Blast from the past: Design made in the USSR

Believe it or not, there definitely was design in the USSR. Back then, many innovative products were created in the Baltics that defined ordinary life under communist rule – not only due to but in spite of the conditions.

by ALEXANDER WELSCHER

The end of the Second World War brought more than four decades of Soviet rule and planned economy to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Daily life under the totalitarian system forced people in the Baltics into self-preserving creativity. Despite a shortage of goods, empty shelves and limited possibilities, Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians showed unprecedented resourcefulness by making all kinds of things from scratch. Handcrafts such as sewing clothes were not just a mere hobby but a daily necessity for many people, while in the industrial field the constraints of the closed-off, state-controlled production system similarly led to creativity, innovation, and diversity. The Soviet era from the 1950s onwards was an important period of design history – resulting in the creation of products and objects that played a prominent role in the life of the average Soviet citizen. And it created a unique design culture that in one way or another somehow still lives on today in the Baltics.

Soviet era tailoring mecca In fashion, Riga was the trendsetter for the entire Soviet Union for decades. Established in the late 1940s, the fashion house Rīgas Modeļu Nams and the magazine Rīgas Modes were known far beyond the borders of Latvia and defined the fashion

behind the Iron Curtain. Alongside exclusive fashion designs, Latvia back then was home to a well-developed industry for the manufacture of massproduced fashion items, including clothing, footwear and haberdashery.

While artists of the Rīgas Modeļu Nams created designs that were worn by highly regarded models in fashion shows even abroad, its edition Rīgas Modes was the most popular fashion magazine in the USSR. Russian fashion historian Alexander Vassiliev once even named it the “Soviet Vogue”. Not least because “it contributed to forming a sense of taste and style, and also demonstrated the primary standard of beauty”, as the magazine is characterized by the Fashion Museum Riga.

Rīgas Modes became popular during Soviet times also due to the handy sewing designs and patterned sheets that were distributed with every issue. For many, the patterns became the main value of the magazine – people handed them down and copied them from each other since they were almost the only way to express yourself through clothes and stand out from the grey crowd of Soviet uniformity, even though the choice still was extremely limited. Eagerly used by both professional tailors and ordinary

The RAF minibus was the first small-size bus in the territory of the Soviet Union, and remained the most popular one for many years.

housewives, they enabled readers to make clothes for themselves during a time when almost every family had a sewing machine, and ready-made garments in shops were often neither fashionable, qualitative nor diverse. Most women at that time knew how to knit and sew, and to alter and redesign old clothes. Others relied on the skills of sewing ateliers and tailors that played an important role in the fashion industry. Most prominent was the Rīgas Modes fashion centre – the fashion epicentre that many Soviet women would have wanted to visit at least once in their lives.

Both Rīgas Modes and Rīgas Modeļu Nams ceased to exist following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the change of the economic system. Also, the practice of making your own clothes became much less common after regaining independence and the advent of the free market. Still, many people continued to scan clothing patterns from magazines to knit and sew extensively well until the mid1990s. “It made sense in those days as there was not much available in the shops. We studied magazines such as Burda and then made everything ourselves”, Estonian fashion designer Kristina Viirpalu recalled her first steps in business in an interview with the magazine Life in Estonia. Both

her mother and grandmother were seamstresses and had their own fashion studio during Soviet times where she practiced her own skills as a young girl.

Nowadays, Viirpalu is a renowned designer of unique and handmade couture pieces – she presents her collection at Fashion Weeks in Paris, London and New York. Similar stories can be also told about other Baltic designers who often grew up in the midst of self-created, homemade clothes – and can thus legitimately claim to have fashion in their blood. Many of them continue to have the compulsive Soviet-era attitude to fashion and clothing that has also become highly relevant today. In times of more ethical consumption, the aspects of sustainability, durability, DIY and working with what you have are hot trends that made their way onto the catwalk and into street style worldwide.

Wonders of industrial design In Soviet times, Latvia was not only renowned for its fashion but also edged into the lead in automotive engineering. Engineers and designers created vehicles that dominated the field in the USSR and became popular in the entire Eastern Bloc. Famous models included the “Riga” moped created by the Sarkanā Zvaigzne [Red Star] engine plant in Riga. Despite their technical shortcomings, they used to be an everyday mode of transportation in the entire Soviet Union. Similar popularity was acquired by the RAF2203 minibus designed and built in

the Rīgas Autobusu Fabrika (RAF). The cab-over van was widely used throughout the USSR as a medical vehicle, marshrutka (fixed-run taxi) and by other special services. About 300,000 vehicles were produced within 36 years in Latvia and just about 1% of these stayed in the country. Despite many faults, people still liked the minibuses nicknamed Rafik – also simply because there were not many others. Nowadays, the clunky design and straight-lined paintwork make the models look retrocool to generations that never had to drive them or be driven in them.

