When you think of Russia, two cities come to mind; Moscow and St. Petersburg. They are the two largest cities in Russia, have both been the capital and are rich in culture. But they have their differences as well, which are very distinct.
Established almost one thousand years ago, Moscow has a toughness about it. The pinacle of Moscow is the fortress of the Kremlin, the city is large and has a huge population. The city consists of skyscrapers and places emphasise on wealth and power. (More billionaires call Moscow home than any other city in the world)
In contrast, St. Petersburg is considered a young European city at just over 300 years old. When Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg he wanted it to be the cultural center of Europe. The colors are much brighter; the blue of the Winter Palace/Hermitage, the white and gold of Palace Embankment. There are few skyscrapers and is home to one of the largest art museums in the world and also the 8th wonder of the world. Still a major city, St. Petersburg is known to be friendlier and less crowded than Moscow.
Both cities are rich in Russian history and have very different backgrounds. On my trip, there are two occasions when I will need to dress up; the captain’s dinner on the ship and when I go to the Russian ballet. I wanted to create two dresses that captivate the essence that is these two cities. (I know this sounds like a Project Runway challenge)
The first color that comes to mind when thinking of Russia is red. The communist red, the red of the Kremlin, all of the blood that was lost. For my Moscow dress, I wanted it to scream imperial Russia; rich and luxurious. I looked at trims first and found the perfect one. (And almost cost as much as the fabric did) It is red, black and gold metallics with red jewels. I knew the dress was going to be in the red family, but I had a hard time deciding between an apple stretch satin and a wine metallic taffeta. I went with the wine because under different lighting the metallics shimmer and reflect the trim as well. Gorgeous!