post soviet?

Post soviet fashion is a massive buzz word at the minute- with designers such as Gosha Rubchinskiy pioneering the movement having brought it to the 'west's' attention. I can't deny I'm a fan of the trend - I've always liked brutalist architecture and have had a weird invested interest in Russian history (funnily enough my suggestion of Moscow for my post a levels Girls holiday was NOT widely approved of).

As Aleks Eror writes for High Snobriety "From Poland to the Ukraine via Bosnia and Bulgaria, this image of snarling dudes with their trackie bottoms tucked into white socks, loitering in packs in the shadow of concrete tower blocks is ubiquitous and has been for nearly 30 years now. What’s new is its commodification."

The movement largely consists of oversized shell suits, with look books being shot outside concrete megastructures and amongst decaying city scapes. This has lead questions to be raised as to how ethically correct for this movement to be appropriate by the likes of decidely uncool middle class English teenagers such as myself.

This perspective has left me feeling somewhat uncomfortable at my adoption and admiration of the trends- on one hand I fully appreciate the artistic merit of the designers and stylist, yet I can't help but feel guilty that I am participating in some form of class tourism in following the movement. I am a moneyed westerner. People have every right to argue that I am almost fetishizing the poverty and struggle of those living in post soviet russia for my own aesthetic. I appreciate that I am lucky enough to be able to reject this movement as soon as my tastes develop.

Part of me feels as though this movement must be refreshing for young Russian creatives, as it is giving them a leg up onto the world stage- yet again when coming from me this statement seems patronising and Western-centric.

All I can say is that the matter still perplexes me - am I wrong to appreciate and aesthetic because I haven't gone through the pain and suffering behind its creation? I guess thats up for me and my own conscious to decide, I don't think I'm quite ready to retire my Gosha but I'm definetly going to be more aware of just what it is that influences my choices.