Praised as “an outstanding achievement of Latvian industrial design of the occupation period”, the “Rīga-12” moped designed by Gunārs Glūdiņš earned even more fame and has been included in the Latvian Cultural Canon. Glūdiņš was the chief designer at “Sarkanā Zvaigzne” and in addition also did some contract work for the State Electrotechnical Factory VEF. His portfolio for the former Latvian industry flagship included the transistor radio set “Spīdola” (1971) and the telephone “VEF–Elta”. Born in 1938, the designer is further known for the kids’ tricycle “Spārīte” (1978), the skateboard “Ripo” (1982) and production line for a chocolate-glazed dairy treat loved by Latvians to this day.

For ideological reasons, Glūdiņš was not called a designer at that time. “Instead, manufacturers employed so-called ‘artistic engineers’ who were responsible for the visual

The moped Rīga 12 is included in the Latvian Cultural Canon as a paragon of Latvian industrial design appearance of their products”, writes Alexandra Sankova, Director of the Moscow Design Museum, in the introduction of the book “Designed in the USSR: 1950 – 1989”. The term “design” was also banned from the vocabulary – it was called “technical aesthetics” during Soviet times when products often had to replicate items from the West or promote the achievements of the USSR.

Being located closer to the edge of the Iron Curtain, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had more international connections and higher awareness of modern design than other Soviet Republics. “The Baltic countries enjoyed a special reputation within the Soviet system for producing more ‘westernised’ goods”, Lithuanian design researcher Karolina Jakaitė explained in an article in the German design magazine form. Not many of them were self-invented. “Industrial spionage was a key characteristic of Soviet design.“

One of the most striking examples for this was the “Saturnas” vacuum cleaner that in 1963 was launched into mass production at the Vilniaus elektrinio suvirinimo įrenginių gamykla [Vilnius Electric Welding Equipment Factory] in Lithuania. Entirely spherical and encircled by a yellow plastic ring, it looked like the planet Saturn. The mini-planet that cleaned dust from the floor was a reminiscent of the USSR’s then space capabilities – and very obviously based on the American-made vacuum cleaner Hoover Constellation released in the mid-1950es.

In addition, the centralized and bureaucratic communist apparatus did not provide the best breeding ground for a rich visual culture. In many cases, “the idea was hindered by the reality”, as Glūdiņš puts it in a conversation with the Forum of Latvian Design. But doesn’t creativity grow from shortages and a lack of possibilities anyway? Unlike the unitary state, the design of products was diverse and versatile – especially in the Baltics.

The fashion industry is one of the most vibrant and creative sectors in the Baltics. Designers and labels from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania offer well-tailored wardrobe items for fashionable audiences. Even old clothes find a new life – either as new garments or traded on the internet.

Much in vogue

by ALEXANDER WELSCHER

When they hear the words “Fashion Week”, most people automatically think of the world’s major fashion capitals: London, Milan, Paris and New York. Sparkling pomp and glamour, eye-catching new fashions and provocative fresh trends. The loud bustle of huge fashion-crazy crowds at countless fashion shows, followed by hot party nights with styled-up celebrities strolling across the red carpet and posing in front of the photographers’ lenses. Ah, fame! Fashion circus at its finest. While some of this hoopla and frenzy that has long become an obsession in the fashion industry can also be seen at the Fashion Weeks in Tallinn and Riga and at the fashion festival Mados Infekcija (Fashion Infection) in Vilnius, the fashion flagship events in the Baltic capitals pursue a more sober and subtle approach. Hype and hysteria are hard to find – the main focus of the catwalk shows is on clothing. Extravagance, gaudy creative outbursts and paparazzi

The roots and bedrock of Baltic fashion

The fashion industry in the Baltics has culturally significant roots, mostly associated with natural materials, high quality, and a true-to-nature lifestyle and values. Textile products and clothing have been important export commodities for centuries since the times of the Hanseatic League. In the 19th

century, the Kreenholm Manufacturing Company in Narva was even the most modern industrial production plant in the whole of the Russian Empire, and the biggest textile plant in Europe. Later, after the Second World War, Riga became the dress-making and tailoring mecca of the Soviet Union. Nowadays, however, apart from some outsourced production facilities and sub-contractors for international

fashion brands, there are no major clothing manufacturers anymore in the Baltics. Besides a specialized and strongly export-oriented apparel, textile and leather industry, there are some bright and recognizable designers with their private labels. Most of them are small or micro enterprises that often use locally produced raw materials and, in some cases, also collaborate with industrial producers. appeal are mostly limited to a handful of local celebrities mingling amongst the thousands of fashionistas. Customs change from country to country.

