Vyacheslav Zaitsev: biography, personal life, wife, children, photo. Memories of a long separation from his son brought Vyacheslav Zaitsev to tears. His home is a future museum.

On March 2, Vyacheslav Zaitsev turned 80 years old. Master domestic fashion, a recognized master, the first Soviet fashion designer who was talked about in the West, lives completely alone in big house in outskirts of Moscow. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich himself, although he is sad about this, considers loneliness to be the price to pay for talent.

When Vyacheslav was a student at the Moscow Textile Institute, he met a girl, Marina. Zaitsev was born in provincial Ivanovo, he was raised virtually by his mother alone. He was so shy, shy and modest that he did not dare to propose to the girl. And then the chosen one herself called him to be her husband. “I said that I dreamed about this, that we would get married,” recalls Vyacheslav Mikhailovich in the documentary film “Glory and Loneliness,” prepared by Channel One for the master’s anniversary.

There was no money for the wedding, they simply got married and began to live in the apartment of Muscovite Marina. But find mutual language Zaitsev was unsuccessful with his mother-in-law. “She terrorized us in every possible way. She told Marishka that I’m not the one she needs.” The mother-in-law could not come to terms with her daughter’s choice, quarrels, resentments and reproaches multiplied from year to year like a snowball. And the moment came when Zaitsev had to leave the family. Son Yegor was 9 years old at the time. Zaitsev still remembers that period of his life with pain, and when he speaks on camera about separation from his son, he cannot hold back his tears.

“He calls me at work and says: “Where are you? Talk to me". “Okay, let's talk,” I answer and start crying. He believed that I abandoned him,” said Vyacheslav Zaitsev.

// Photo: frame from the film “Glory and Loneliness”

Ex-wife Marina, soon after her divorce from Zaitsev, married a second time. His stepfather began to raise his son - strictly and harshly. Yegor met his own father only six years later, secretly from his mother Marina.

“Egor said that he (stepfather) put him on the stairs and put him on his knees, taught him to live normally and answer questions correctly. When we met, he was already 15. I was struck by the words that Yegor said when leaving: “I won’t tell my mother.” Because when two people feel good, you don’t need to tell your mother so as not to upset her,” recalls Zaitsev.

// Photo: frame from the film “Glory and Loneliness”

Yegor Zaitsev also became a clothing designer. He works under the Zaitcev brand, which he is very proud of. The dynasty was continued by Vyacheslav Mikhailovich’s granddaughter, Marusya, who bears the name of the master’s beloved mother. Zaitsev Sr. raised Marusya for some time (when the girl’s parents separated), she is the closest to him dear person, he speaks only in superlatives about his son’s daughter and is proud of her successes. And Marusya considers her grandfather greatest man: “He’s the coolest. Because no one can do it the way he can. He is a revolutionary in a good way. And he loves his business, his work so much, I don’t know more examples like this,” says Marusya.

Aggression has practically disappeared from his work, and now he has moved from producing extravagant and conceptual outfits to calmer and more feminine ones. The fashion designer is sure that today a child is the center of the universe for him.

• Egor, the age difference between your daughters Marusya and Nastya is quite significant ( eldest daughter Maria Zaitseva – fashion designer and designer). Is the appearance of your youngest daughter a conscious decision or an unexpected gift of fate?

The second option, although the news that my beloved girlfriend was expecting a child made me very happy.

• What changes in your character occurred while you were expecting your baby?

I became terribly nervous: I literally imagined that someone was trying to push Katya, not to give her a seat. In general, in my desire to protect my wife, I made her much more nervous than the potential “offenders.” I myself am a non-conflict person, I can tolerate quite a lot of things towards myself, remain silent, step aside, but when it comes to my wife and children... it won’t seem too much to anyone. At the same time, some kind of universal kindness suddenly appeared in my heart. I was so impressed by the upcoming changes in my life.

• Has your attitude towards Katya changed?

I had been ready to grab the moon from the sky for her before, but while waiting for the child, I fulfilled her slightest desires, even those bordering on whims, not only immediately, but also with pleasure.

• What was the most difficult part of having a baby for both of you?

Probably, the first night with Nastya turned out to be a serious test for us. It’s just that Katya spent her entire pregnancy reading a lot of useful magazines and books about motherhood, so I was sure that she had already “studied in detail” everything about children. However, as it turned out, the books for expectant mothers only described pregnancy in detail, step by step, and both my wife and I found ourselves in complete confusion when the newborn began to scream desperately. A whole hour passed before we realized that perhaps she was hungry and tried to feed her. So I highly recommend that all future parents read this in advance. useful tips how to handle a baby.

