the second grade and feels good about fashion. She was dragged here as a child, cherished, looked after, so Nastya is a child of fashion. Marusya is more reserved, but Nastya is very sociable, she has already worked as a model. I hope to live to the status of a great-grandfather. And I’ll open one more for you family secret: I have another grandson from Yegor...

- How?

- Yes, I never told anyone about him before, and he himself didn’t want to: he’s modest. His name is Anton. He is 27 years old. He also works for the Fashion House: he films us videos from shows, he himself is always behind the scenes. He is also a big fan of traveling, as well as a collector of all kinds of medicinal herbs. Recently he brought us different aromatic teas.

The designer's parents: father Mikhail Yakovlevich and mother Maria Ivanovna

Photo: personal archive of Vyacheslav Zaitsev

– Vyacheslav Mikhailovich, they write all sorts of things about your health now...

– I don’t complain about my health – why complain about it (smiles). My legs were recently repaired, and now I can stand normally, my knees are like new. He had major operations. At the age of 33, I had an accident: they cut me out of the car with an autogenous gun and hit my knee. Everything there was broken, I suffered for a long time, and then I fell from the second floor of my studio and completely injured my knee. Therefore, I had to undergo surgery, the second one took place in January of this year.

– The only consolation is that you are not a model and you don’t have to walk on the catwalk.

- That's the whole point. I used to walk and teach girls to walk, but now I can’t.

The perfect wardrobe starts with three dresses

– What will surprise you in the anniversary collection?

– It is entirely from what was before. I will show you the entire range from an ordinary dress to an evening cocktail dress, short and long, as well as a coat. Our costume has always differed from the Western one in that it is multi-layered. It is a treat for the eyes and very decorative. When I was in America three years ago, where I was given an award for my contribution to world fashion, I put on a black jacket with red flowers and a matching vest - and so I walked around New York. And it was incredibly interesting for those around me to see such things.

“Your clothes are really chic, but can you really walk along our streets in these?” Can they be worn not only on the catwalk? It is customary for us to wear something warm and non-staining.

- You have to be a brave person. Mine is also warm and non-staining. Our people are unaccustomed to beauty - we are very uptight. We adapt to gloomy weather, we are afraid bright colors, we are afraid that it looks funny, we are afraid of the condemnation of others. During the period of socialism, society was faceless. Everyone had to be the same. It was difficult to look original. Nowadays there are so many options for shoes: boots without heels... I recently ordered UGG boots online from China.

- You?!

- So what?! They also have cool sports shoes - white, black and gold.

– So you also have sneakers from a Chinese online store?

- Yes. They cost approximately 1800–2000 rubles. It's cheaper there too. Today everything has changed: beautiful clothes doesn't have to be expensive. Sometimes a dress for 50 thousand rubles from a boutique cannot be distinguished from one bought on the market for a thousand. And to evaluate a thing by its value is completely indecent. For a long time We sold kitsch, which not everyone could afford and which was therefore very popular. Today, a woman can afford to buy not only original works, but also ready-to-wear.

Show of the collection of Vyacheslav Zaitsev

– What quality items should be in every woman’s wardrobe? Skirt or Pants?

– Of course, I prefer dresses. It is advisable to have three dresses. Definitely small black. There should also be red just below the knee. The third dress can be dark blue, green, emerald. It’s wonderful if it is complemented with oriental ornaments. I do a lot of prints myself.

– Which dress is better to choose – with a neckline, a cutout at the back, a thigh-high slit?

– Instead of a classic neckline, it’s better to buy one with a collar and a placket with buttons that unfasten and slightly reveal the neckline. This shirt-type dress will be very popular this summer. If it is made from luxurious fabric, then you can go out in it as if you were wearing it in the evening, especially if you add embroidery and appliqués. And I have a terrible attitude towards dresses like Angelina Jolie’s at the Oscars, in which one leg is exposed asymmetrically. And you can see everything in him, right down to his underpants. It also happens that one hand is bare and the other is in a sleeve. These people no longer know what else to come up with.