Yet the bi-annual Fashion Weeks in Tallinn and Riga and their counterpart in Vilnius are no less a heavyweight in marketing exercises then elsewhere. The events are important moments in the Baltic fashion calendar. They regularly draw established Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian designers alongside up-and-coming labels from across the region to showcase their fashion trends for the following season to magazine editors, fashion scouts, street-style photographers and influencers. Some of the represented textile artists are small, partly even one-person companies, while others are international labels with growing reputations. What all of them have in common is a unique approach inspired by the Baltic notion of simple, elegant design. Many of them display easy-to-combine and wearable outfits based on good craft traditions and skills combined with creativity and innovation.

Old stagers and emerging talents In addition to everyday fashion collections and stylish low-key garments, there are also prêt-a-porter quality items and expressive creations developed by designers who also achieved fame in the haute-couture scene far beyond the Baltic borders. In general, however, it is difficult for fashion designers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to compete in the global fashion business. “If you are an Italian or French fashion artist, there is instantly a big ‘credit of trust’. If you are from a small country that does not boast such a fashion history, you need to be twice as talented, efficient and smart”, Elena Strahova, president of the Baltic Fashion Federation, told the Latvian business newspaper Dienas Bizness.

As the organiser of the Riga Fashion Week ever since it was first established in 2004, Strahova believes that Latvian

fashion designers are creative and talented, as evidenced by their victories and awards in many international competitions. The most recent example is Sabīne Skarule who in November was announced the winner of the H&M Design Award 2020 for her women’s collection entitled “+371” which drew on her memories of her Latvian childhood and was inspired by the craft of her homeland – traditional handicraft techniques and elements of Latvian folk costumes. “This prize opens the door, and gives me the freedom to fulfil my dreams”, says the 30-year-old designer. Earning a prize of €50,000, Skarule now plans to launch her own label.

Working in the fashion business and building her own apparel brand, however, is not a simple task. Not many designers manage to have longlasting success in the fast-moving fashion world like Juozas Statkevičius – internationally also known as Josef Statkus. Lithuania’s most famous fashion designer has been in business for more than three decades and was the first one from the Baltics to present

Winner of the H&M Design Award 2020: Sabīne Skarule

haute couture collections in Paris. His designs have created quite a stir and were featured in fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. Not to mention that he also dresses international stars and high-society customers such as the Princess of Denmark, Björk and Naomi Watts.

It is a long way to get there. The competition in the industry is extremely tough, while making predictions about upcoming trends is very difficult, if not close to impossible at times. Consumer behaviour, tastes and buying habits are changing rapidly since fashion for many nowadays is about individuality, self-expression and innovation in dress. “People no longer buy simple clothes, they are attracted to a story, a lifestyle or movement”, is how Inese Ozola, owner and head designer of the Latvian luxury lingerie brand Amoralle, describes the current situation in the fashion magazine L’Officiel Baltics.

Fashionable, functional, innovative New designers and brands appear every year – and often disappear just as quickly. The breakthrough point for them is three years, as fashion expert Strahova has observed. “Traditionally, the women’s clothing niche is considered the strongest because it has the largest target group. On the other hand, it also has the biggest competition because of the wide-ranging supply and demand”, she explains. To survive in the fashion industry, Baltic brands and designers have to choose different development paths. Many of them are very active in trying to find a place in the European and global fashion scene – also not least because of their small home markets.

Several designers have chosen to conquer a niche market such as children’s, up-scale or functional fashion, and operate very successfully by concentrating on the atelier business rather than mass production. In Tallinn,

Riga and Vilnius, there are now many fashion houses that specialize in making clothes, shoes, bags, hats and other accessories for fashion followers. In addition, multi-brand stores are located in the city centres with niche and selected displays to target the constantly growing and evolving fashion market in the Baltics. Online, the e-store wuruhi.com connects accessory designers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and their customers.

