PARIS, Feb 26, 2007/ FW/ --- Although she comes from the same country as Tolstoi, the very young Russian designer’s collection sent on the runway this morning, could not be called War and Peace, but rather War and Love, as opposed to the hippie’s famous motto.

An army of thirty models have transformed the catwalk in a military inspired parade to present Alena Akhmadullina’s collection for Fall 2007. Eventhough the designer was justifying backstage that she “was a peace lover”, she also said that she was “fascinated by the everyday war heroines backing up their country and their man from home” and that she decided on the military theme for this collection “thinking about the inner war we all have to fight”.

The stern girls’ faces had all been clad in a short wig made of cotton renderings of hair streaks carefully styled in the fifties’ manner. All the models seemed to have adopted the dress codes of their beloved ones, presumably fighting on the war front.

A first set of only black or white coats, suits, dresses, sweaters, marched the runway to the sound of troop boots evoking how women back home manage to contribute to their country’s war effort, assimilating military discipline but keeping their looks feminine. Most pieces were adorned with matching leather coated square pyramids, some printed or embellished patterns paid tribute to the Russian Air Force with plane designs inspired from constructivism paired with the Cyrillic alphabet letters going with it.

A second set of only khaki and navy blue outfits then invaded the catwalk to patriotic anthems very reminiscent of the music played on Russian trains during the Soviet period.

The last set of garments introduced a touch of red among the khaki and blue battalion of looks together with a large tartan pattern in thick wool and a very effective print on a soft dress which nicely rendered a uniform shirtfront complete with faux breast pockets, belt and buckle ornamented with the compulsory red star.

Wide military belts, impressive shoes and boots were paying tribute to the designer’s work on accessories. Her square handbags were more banal in their design and less good in their execution.

Bomber jackets, parkas, raincoats displaying medallions, epaulettes and stars, woollen coats or fake fur blousons enriched by a natural fur collars protect the soldier inspired woman with their powerful symbols when she accomplishes her duties.

A jacket of shimmering velvet, a dress in silk, a coat cut in a Scottish plaid seem more fit for relaxed moments and free time when femininity can take over again... just like the nicely designed and executed knitwear, particularly when adorned with big three-dimensional knotted patterns.

However amazed Paris audiences were with Alena Akhmadullina’s first collection of soft nostalgic evening dresses presented last season in her first fashion show ever, her more rigid tailored suits and coats were less convincing. The seaming techniques they use are too poor yet to hit the international markets and the designer should take care of surrounding herself with the right ateliers to interpret her design ideas and better master the use of various fabrics. Of course, what we are seeing on the runway are all prototypes that will be studied again before they get produced, but the level here is not sufficient for a Paris fashion show.

Nevertheless there is room for improvement and Alena Akhmadulina has time for this and can probably become a fully respected designer when she acquires this knowledge. She belongs to the generation who were babies when the war between Russia and Afghanistan happened, a conflict which has left deep wounds in her country, just as the Vietnam war has, twenty years before, in American culture. Assimilating the war culture to inner combats is a big step forward that the designer tentatively treaded this season.

As the military codes were only treated as a design inspiration for their symbolism and that the Russian couturier was not trying to make a political statement whatsoever with her collection, no one dared ask her backstage about how she felt with the still latent conflict between Russia and Chechenia.