• What age are you most looking forward to for Nastya?

The child touches me every day, so I am in absolutely no hurry to think and dream about what my daughter will be like tomorrow. So far it seems to me that she is growing and developing by leaps and bounds.

• Any child can bring parents out of their state peace of mind. How do you discipline your daughter?

This is a sore subject for me. Of course, there are situations when Nastya begins to stand on her head, and she needs to be brought to her senses, but as soon as I raise my voice at her, tears, panic, and horror immediately appear in her eyes. At such moments I curse myself for having so upset the gentle little girl with my “manly rudeness.” True, Nastya reacts completely differently to Katya’s remarks - quite adequately. My wife thinks that my daughter is already making ropes out of me. Katya always tries to hold me back when Nastya starts crying, and I rush to console her, although before that I reprimanded her on the matter. But for now I absolutely cannot stand these scenes. In my mind I understand that I should let my daughter cry so that she won’t do this again, but in my heart... no, it’s better to let him twist the ropes out of me.

• Can you afford to fulfill your daughter’s every whim? When Nastya comes to the store with you, do you pamper her or do you show firmness in fulfilling her whims?

Nastya doesn't pay attention special attention for toys of impressive size. For example, we came with her to the store, and I offered to buy her a bicycle, and my daughter responded: “Come on, let’s better buy a soft toy...”. But, if you ignore the purchase of some very desirable little thing, in this case Nastya can make a scene right in the store.

• And what do you do in such cases?

I buy everything at once, but Katya is firm. She first moves away from the child and pretends that she doesn’t notice any hysteria. When such scenes occur at home, the wife goes into another room and tells Nastya that she does not understand anything from her screams. That she would be ready to discuss the problem with her daughter and look for an optimal solution only after Nastya calms down. True, if this strategy worked well before, now Nastya follows Katya and sobs. But, of course, I can’t stand all this. Therefore, I immediately fulfill all her wishes, without waiting for the scandal to develop.

• Does Nastya have nanny ?

No. Katya and I decided that we could cope on our own, fortunately Katya’s parents help us a lot: if we have an emergency at work, we leave Nastya with them.

• However, both you and Katya work. How do you manage to combine work and raising a child?

My wife and I cover for each other, plus very often we take our child with us to work. She even calls the fashion house “black work”, since the furniture there is predominantly black, and the apartment is “green work”. The child grows up with the feeling that work is everywhere and it never ends - after all, mom works at home on a laptop, and dad can draw here. I don't think that's a bad thing. Our employees are already joking that Nastya spends so much time in the office that it’s time to hire her as a staff member.

• So, in kindergarten Are you planning to give it away?

You know, I think the way my daughter expresses her feelings directly and freely is largely the result of the absence of kindergarten in her life. No one tells her how to behave. Doesn’t squeeze her personality into a rigid framework, doesn’t slow her down. Maybe we’ll send them to kindergarten only Last year before school, and even then I’m not sure that my child must go through this stage. If Nastya likes it in the garden, she will go there, and if not, we will take her and continue to develop her on our own.

• What circles do you want to give it to?

I would like her to be fluent in at least one foreign language, or better yet several. We'll probably send her to dancing - it's very good for a girl. It would be nice for her to take up music, swimming, and perhaps even some kind of martial arts. While I myself am trying to teach her to play the guitar.

• What about drawing?

I would also prefer to do the drawing with her myself. I would like drawing not to be some kind of hobby for her - so that it becomes integral part her life. I also grew up with this feeling. My parents lived in a communal apartment and, as long as I can remember, there were their sketches around, there were cans of paint everywhere, they themselves drew a lot and they gave me a piece of paper and paint.

Now I suggest my daughter try to draw in different techniques: watercolor, gouache, pencil, crayons. She really likes it. She combines colors fantastically. Moreover, this is not only my father’s opinion: I recently showed these works to my mother, a famous artist, and she and her artist friend discussed the symbolism in Nastya’s works for an hour. I listened to their discussions with interest.

Of course, I try to encourage my daughter to take up drawing, but I do it quite subtly and delicately. I suggest what and how to draw only when I see that she doesn’t know where to move next.

• Do you take Nastya to museums and art exhibitions?