– What other basic things should a true fashionista have in her wardrobe?

– Three options for white blouses: one is definitely in men's style with a stand-up collar - don’t bother, just buy men's shirt small size. The second is a classic romantic blouse in the Russian style. And also colored knitted vests - green, pink, red... Prepare everything for skirts - both pencil and sun, but the most wonderful one is straight black.

– What do you advise our women to throw out of their wardrobe forever?

– Completely shapeless knitted dresses in cyclamen color, sweatshirts in nasty lingonberry-pink and chicken-yellow colors. To wear knitwear, a woman must have a very good figure. If the figure is bad, then it’s better not to take risks, because the result is such an ugly loose shape. Women should not wear sneakers with a dress.

Show of the collection of Vyacheslav Zaitsev

- How? This has already been allowed for several years.

– This is American fashion, I’m against it.

– That’s why it’s fashion, sometimes to mix incompatible things.

– Yes, and in some cases it turns out well, but in America I saw women in dresses and sneakers, and it was terrible

– What should a real man not wear?

– Sports blue leggings. It’s outrageous when a man walks around in a suit and sandals on his bare feet - he definitely has to wear a sock.

I received only 10 rubles for a dress for Kosygin’s daughter

– Which of our celebrities is the most stylish for you?

– Our number one in fashion is Renata Litvinova. She always has a stunning image - very subtle, sophisticated. Her best friend Zemfira is also great: she changes, and she doesn’t care what they think or say about her. After the two of them comes Irina Ponarovskaya. At one time she was the standard.

Vyacheslav Zaitsev with Renata Litvinova and Nikita Mikhalkov

Photo: personal archive of Vyacheslav Zaitsev

– You are an honorary resident of Ivanovo and Paris. Where do girls dress better - in Ivanovo or in Paris?

– A Russian woman has a rare and amazing ability to adapt to circumstances. In the Soviet Union there was no opportunity to express one's personality, but now there is such an opportunity. Our girls began to dress very beautifully. And in Paris, mostly everyone is from outside. In Europe, you won’t even know what city you’re in. Even in traditional Japan you rarely see a kimono - instead of it there are jeans, T-shirts, sneakers - American style, which greatly influenced both the East and the West.

– Does an artist need to be absolutely free or is it better for the authorities to support him? At one time you were developing the so-called state fashion?

- Nonsense and gossip. It wasn't me. I only made dresses for Kosygin’s daughter. It was a very unpleasant incident: I received only 10 rubles and after that I stopped approaching such women with special treatment. But Trump is ready to stand up for Melania: it’s wrong that some fashion designers refused to dress her because political views her husband. Fashion should be outside of politics. They shouldn't have offended her. She interesting girl, dressed well now.

Vyacheslav Zaitsev with Alla Pugacheva, 2015

Photo: personal archive of Vyacheslav Zaitsev

The legend of Russian fashion, famous fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev turned 78 years old on March 2. Despite the master's venerable age, he is full creative plans, which he, however, manages to implement with great difficulty due to serious problems with health.

“I recently returned from a sanatorium in Karlovy Vary, where I went for the first time in my life. But then the need arose to treat his legs and Parkinson’s disease,” Vyacheslav Zaitsev admitted bitterly in an interview with journalists of the “You Won’t Believe It!” program. NTV channel. Parkinson's disease is a serious disorder nervous system, when a person loses control over his movements, which gradually leads to trembling of the arms and legs, impaired facial expressions and disability. “The only thing I would wish for myself on my birthday is to get well,” says the famous fashion designer. “The disease is what depresses me.”

By the way, at the buffet table that took place after the fashion show held on the occasion of Vyacheslav Zaitsev’s 78th birthday, he ate practically nothing. I just drank water and tried to sit down quickly. The master's joints are not in order. Zaitsev recently underwent surgery - he was given a titanium prosthesis so that he would not experience pain when walking.

