Russian-Ukrainian
designer Inna Thomas resorts to fashion to try to end the hostility between the
two countries. Her new collection presented during Berlin's Fashion Week is
intended as a contribution to peace.
Deutsche Welle, 9 July 2014
A dozen young
women are passionately discussing their ideas at a reception given by the
Düsseldorf-based Fashion Design Institute. Huge photographs and mannequins
dressed up with more or less unusual outfits decorate the walls of the
building. Students are trying on their self-made dresses.
 |
| Inna Thomas loves unusual and flowery designs |
Fashion
designer Inna Thomas, 33, is the managing director of the institute. Almost the
only decoration in her room is a superlong coat rack with 50 outfits she
designed. Nine years ago, Thomas left the Russian city of Saratov for Germany.
Her father
is Ukrainian, her mother Russian. Not surprisingly, she is particularly
affected by the current conflict between the two peoples. "Every day, I
watch German and Russian television - noting a remarkable difference in content
concerning the Ukraine crisis. So I cannot know for sure what's really going on
over there," she said.
Adding to
Thomas's confusion is the fact that also her relatives and friends tell her
different stories on the phone. Some of them support the policies of Russian
President Vladimir Putin, the others demand that Ukraine be left alone. "I
don't take sides. I just listen to their flood of words. The worst for me is
that I am unable to help anybody, that all I can do is to feel pity for
them," she said.
Unambiguous
message
Thomas
tries to stay neutral - her message is simply peace, and her means of
transmitting that message is fashion.
 |
| Thomas is the managing director of the Düsseldorf-based Fashion Design Institute |
On Thursday
(July 8th, 2014), Thomas will present her new collection in the Hotel Adlon at
the Brandenburg Gate as part of Berlin's Fashion Week.
On a
light-colored miniskirt, there is a peace dove with a multi-colored tail -
yellow and blue feathers symbolizing the Ukrainian national colors, white, blue
and red feathers the Russian ones. The message: "We cannot be separated
from each other, our histories are intricately interwoven with each
other."
Thomas has
embroidered yet another skirt with two black hands stretching out for each
other. Huge hearts, once again in Ukrainian and Russian colors, embellish two
fine blouses.
The
designer herself cannot quite believe that anybody will actually buy her
politicized products. "These are simply showpieces with the only purpose
of letting me express my thoughts and feelings," she said.
 |
| Russians and Ukrainians should stretch out their hands to each other |
Fashion in
the crisis
The ongoing
crisis impedes Thomas's fashion label Sava Nald, which she founded together
with her German husband. "Sales in Russia are down - a fate shared by
other designers and fashion houses as well. The consumers are deeply worried,
and they don't dare to spend their scarce resources on cloth," she said.
Now,
Thomas's small-scale business must search for markets elsewhere - for example
in Germany, which is also where her cloth are being produced. What encumbers
her trade here is the difference in taste. Wide skirts, breezy blouses and
floating dresses are not precisely German favorites. "They say it's all
too much for them," she explained.
In spite of
these different preferences, Thomas has managed to gain new customers in
Germany, most of them professionals. "These women need presentable and
prestigious outfits. They are my target group."
This is now
the sixth time that Inna Thomas has presented her creations at Berlin's Fashion
Week - but the very first time that a political message has accompanied her
presentation. The designer had a hard time deciding whether such a message
would be welcomed before she finally went for it: After all, she argues, nobody
should be scared to express their opinions and feelings in a city like Berlin.
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