Since starting your brand, what are the biggest challenges you’ve faced? How do you feel like the brand has changed?

When I first started the brand I did everything myself. Finding the right collaborators in terms of fabrics and factories was really challenging. The brand has evolved very organically; I haven’t had a specific 10-year plan. I go by the rhythm of my inspirations, nourished by today’s youth. I always try to be in the now.

The fashion industry has experienced a lot of ups and downs in recent years. What do you think about the current state of the industry and what do you see as the biggest issues facing the industry today? Specifically, what are your thoughts on the state of streetwear?

I don’t really spend time questioning the state of the fashion industry; I just do my thing.

What’s been your highlight of 2017?

2017 has been a great year. I brought my shows back to Russia for the first time since my debut collections. It is a great way to show my country to the world. I think it is very important when you have a voice to use it. With everything being said about Russia at the moment I feel the best way to make your own opinion is to come and see it for yourself.

You’ve collaborated with adidas Football and Burberry this year—what was it about those brands that made you want to work with them?

I’m very happy about both these collaborations. It’s been great to work with such iconic brands. When I choose a collaborator, I always tend to look for brands that have a genuine mastering of their craft. To me, adidas Football represents German technology and Burberry represents British heritage.

The main theme behind both collaborations is football. Fall/Winter 2017 marked the beginning of an ongoing collaboration with adidas Football leading up to the 2018 World Cup. We decided to present it in Kaliningrad as it used to be a German territory. For our Spring/Summer 2018 collection, St. Petersburg was an evident choice as football was first brought to Russia by British emissaries in the early 19th century in St. P. It was important to me to pay tribute to this history through a collaboration. When thinking of a British brand I would like to work with, Burberry was evident. It's the most iconic British brand to me.

What was it about these collaborations that differentiates them from your own collections?

They are part of a whole. It is important to think of the collection and the collaborations as one. Of course the adidas Football pieces are sportier than the Burberry collaboration, but they all make sense together.

Youth culture has often been a big part of your work—and is something that adidas Football and Burberry are also associated with. How did that shape your collaborations with them?

I think a brand’s history shapes who they are. It is very important to both know where you come from and understand the present. Both adidas Football and Burberry are very in the now. That is what matters to me.

What are your short-term and long-term goals for your brand, and personally?

I have many projects coming up. I think my goal is to stay true to myself and always keep being interested in what I do and the people that surround me.