Our work is a big museum. We sometimes take Nastya to fashion shows. Recently, before a show where Katya appeared on the catwalk as a model, Nastya and I were sitting in the 1st row, I turned away briefly and... discovered that “the charming Anastasia Zaitseva was walking down the catwalk in her mother’s shoes,” as the journalists to whom she later wrote she posed almost professionally - smile, hands on her waist...

• How do you organize your little fashionista's wardrobe?

It looks very unique. I like to buy her semi-boyish things: camouflage pants, funny T-shirts, and my mother dresses Nastya up like a little princess - in beautiful airy dresses. In both images, the daughter feels quite organic. She instantly transforms from a little robber into a little princess.

• What toys does Nastya especially like?

She adores Stuffed Toys, and necessarily makes up families of them. My daughter also really likes the cartoon character toys that she watches.

• What do you like to do with your child?

I love walking with her: we feed the pigeons, study different leaves and flowers, and talk a lot. I value these moments so much that often after such walks I immediately sketch out many sketches that I could previously spend hours thinking about at the table. Now I create my collections mentally while walking with my child, and at home I just record my ideas. It’s just that now I clearly understand that my daughter is most important to me. I can push work into the background, but Nastya is growing up so quickly - her first steps, words, new emotions will never be repeated or seen if I miss them now.

• How do you approach child nutrition?

This is all very difficult for us so far. The only thing that reassures me is Katya, who says that she ate very poorly as a child, but remembers exactly that she did not experience any discomfort from it. Nastya likes a rather limited range of products. Getting her to try something new is extremely difficult, almost impossible. Favorite dish daughters - pasta. We have dozens of them different types. Nastya also eats vegetables and fruits quite well, but she categorically refuses soup - the amount of mixed ingredients seems indecently large to her. She prefers almost a mono-diet. True, this natural craving for healthy food is somewhat diluted by the peculiarities of our diet in the office - here we can allow it both French fries and sweets. But, of course, no one is force-feeding her anything.

• Are you doing Nastya’s hardening?

I really like coolness, and Katyusha was very nervous at first if I opened the windows in the cold season. Gradually we found a reasonable compromise - it’s not cold in our house, but it’s still cool, and Nastya treats fresh air just like me. She doesn't like to be dressed warmly or when the house is stuffy. I am especially pleased that the child practically does not get sick.

• How do you spend the summer with Nastya? Do you travel abroad with her?

For now, we only travel with the baby to Crimea for a few weeks, every summer. For me it best vacation– sun, sea, no civilization, no Internet. And for a child of 2–3 years old, it is better to splash in the sea and play in the sand than to walk around the Louvre with adults. When parents proudly say that their child saw the Mona Lisa at the age of 3, I always think that they are deceiving themselves, believing that the child remembered something. Next year, when my daughter is 4 years old, we will probably try to travel abroad for the first time, but again to the sea, and not for excursions to museums. For now, there is absolutely no point in overloading a child, in my opinion.

• Do you have any disagreements with your grandparents regarding raising your child?

My parents are busy people, so they can’t spend much time with Nastya, but Katya’s parents often come to sit with their granddaughter, and give her much more freedom than my wife and I. I wouldn't call it a disagreement - it's just that grandmothers always spoil their grandchildren. This is fine. You just need to understand that upon returning home from the grandmother, the child needs some time to adapt to the parental rules of behavior.

• Do Nastya and yours communicate? eldest daughter Marusya?

Of course, they often see each other at work, or grandfather invites us all to visit him. Marusya treats Nastyusha very tenderly, but so far, due to the big age difference, no large quantity some general topics or joint activities. But I’m sure that when Nastya gets older, she and Marusya will be friends.

• Would you like Nastya to continue your dynasty of fashion designers?

Certainly! But I will accept any other choice completely calmly and will support my daughter in all her endeavors.

• Your wishes to our readers

Enjoy every minute you spend with your children. After all, children grow up so quickly!

Egor Zaitsev Career: Fashion designer
Birth: Russia, 8.2.1960
Egor Zaitsev is one of the most controversial characters in the world of Russian fashion. His new show, presented at Russian Fashion Week for the spring-summer 2005 season, was eagerly awaited: after all, this spectacle cannot be boring!

LZhP - Light Women's Dress - this innocent name was chosen by the designer for his collection, in which Insect Women, continuing the theme of last season, again amazed the imagination of the audience.