In this difficult time, Vyacheslav Zaitsev is supported by his son Yegor, granddaughter Marusya and ex-wife Marina, whom they met while studying at the textile institute. The couple separated when their son was nine years old, but all these years they have maintained warm, friendly relations. Marina is perhaps the most worried about her ex-husband and regularly visits Vyacheslav Zaitsev, bringing him his favorite treat - raspberry pie. “Once upon a time, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich’s mother-in-law, my mother, baked it,” said ex-wife master. – This is a puff pastry pie with a thick layer of raspberry jam and with densely packed walnuts. Slava loves this pie very much.”

Despite the struggle with a serious illness, Vyacheslav Zaitsev does not intend to give up. He's getting ready to release new collection clothes "autumn-winter" and hopes that specialists will be able to put him on his feet. “The doctors are very optimistic,” concluded Zaitsev. “They say that I am a cheerful, strong person and therefore everything will be great for me.”

Due to financial difficulties, fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev has already delayed the salaries of his employees for three months.

Difficult times began in the life of the famous couturier Vyacheslav Zaitsev. Due to the crisis, he may lose his production. And if Vyacheslav Mikhailovich himself financial difficulties While he still tolerates it, his employees do not want to do this. Almost every month his employees leave Zaitsev.

Talk about difficult situation Vyacheslav Zaitsev went a few months ago. But Vyacheslav Mikhailovich tried not to talk about it. Until the last moment he hoped that he would be able to cope with the difficulties that had befallen him. Now the fashion designer admitted: he sees no way out.

– Because of the crisis it became less people who buy clothes,” the couturier admits. - We are having problems with wages for staff. Everything is very serious. I, as a director, do not know how to resolve the situation. It became very difficult to live and work.

According to Zaitsev, the delay wages in his fashion house is three months. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich cannot say for sure when he will be able to pay his employees, because he has no free money for a long time.

“I don’t know what to do,” complains Zaitsev. - I don’t see any way out. People come up to me and ask: “Vyacheslav Mikhailovich, where is the money?” I answer everyone the same way: “As soon as the outfits are sold or the rent is paid, the accountant will list everything.” Unfortunately, I cannot provide a stable salary right now. Some people suggest that I turn to sponsors for help. But I don't do that. I think it's useless.

Over the past few weeks, Zaitsev has lost four people who did not tolerate delayed wages. But he considered them one of the best in his production.

– The technologist quit, very good craftsmen from the experimental workshop,” continues the famous fashion designer. – Of course, I’m worried. These are the people I raised. They know my style perfectly. I’m not looking for a replacement for them yet, because there is a danger that others will leave. They are invited to work in prestigious places. Where there is a stable salary. That's why I understand them. And we have very high taxes, for example for land! Five million must be paid, can you imagine? This is a lot of money, we don’t earn that much!

Zaitsev does not want to take out loans, since in this case he could end up in a debt hole. Couturier hopes for help from the government, but in the meantime he is trying to somehow provide his enterprise with income. For example, if earlier he presented mainly things for women of model appearance, now he plans to make several collections for young people and plus-size ladies. Zaitsev promises: new clothes will not be too expensive. The fashion designer hopes that with the help of such measures he will be able to pay off his debts. Also, in the very near future, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich wants to organize a grand sale of existing clothes.

“Our fashion house will be thirty-five years old in June,” says Zaitsev. – And we are planning to organize a big show and sale for the anniversary. Inexpensive and very beautiful things can be bought at low prices. I hope that such measures will help us cope with the crisis.

Due to production problems, Vyacheslav Zaitsev will be left without summer holiday. However, the couturier is not at all worried about this. He assures me that he’s not used to lying around on the beach.

“I’ll go to Paris very soon for three days,” says Zaitsev. – I fly there every month. Many years ago I bought myself a small apartment in the capital of France. Now we have to go there and pay for utilities. It comes out to about four hundred euros a month – not much in my opinion. And I’m on vacation here, in Russia. I have a house in a village in the Moscow region. It stands right in the forest. Seven acres of land, a beautiful garden, great air, a river nearby! That's enough for me. Sometimes I go abroad to contemplate the beauty of the world around me. Then I transfer it to canvases. It turns out interesting!