Beauty in exile

From the 7-th of March to the 7-th of April in a State center of photography (Bolshaya Morskaya Street 35) is held an exhibition Beauty in exile.

Beauty in exile — beautiful russian women in Paris — is one of the most important projects of theatre artist, writer and fashion historian Alexander Vasilyev.

In 1998 appeared a book of A. Vasilyev - «Beauty in exile», which immediately became a best-seller. In 2001 A. Vasilyev shut a film for «Culture» TV channel, based on the book's plot.

Alexander Vasilyev is known as an outstanding collector. His collection numbers countless dresses and accessories and approximately 10 thousands photos, witnessed the fame of Russian women in Europe and USA after the revolution of 1917 year.

At the exhibition is shown just a little part of this unique collection. Portrait's heroines – women from rich noble Russian families, most elegant and beautiful women of their time. They all had to escape from the revolution. Many of them moved to Paris, Berlin and New York. They worked there as dressmakers, seamstresses and models. This was the beginning of Russian fashion houses (For example: Irina and Felix Usupovi, fashion house “IrFe”).

Photos tell us about hard work and life humiliation in emigration. But the beauty of these women don't dim, in spite of all ordeals in their life. Many of those woman became known just because of photos of Alexander Vasilyev.