#2

Gosha Rubchinskiy’s Autumn/Winter 2012 debut marked his global entry and sparked a landmark collaboration with the iconic Japanese label, Comme des Garçons. Rather than a full-scale collection, this capsule series comprised just 16 exclusive designs that perfectly capture his artistic vision—mirroring his personal style as a man who speaks little but lets his work speak volumes. The garments, rendered in cold tones evocative of Russia, feature prints and embroidery drawn directly from the original moodboard. In contrast to his later work, celebrated for oversized silhouettes, this collection offers a slim fit and cropped sweatshirts, making it advisable to size up. Originally available in limited quantities at Dover Street Market and select boutiques, these pieces have since become highly coveted rarities.

"Our autumn collection is the nostalgia game, with classic skate things like long-sleeves, sweatshirts and shorts. We used colours and styles from club culture in the late 80s and early 90s. The main theme is Arkhangelsk, the first major port in Russia during the Middle Ages and now the centre for the study of oil in the Arctic, so we did a print with an icebreaker (an ice-strengthened vessel) named Viking. Playing with meanings, we used a font from the cover of Burzum's first demo in 1991, one of our favourite bands. That was also the year of the birth of a new Russia – and a new generation of people. [...] My favourite band is a cult band, Aquarium, who come from St. Petersburg and celebrate their 40th anniversary this year. Their music always inspires me and their new album is called Arkhangelsk. We used it in the prints for our collection as it is in tune with my thoughts."