Saint Petersburg (AFP) – Despite lacking equipment, staff and even fabric, Russia’s fashion industry is striving to grow and fill the huge void left by Western brands quitting the country due to its offensive in Ukraine. The YOU clothing brand has cast itself as an alternative to Spain’s Massimo Dutti, which has closed more than 500 shops. “We cannot produce everything abroad” explains YOU CEO Yevgeniya Moseychuk, “we need to reduce distances… and organise production here”. Alexander Peremiatov, the founder of a retail space showcasing Russian designers, believes that “patriotic consumption” is on the rise.
