Valentin Yudashkin designing new military uniform for Russian soldiers
5/25/2007 4:41:00 PM
New military uniform is to be designed for the Russian army by autumn 2007. It is being designed by Russian fashion designers, including Valenting Yudashkin, Mayak Radio reported. Reporters have already been shown new uniform for special police forces. Parade uniform is being designed for all the forces of the Russian army now, General Vladimir Isakov, Deputy Minister of Defense, said. The new uniform will comply with the standards of the Russian army. It will be comfortable and durable.
http://english.newslab.ru/news/222566
The designer of the Russian military’s new uniforms made an appearance at the fashion shows today — but the closest thing to anything army issue was a puffy pink parka that probably wouldn’t go terribly well with camouflage.
Valentin Yudashkin, a Russian designer who has shown in Paris’s couture shows, recently signed up with the Russian Defense Ministry to redesign its uniforms. The ministry this summer announced that it is spending 100 million rubles ($4 million) on new attire. Mr. Yudashkin’s designs will be unveiled next month.
The Moscow-based Mr. Yudashkin, who also has designed costumes for the Bolshoi Ballet, said he is not allowed to divulge details of his uniform designs so far – lest he give away any secrets to the enemy — and is still finalizing his sketches with the ministry. But he noted that it would keep the same color palette of the current uniform but use updated fabrics that are more “technologically advanced.” (The Russian military uniforms were last redesigned in 1992 under the orders of Boris Yeltsin.) “The double-eagle motif will be used prominently on the belt buckle,” he said backstage after his show.
Mr. Yudashkin’s aesthetic is generally vastly different from anything militaristic. The designer, who has 20 retail stores globally, showed a spring collection inspired by “Russian princesses” that featured evening gowns and cocktail dresses affixed with multiple strands of pearls, for example.
Yogesh Sharma, managing director for the label, says while taking on the military assignment may be unconventional, it “strengthens the brand.” He said it was no different than the way many other European and American designers promote their houses. “It’s like when designers dress celebrities for the Oscars — it’s the same thing,” Mr. Sharma said. “It adds presence to the brand.
http://blogs.wsj.com/runway/2007/09/26/ ... om-moscow/
Russian armed forces will soon get uniforms of a new design, said Army General Vladimir Isakov, deputy defense minister and chief of support services of the Russian armed forces.
Gen. Isakov made the statement while speaking to journalists in Moscow on May 23 during an exhibition of combat fatigues for Russian Special Forces.
Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov took the opportunity to tell the journalists that the Russian military uniform needed modernizing. When asked about things he was planning to change in the armed forces (e.g. communities’ infrastructure, welfare of troops or uniform) following his recent visits to units stationed across Russia, Serdyukov told the journalists that he would opt to change the uniform.
“Today we are considering proposals relating to changes to be introduced to a full dress and semidress uniform for all kinds of personnel of the Russian armed forces,” said Gen. Isakov. According to Gen. Isakov, the new uniforms are being designed with active participation of the heraldry department and leading Russian fashion designers including Valentin Yudashkin. The project is under the supervision of the Central Research Institute of Sewing Industry.
Yudashkin is Russia’s most famous fashion designer. He was chosen to design the Russian team uniforms for the Atlanta Olympic Games. His collections, some of which are exhibited in the Louvre Museum and the International Olympic Museum, are inspired by Russian culture.
New uniform designs should be based on the most appropriate combination of new technologies, ergonomics and traditions of the Russian army uniform, said Gen. Isakov. “Making changes for the better should be the main motivation behind any modernization,” said Gen. Isakov, chief of support services of the Russian armed forces.
Nanotechnologies will be used for developing combat fatigues used by Russia’s Special Forces, said 1st. Class Captain Vladimir Bogomolov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry. Members of the Russian Special Forces will be using uniforms comprising four basic layers, which would be fully interchangeable depending on climatic conditions and specifics of a mission.
Journalists could take a closer look at five types of the fatigues with which the Russian Special Forces will be equipped in the near future. A reconnaissance airborne regiment of the Russian army has been already issued 25 sets of the new uniform for a field test.
The Russian Ministry of Defense is to consider and approve new types of the uniform for different branches of the armed forces this fall, said Gen. Isakov.
It is worthy of notice that the latest changes of the Russian military uniform took place in the fall of 2005. The changes resulted in the reintroduction of papakhas or tall fur caps and collars made of astrakhan for generals and colonels of the Russian army.
http://www.russianspy.org/2007/06/06/fa ... sian-army/
