Russia's Fashion Week to 'brighten' financial gloom in Moscow

Moscow, Oct 28 (UNI) Russian Fashion Week opened in Moscow today , with organisers promising the spring-summer 2009 collections would shine through the "gloomy" outlook of the global financial crisis.

Eastern Europe's most famous pret-a-porter week, which runs until November 4, will host over 100 events, including 65 catwalk displays, eight business seminars and press conferences and 20 parties, as well as charity and other events.

More than 60 designers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Spain and Italy, including Custo Barcelona, Alessandro de Benedetti and Toni Francesc, will participate in the catwalk at the Congress Hall of the Moscow's World Trade Centre.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand will open the week, considered as the biggest fashion event in Eastern Europe, and present her Women's Ready-to-Wear Collection.

At least 10 new designers, among them Russians Oleg Biryukov, Lyudmila Mezentseva and Sabina Gorelik, will present their collections for the first time. Russian rapper Timati is scheduled to show his collection for Sprandi on November 2.

Designer Larisa Kalistratova said her collection is a mix of fashion styles from the 1970s and 2000s, with "bright colours and flying women silhouettes" aiming to offer hope for a happy future - "including for our fashion" - amid the current global financial crisis.

Sergei Teplov, who also takes part in the show, told RIA Novosti news agency that despite the current crisis, his collection has "dusty black, blue and brown colours mixed with white," adding that "dark colours are no reason to have a dark mind." UNI XC KK AKJ BST1902