Egor Zaitsev does not give a conversation! - fellow journalists scared me. And after the show, which impressed me so much, I really wanted to talk with its creator! And I decided to take a risk. As it turned out, not in vain. Egor Zaitsev was not only interesting designer, but also a charming conversationalist. He talks openly and from the heart about fashion and style, about armor and defenselessness, about falling in love and love.

Egor, in your LZhP collection you used the same motifs - the image of a prickly woman - as in the last one. What is this connected with?

These images live in me. For me, graphics come first: every evening I draw something. I try to translate the images that come to me into clothes. Past period was the beginning of a certain cycle for me, a certain style was born, moving from one season to another. The collection logically flows from the previous one, although from a technology point of view many aspects have been simplified: this time cotton and linen were used.

How did the idea of ​​creating an Insect Woman, the owner of spikes and tentacles, come about?

Last year was difficult for me, many emotional experiences were closely reflected in the collection. The illusions about my need for someone collapsed. Unfortunately, for some I am a tramp and a vagabond. If I don’t work, I won’t have collections, which means I won’t be in this world.

It seems to me that I look like a small fly that lives only in the light. The slightest mistake - and it will become a spider's dinner. There are also a lot of hungry spiders around me. When I restrained myself, things turned out differently. interesting works. The artist must be sincere, but not completely understandable to the viewer.

Do you realize your fantasies or fears in your work?

For me it's the same thing. All my fantasies are born of fears. I guess I still haven’t figured it out in myself.

Did you have nightmares as a child?

And how! Sometimes it seems to me that my entire existence is an absolute childish nightmare, gradually turning into senile insanity

As a rule, the designer’s work shows how he treats women. What is she, your today's heroine?

The girls who walk on the catwalk in my clothes are delicate flowers hidden in all these thorns and tentacles. For the sake of preserving the soul of a modern young woman, I try to remove her from the world around her, with all its dirt, vulgarity and debauchery. Clothing acts as a bodyguard.

Egor, could you, like the Little Prince, take care of your prickly Rose?..

That's all I do! I feel hugely responsible for those I have tamed.

Are you a vulnerable uncle?

Not that word. I'm a real armadillo. Without the armor it would be extremely difficult for me. Recent events in my life have once again convinced me of this. Because of my relaxation, I missed the shock, and from the people closest to me. And because the shock is caused exactly by those to whom I cannot give change

Do you think clothes from the LZhP collection will be worn?

To be honest, it’s all the same to me whether they will wear it. I'm a gentleman with abstract thinking. This is just how I see the world now. In addition, any new thing is perceived with hostility in the first few seasons, and later these same things can become trends and the whole world will look up to them. But judging by the reviews of my friends and girlfriends, many things could be worn these days.

Can you imagine a girl coming to the office in the morning wearing an extravagant outfit from Yegor Zaitsev?..

Well, everything has its own location and time. Office women can't afford much. There are a lot of labels on them, in practice just as there are on female models. It is believed that they should rest with their superiors and indulge them in every possible way. My current collection was created in defense of the modeling profession. Seems, office women It's also time to protect. If I fell in love with a girl who works in an office, I would certainly come to her work and explain to everyone what’s what. I think that a lady in subordination is always bondage associated with sexual harassment. After all, there is no escape from basic instinct.

Do you like women who are subordinate?

It's very offensive to me if I lose my temper and yell at the girls working at my agency. Because they start to tremble me! If I see fear in their eyes, then I’ve gone too far. I immediately imagine my daughter or myself, small and weak, in her place. So I try to avoid such situations.

For you, as a man, is it important what a lady is wearing?

At the first stage, perhaps yes. But a woman’s sexuality and attractiveness lies, of course, not in her clothes and, moreover, not always in her gaze. It could be the curve of the figure or something else. If some kind of special connection arises, a state of being in love, then the external is indifferent. When I see women who are extremely dressed, cold or, on the contrary, overly active, nothing arises in my soul. Clothes are secondary. If a person is a wasteland inside, no amount of clothing can hide it.

Tell us about one of your bright loves

At one time, a young gypsy was sitting near the Fashion House. One day I gave her money. After that, she often asked our models about me. She asked me to take her for a ride on a motorcycle. Our girls told me that one day, while waiting for me, she took off her headscarf and began combing her hair. Something in this story touched me, some inexplicable feeling awoke in me. This girl was extremely attractive to me spiritually

What is your relationship with fashion?

