Leonid Gurevich show - 'TRIBUTE'

My first fashion internship in New York was for the Russian-American couture designer Leonid Gurevich. He was busy creating a collection called ‘TRIBUTE’, dedicated to the Russian film star, singer and entertainer Lyudmila Gurchenko (1935-2011), who wore his dresses for performances and events. A lot of the work involved hand-sewing embellishments onto the dresses, jackets and skirts. We worked with feathers, lace, fur, chains and vintage embroideries. I will be forever grateful for that internship as not only did I learn a lot, but I also made some great friendships.

The show was held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, a gothic-revival former synagogue built in 1849. In 1986, Spanish sculptor Angel Orensanz purchased the property and used it as a studio space to show his work. Today, the foundation is used both as a studio and as a center for the arts. It truly is a beautiful building and Leonid could not have picked a more perfect venue for his show.

It was so exciting to see the creations we had all worked on as a team come walking down the runway. The incredible hats featured in the show were created by Anya Caliendo. Leonid did an exceptional job with this collection; it not only embodies femininity and beauty but also an undeniable extravagance not seen all too often.