Growth has also been spurred by well-established Western labels that have moved into the Baltic states. Traditional fashion brands have helped drive up demand for high-quality goods and lead the way by showing Baltic designers that there is money to be made in the fashion sector. From a hobby business developed by self-employed people and the art community, fashion in the Baltics has progressed to become a serious economic activity on a professional level. There are currently about 70 brands in Latvia that regularly create collections. Around ten of them have managed to develop at a serious level and achieve considerable turnovers,

according to estimates by Dita Danosa, the long-standing head of the Latvian Fashion Chamber and the Latvian Design Center. In Estonia, the number of designers is thought to be around 50, according to Evelyn Ojamets of the Estonian Fashion Brand Association.

Fashion and business experts believe that, despite constant development, the scene in the Baltics is still taking shape and far from reaching its zenith. Some of them even say that fashion cannot be considered a true industry but is rather a part of the creative industries or the apparel and textile sector. Information about its contribution to the overall economy is imprecise and sparse – there is no specific data available from the national statistical offices. Estimates by Danosa in a broadcast on Latvian radio indicate that designer fashion brings about €5 to €10 million to the Latvian economy every year. Figures for Estonia and Lithuania are also thought to be low.

On the way towards circular fashion Alongside authenticity and individuality, the industry and consumer-conscious shift is towards a more sustainable, ethical and representative mindset. Amid global criticism of overproduction and the massive problem of leftover fabrics in the garment industry, fashion designers are on the look-out for new fibres to satisfy shoppers, are putting growing emphasis on sustainable clothing, and demanding garments that are sparing on the planet’s resources. Businesses are looking for a wider range of raw materials, eco-friendly textiles and innovative products, such as the award-winning nano-fibrous material from the Estonian start-up Gelatex Technologies – a gelatin-based alternative to conventional leather.

Another approach to reduce environmental harm is “upcycling” – making use of fabrics and other materials that are still in good condition in order to make new unique clothes and accessories. A pioneer of the concept of turning trash into trendy fashion was the Estonian designer Reet Aus, who was followed by many like-minded people in her homeland and abroad. The “Siim” collection by Marili Rooba attracted great attention in Estonia several years ago – a series of dresses upcycled from shirts worn by prominent fellow countrymen, including former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. In the meantime, Aus has taken her method to the next level – she now also creates software which enables brands and manufacturers to apply industrial upcycling methods and turn textile leftovers from cost to value.

What is fashion?

Fashion is something we deal with every day and is best defined simply as the “style or styles of clothing and accessories worn at any given time by groups of people”, according to the the Encyclopaedia Britannica. The famous

French King Louis XIV, renowned for his extravagant style, said that fashion is a mirror – it reveals what groups people are in. Fashions vary greatly within society over time but have always been an important part of how people define themselves and others. Popular fashions or trends are nowadays usually started by fashion designers, who design a spring and fall collection based on impressions and inspiration they gathered throughout the season from a wide range of sources – including art, popular culture, celebrities, music, politics, nature or something entirely different. The alternative is for clothes and accessories – even shoes – that are still in good condition to be sold on or exchanged. While there have long been flea markets and outlets for second-hand clothing, the internet has simplified matters and given a boost to the trade in used clothing. Online marketplaces dedicated to second-hand trade now make it possible for all types of people to sell their used apparel – and this is about to turn into a mass phenomenon. One of the main players in the booming market is the second-hand clothing marketplace Vinted. The C2C online platform allows private users to sell, buy and swap used wardrobe items. Being one of the star start-ups in the Baltics, the Vilnius-based enterprise aims to change shopping habits all over the world by making second-hand the first choice. Vinted currently has 25 million users registered across 12 markets and after a recent new funding round recently became Lithuania’s first “unicorn” – a start-up company valued at over €1 billion.

Experts predict a bright future for online recommerce in clothing, sometimes even drawing comparisons to the way that organic foods have now become part of the range in almost every supermarket. Fashion is about to change in the same way as society is shifting towards more environmental and social values. To some extent, this will affect the hype around the Fashion Weeks, which can hardly be considered beacons of sustainability. However, the colour and glamour of the events – both on and off the catwalk – will not disappear overnight. Neither in London, Milan, Paris and New York nor in the Baltic capitals. Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius may not boast the de luxe designers and big showmanship of the big fashion metropolises, but what they do have is real curiosity and desire – for new trends, talented designers and innovative fashion made in the Baltics.