From my point of view, the fashion industry is a drug for the crowd, practiced all over the world. I'm interested in fashion not as a scheme to spend pennies, but as an art and possibility of self-expression. But I don't take this too seriously. I am not close to designers who create purely commercial collections.

What do you like to wear yourself?

Since I am an agent of a famous designer family, it is clear that I was not always free in my choice. There was a period of time when my dad wanted me to dress in a classic style. Moreover, I had the only suit, but I was suffocating in it. Under no circumstances do I follow any trends, perhaps because I know all this very well. I don’t like ready-made things, I constantly remake everything, I wear many things for years. The main thing is that the clothes match my inner state.

How is your creative relationship with your dad, Vyacheslav Zaitsev? Isn't it difficult to operate in one creative space?

Recently, dad said in a conversation that I did not follow in his footsteps: he works for a specific person, and I work for the purpose of an idea. And I agree with this one hundred percent. I work only for myself, and if someone responds, it means that my life was not lived in vain.

If the course of self-expression is so important to you, why didn’t you become, for example, an artist?

Fashion is more mobile. There is adrenaline here, you need to be on the wave all the time, aware of events. If you finish designing clothes, then you can break away from fashion. It’s like in big sports, you need to keep yourself in good shape all the time. And such a race turns on.

No matter how trite it may be - to adore and be loved. And, of course, accept yourself. Love is the most important thing in life; it is precisely this that is the basis of any creativity.

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LZhP - Light Women's Dress - this is the innocent name the designer chose for his collection, in which Insect Women, continuing the theme of last season, again captured the audience's imagination.

Egor Zaitsev does not give interviews! - fellow journalists scared me. And after the show, which impressed me so much, I really wanted to talk with its creator! And I decided to take a risk. As it turned out, it was not in vain. Egor Zaitsev turned out to be not only an interesting designer, but also a charming conversationalist. He openly and sincerely talks about fashion and style, about armor and defenselessness, about falling in love and love...

- Egor, in your LZhP collection you used the same motifs - the image of a prickly woman - as in the last one. What is this connected with?

These images live in me. For me, graphics come first: every evening I draw something. I try to translate the images that come to me into clothes. Last season was the beginning of a certain cycle for me; a certain style was born, moving from one season to another. The collection logically flows from the previous one, although from a technological point of view many aspects have been simplified: this time cotton and linen were used.

- How did the idea of ​​creating an Insect Woman, the owner of spikes and tentacles, come about?

Last year was difficult for me, many emotional experiences were reflected in the collection. The illusions about my need for someone collapsed. Unfortunately, for some I am a tramp and a vagabond. If I don’t work, I won’t have collections, which means I won’t be in this world.

It seems to me that I look like a small fly that lives only in the light. The slightest mistake and it will become a spider's dinner. There are also a lot of hungry spiders around me... When I restrained myself, the work that came out was not so interesting. The artist must be sincere, but not completely understandable to the viewer.

- Do you realize your fantasies or fears in your work?

Best of the day

For me it's the same thing. All my fantasies are born of fears. I guess I still haven’t figured it out in myself.

- Did you have nightmares as a child?

And how! Sometimes it seems to me that my whole life is a continuous childhood nightmare, smoothly turning into senile insanity...

- As a rule, you can see from a designer’s work how he treats a woman. What is she, your today's heroine?

The girls who walk on the catwalk in my clothes are delicate flowers hidden in all these thorns and tentacles. For the sake of preserving the soul of a modern young woman, I try to remove her from the world around her, with all its dirt, vulgarity and debauchery. Clothing acts as a bodyguard.

- Egor, could you, like the Little Prince, take care of your prickly Rose?..

That's all I do! I feel hugely responsible for those I have tamed.

-Are you a vulnerable person?

That's not the right word. I'm a real armadillo. Without the armor it would be very difficult for me. Recent events in my life have once again convinced me of this. Because of my relaxation, I missed a blow, and from those closest to me. But it is those to whom I cannot fight back that strike...

- Do you think that clothes from the LZhP collection will be worn?

To be honest, I don't really care if they wear it. I am a person with abstract thinking. This is just how I see the world today. In addition, any new thing is perceived with hostility for the first few seasons, and then these same things can become trends and the whole world will follow them. But judging by the reviews of my friends and girlfriends, many things could be worn today.

- Can you imagine a girl coming to the office in the morning wearing an extravagant outfit from Yegor Zaitsev?..

