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Posts Tagged "Street Fashion"

Evgeny: Samara Clothing Store Owner

SAMARA: Evgeny, 27, grew up in a small town outside of Samara and worked as an economist for two years, ”making good money.” But he gave up the job to open Long Live clothing store 14 months ago. The store gives more space – about 80 percent – to unknown Russian and Ukrainian designers compared to well-known brands.

”To do what you love is the most important thing,” Evgeny said about his decision to leave his office job. He said he wants to offer clothing that is ”unique, that doesn’t have serial production.” As for promoting Ukrainian designers alongside Russian, he said ”political games shouldn’t concern simple people.”

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Samara Art Students

SAMARA: Alina (left) was hanging out with friends Alexandra and Nastya by the Volga riverside in Samara, each holding hot drinks from a nearby McDonald's as they watched people skiing, walking and winter kite surfing along the frozen river. Alexandra and Nastya, 17, first met Alina at an art class they all currently attend outside of their regular studies. Alina said her favorite artist is Salvador Dali, but that she is inspired by work of modern, unknown artists ''as their art is normally created from their hearts.'' Alina said her first portrait will be that of a girl ''to show her deep inner world…what she sees and the nature she feels.''

Khabarovsk Youth

Khabarovsk: They said the were on their way to the Amur riverside "to get some fresh air." While it was rather warm for Khabarovsk, not sure it was really time to be wearing sneakers...

Ilya: Sakhalin’s Colorful Teenager

Sporting long, multi-colored hair, several facial piercings, penciled eyebrows and sneakers, Ilya, 16, was not someone I expected to meet on the cold, oil and gas region of Sakhalin Island. The teenager, who was taking his three-year old sister to the playground, said he attracted a lot of unwanted attention. ''It is difficult, but I am used to it. My mother is supportive [of my style], but not my father.'' Ilya said he has some Spanish roots and that his family was moving to Spain in a few weeks. While he said he was happy to leave Sakhalin ''as there is nothing for me to do here,'' he doesn't want to live in Spain either. ''I would like to live in Moscow or St. Petersburg,'' said Ilya, who wants to pursue a career in fashion.

Vladivostok Girlfriends

Anya, Nelli and Nastya were walking in the center of Vladivostok, each wearing a trendy black winter hat with the words 'BOY,' 'New York,' and 'Vogue' written on them. The teenagers said they - like many others in the Russian Far East - would like to move to St. Petersburg, where the cost of an apartment is similar. ''There are more prospects for artists there and it is more developed,'' said Nastya, who loves to paint. ''There are more museums, plenty of places to walk around and it's close to Moscow.''  

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Ye Ji: Korean 12 years in Russia

Ye Ji moved with her parents to Russia 12 years ago from Korea, living initially in Irkutsk in Siberia near Lake Baikal. She is now studying law in Vladivostok and says her co-students ''treat me like a Russian rather than a foreigner.'' Ye Ji said she is looking forward to moving back home when she finishes her university degree. ''I have lived in Russia for so long, its about time I lived in my own country.''  

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