What do Tsar Nicholas II and 26-year old designer Liza Koifman have in common? St. Petersburg and OntFront’s new 2009 f/w collection entitled Emperialistic.Little Nicky was son of the stunning Princess of Denmark, Maria Fyodorovna, and a tall intimidating father, Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov. Although shorter than Alexander, Nicholas II grew into a regal figure with deep blue eyes and a thick brown beard with golden highlights.
One of the most educated European monarchs of his time, Nicholas II was raised somewhat isolated from his intellectual and artistic peers, which would later seal his fate. But he adored music, especially Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, and most of all Nicholas loved his country. Although he was disposed by the Bolsheviks in 1917, becoming Russia's last Tsarevich, Nicholas was not the nation's last aristocrat!
Some of Nicholas' legacies include his impeccable dress and sumptuous uniforms. In 1903, Nicholas II and his wife hosted a lavish dress ball for Russia's aristocracy. They commissioned the nation's most illustrious tailors, such as the directors of imperial theaters and the Hermitage, who designed national 17th-century costumes, sparking a revival in traditional Russian dress.
Now, Liza Koifman continues the legacy of Nicholas II by inviting today's rising "aristocracy of the streets" to OntFront's sophisticated androgynous dress ball of renewed Russian dress! Employing the most exclusive fabrics, Liza adorns these urban uniforms with the armorial bearings of the Russian imperial family to outfit you like an modern aristocrat!
Slide show a/w 2009 Emperialistic Collection Copyright by OntFront.
Photo top right Nicholas II Copyright Wikipedia public domain.