Well, everything has its place and time. Office women can't afford much. There are a lot of labels on them, almost as much as on female models. It is believed that they should sleep with their superiors and indulge him in every possible way. My current collection was created in defense of the modeling profession. It seems it’s time to protect office women too. If I fell in love with a girl who works in an office, I would definitely come to her work and explain to everyone what’s what. I think that a woman in subordination is always bondage associated with sexual harassment. After all, there is no escape from basic instinct.

- Do you like women who are subordinate?

I feel very bad if I lose my temper and yell at the girls working in my agency. They're starting to be afraid of me! If I see fear in their eyes, then I have clearly gone too far. I immediately imagine my daughter or myself, small and weak, in her place. So I try to avoid such situations.

- Is it important for you, as a man, what a woman wears?

At the first stage, perhaps yes. But the sexuality and attractiveness of a woman lies, of course, not in clothes and not even always in her eyes. It could be the curve of the figure or something else. If some kind of special connection arises, a state of being in love, then the external is indifferent. When I see very well dressed women, cold or, on the contrary, too active, nothing arises in my soul. Clothes are secondary. If a person has emptiness inside, no clothes can hide it.

- Tell us about one of your bright loves...

At one time, a young gypsy was sitting near the Fashion House. One day I gave her money. After that, she often asked our models about me. She asked me to take her for a ride on a motorcycle. Our girls told me that one day, while waiting for me, she took off her scarf and began combing her hair. Something in this story touched me, some inexplicable feeling awoke in me. This girl was very attractive to me spiritually...

- What is your relationship with fashion?

From my point of view, the fashion industry is a drug for the crowd, practiced all over the world. I'm interested in fashion not as a way to spend money, but as an art and an opportunity for self-expression. But I don't take it too seriously. I am not close to designers who create purely commercial collections.

- What do you like to wear yourself?

Since I am a representative of a famous designer family, naturally, I was not always free in my choice. There was a period when my father wanted me to dress in a classic style. I even had one suit, but I was suffocating in it. I never follow any trends, maybe because I know it all very well. I don’t like ready-made things, I constantly remake everything, I wear many things for years. The main thing is that the clothes match my inner state.

- How is your creative relationship with your dad, Vyacheslav Zaitsev? Isn't it difficult to work in one creative space?

Recently, dad said in an interview that I did not follow in his footsteps: he works for a specific person, and I work for the sake of an idea. And I completely agree with this. I work only for myself, and if someone responds, it means my life has not been lived in vain.

- If the process of self-expression is so important to you, why didn’t you become, for example, an artist?
Costume designer for the films “Pyshka”, “Duenna”, “12 Chairs”, etc. Marina Saldaeva.

Egor Zaitsev is one of the most controversial characters in the world of Russian fashion. His new show, presented at Russian Fashion Week for the spring-summer 2005 season, was eagerly awaited: after all, this spectacle cannot be boring!

LZhP - Light Women's Dress - this is the innocent name the designer chose for his collection, in which Insect Women, continuing the theme of last season, again captured the audience's imagination.

Egor Zaitsev does not give interviews! - fellow journalists scared me. And after the show, which impressed me so much, I really wanted to talk with its creator! And I decided to take a risk. As it turned out, it was not in vain. Egor Zaitsev turned out to be not only an interesting designer, but also a charming conversationalist. He openly and sincerely talks about fashion and style, about armor and defenselessness, about falling in love and love...

- Egor, in your LZhP collection you used the same motifs - the image of a prickly woman - as in the last one. What is this connected with?

These images live in me. For me, graphics come first: every evening I draw something. I try to translate the images that come to me into clothes. Last season was the beginning of a certain cycle for me; a certain style was born, moving from one season to another. The collection logically flows from the previous one, although from a technological point of view many aspects have been simplified: this time cotton and linen were used.

- How did the idea of ​​creating an Insect Woman, the owner of spikes and tentacles, come about?

Last year was difficult for me, many emotional experiences were reflected in the collection. The illusions about my need for someone collapsed. Unfortunately, for some I am a tramp and a vagabond. If I don’t work, I won’t have collections, which means I won’t be in this world.

It seems to me that I look like a small fly that lives only in the light. The slightest mistake and it will become a spider's dinner. There are also a lot of hungry spiders around me... When I restrained myself, the work that came out was not so interesting. The artist must be sincere, but not completely understandable to the viewer.

