“The profession, which I’m doing all the same, is behind the scenes, and I can’t say that I’m a public person on a television level, when people constantly pester me on the plane, on the street, at the train station and ask for something. I’m an unrecognizable person in this sense. I’m recognizable only in narrow circles, "said Alena to herself in an interview.
Indeed, many people notice that one of the most famous Russian designers, whose name is always well-known, does not like to appear at social parties, and behaves on them always very restrained. Although there are those who argue the opposite and call the person Akhmadullina scandalous and impudent. Such differences of opinion indicate the brilliance of the personality and charisma of a talented designer.
Biography. Childhood, youth and education
Alena Asfirova (the real name of the famous designer) was born on June 5, 1978 in the city of Sosnovy Bor, Leningrad Region, into a family of engineers. As a child, Alena was engaged in biathlon, the girl also had the ability to draw, so her parents sent her to study at an art school. Alena was often disappointed with clothes as a gift for a holiday, she believed that clothes were not a gift at all, and she could not be compared with toys. However, during the school period, Alena had a love of clothing design at the labor lessons. She sewed outfits for herself and all her friends, altered and “improved” things from her mother’s wardrobe. As the designer herself says: her interest in fashion design arose mainly due to the fact that it was in the 80s that the fashion industry appeared in Russia, which significantly affected the attitude to clothing among the population of the Soviet Union. But at school, Alena did not think that fashion design would become her profession. These thoughts appeared at the end of the art school, when she realized that she really loves to draw, she loves art, fashion, design and this is exactly what she does best.
Therefore, after graduating from school in 1995, Alena entered the Institute of Technology and Design in St. Petersburg in the direction of “Fashion Design”. Alena speaks very warmly about her university, says that there was a very large team of teachers who gave their students enormous freedom, a huge number of competitions were held, which forced students to practice more often, to try themselves “in the material”. All this made it possible for students from the first year to feel in the profession.
Brand Alena Akhmadullina
Already a couple of years after graduation and the beginning of a career, Alena Akhmadullina formed her own clothing brand. Alena Akhmadullina brand was founded in 2001 in St. Petersburg, and already in April 2001 participated in the show with the first Pret-a-porte collection at Russian Fashion Week. Alena believes that it is natural to create something new based on what you know well, which is why the distinguishing feature of her design is traditional Russian motifs, Russian culture, fairy tales and paintings. Alena Akhmadullina's signature prints and unique silhouettes of clothing are widely known both in Russia and far beyond its borders. In 2005, the brand's collection was first presented at the Paris Fashion Week. Since then, Alena Akhmadullina brand regularly presents its collections in Paris.
The brand was developing rapidly, according to Alena herself, the brand from the very beginning was self-sufficient due to sales in multi-brand boutiques, and upon arrival in Moscow, the designer had the opportunity to already open a boutique of his brand. In autumn 2008, the first Concept Store of Alena Akhmadullina opened in the historical center of Moscow on Nikolskaya Street. In 2011, Alena Akhmadullina brand launches an online store. In 2012, the brand’s boutique opens in the Seasons Galleries, and in 2017, a boutique in the Riga Shopping Center.
Alena Akhmadullina's portfolio includes costumes for participants in the Vancouver Olympic Opening Ceremony (2010), design sketches for the Russian Olympic team uniforms (2008) and T-shirts for the Evrovision competition in Moscow (2009), as well as costumes for the Cirque du Soleil JOEL show (2015).