- Do you realize your fantasies or fears in your work?

For me it's the same thing. All my fantasies are born of fears. I guess I still haven’t figured it out in myself.

- Did you have nightmares as a child?

And how! Sometimes it seems to me that my whole life is a continuous childhood nightmare, smoothly turning into senile insanity...

- As a rule, you can see from a designer’s work how he treats a woman. What is she, your today's heroine?

The girls who walk on the catwalk in my clothes are delicate flowers hidden in all these thorns and tentacles. For the sake of preserving the soul of a modern young woman, I try to remove her from the world around her, with all its dirt, vulgarity and debauchery. Clothing acts as a bodyguard.

- Egor, could you, like the Little Prince, take care of your prickly Rose?..

That's all I do! I feel hugely responsible for those I have tamed.

-Are you a vulnerable person?

That's not the right word. I'm a real armadillo. Without the armor it would be very difficult for me. Recent events in my life have once again convinced me of this. Because of my relaxation, I missed a blow, and from those closest to me. But it is those to whom I cannot fight back that strike...

- Do you think that clothes from the LZhP collection will be worn?

To be honest, I don't really care if they wear it. I am a person with abstract thinking. This is just how I see the world today. In addition, any new thing is perceived with hostility for the first few seasons, and then these same things can become trends and the whole world will follow them. But judging by the reviews of my friends and girlfriends, many things could be worn today.

- Can you imagine a girl coming to the office in the morning wearing an extravagant outfit from Yegor Zaitsev?..

Well, everything has its place and time. Office women can't afford much. There are a lot of labels on them, practically

ski as much as on female models. It is believed that they should sleep with their superiors and indulge him in every possible way. My current collection was created in defense of the modeling profession. It seems it’s time to protect office women too. If I fell in love with a girl who works in an office, I would definitely come to her work and explain to everyone what’s what. I think that a woman in subordination is always bondage associated with sexual harassment. After all, there is no escape from basic instinct.

- Do you like women who are subordinate?

I feel very bad if I lose my temper and yell at the girls working in my agency. They're starting to be afraid of me! If I see fear in their eyes, then I have clearly gone too far. I immediately imagine my daughter or myself, small and weak, in her place. So I try to avoid such situations.

- Is it important for you, as a man, what a woman wears?

At the first stage, perhaps yes. But the sexuality and attractiveness of a woman lies, of course, not in clothes and not even always in her eyes. It could be the curve of the figure or something else. If some kind of special connection arises, a state of being in love, then the external is indifferent. When I see very well dressed women, cold or, on the contrary, too active, nothing arises in my soul. Clothes are secondary. If a person has emptiness inside, no clothes can hide it.

- Tell us about one of your bright loves...

At one time, a young gypsy was sitting near the Fashion House. One day I gave her money. After that, she often asked our models about me. She asked me to take her for a ride on a motorcycle. Our girls told me that one day, while waiting for me, she took off her scarf and began combing her hair. Something in this story touched me, some inexplicable feeling awoke in me. This girl was very attractive to me spiritually...

- What is your relationship with fashion?

From my point of view, the fashion industry is a drug for the crowd, practiced all over the world. I'm interested in fashion not as a way to spend money, but as an art and an opportunity for self-expression. But I don't take it too seriously. I am not close to designers who create purely commercial collections.

- What do you like to wear yourself?

Since I am a representative of a famous designer family, naturally, I was not always free in my choice. There was a period when my father wanted me to dress in a classic style. I even had one suit, but I was suffocating in it. I never follow any trends, maybe because I know it all very well. I don’t like ready-made things, I constantly remake everything, I wear many things for years. The main thing is that the clothes match my inner state.

- How is your creative relationship with your dad, Vyacheslav Zaitsev? Isn't it difficult to work in one creative space?

Recently, dad said in an interview that I did not follow in his footsteps: he works for a specific person, and I work for the sake of an idea. And I completely agree with this. I work only for myself, and if someone responds, it means my life has not been lived in vain.

- If the process of self-expression is so important to you, why didn’t you become, for example, an artist?

Fashion is more mobile. There is adrenaline here, you need to be on the wave all the time, aware of events. If you stop designing clothes, you can fall behind fashion. It’s like in big sports, you need to keep yourself in good shape all the time. And such a race turns on.

No matter how banal it may be - to love and be loved. And, of course, accept yourself. Love is the most important thing in life; it is precisely this that is the basis of any creativity...