Generation Z is a network spotlighting the best of the country’s burgeoning underground scene
Thanks to native Georgian Demna Gvasalia, the past few years have seen a spotlight turned on the former Soviet country’s creative scene, as Tbilisi Fashion Week continues to blossom and flourish season on season and a new generation of designers assert themselves as ones to watch. The same can’t be said of its neighbour Russia, though, despite the fact it’s the birthplace of the likes of Lotta Volkova and creative director and Popoff Kitchen founder Nikita Egorov-Kirillov.
“The concept of fashion in Russia at the moment is so vague,” explains Diana Spit, founder of Generation Z – a collective of young creatives trying to highlight the country’s burgeoning underground scene. “There are few people who support the fashion industry. It’s a standard situation that people don’t consider art or fashion as something serious.”
Starting out as a stylist, Spit realised she didn’t want to focus on her own work and instead wanted to help spotlight others around her. “This led me to create something more, a kind of community, a platform aimed at promoting and supporting creative people that published their work, video interviews, and even job offers for others creatives,” she tells us.
“People are so accustomed to being intimidated that any movement from the norm brings with it a consequence, from criticism to arrest – they shouldn’t be afraid to express themselves” – Diana Spit
Featuring photographers, stylists, make-up artists, models, and artists from all over the country, Generation Z’s main aim is to bring together a community of people who want to break away from Russia’s creative norm. “People are so accustomed to being intimidated that any movement in another direction brings with it a consequence, from criticism to arrest,” Spit says. “We have a duty to change culture by creating visual content that doesn’t leave people indifferent. People shouldn’t be afraid to express themselves.”
While it’s primarily a platform to showcase its members work, Generation Z also acts as a point of contact for creatives from all over the country to collaborate and create new work together. There’s even official Gen Z merch too. But although it is growing rapidly (the Instagram account has nearly 20k followers), Spit and other Generation Z members still have a long way to go in terms of raising the creative community in Russia to the heights they want. “Everything in Russia is delayed by several years, so there are bound to be criticisms at first, but the most important thing is to not give up,” she says.
Spit remains positive that Gen Z will achieve its hopes and more in years to come. “Since I founded Generation Z, I have met so many wonderful people who are such creative thinkers,” she concludes. “I’d love to see not only people from the fashion world, but also translators, graphic designers, and people in IT. It would be cool to promote our ideas to other countries or cities and have different Gen Z headquarters around the world.”
Here, we speak to five of Generation Z’s members on Russia’s upcoming underground fashion scene and what the platform means to them.
NICK GAVRILOV – PHOTOGRAPHER
How did you first get into photography?
Nick Gavrilov: I have always been attracted to visual arts since I was at school. I was always keen on cinema and painting, but when I went to university I studied computer technology which had nothing to do with what I wanted to do. I started photographing my friends in my free time and it soon grew into something more.
What is the creative scene Russia like at the moment?
Nick Gavrilov: There’s mostly not a lot going on. In Moscow, there’s more than the rest of the country, but nothing is really sincere or even creative – it’s all focused on commerce. Here in Saint Petersburg, the scene is only just emerging, so I try and keep quiet about it.
“In Moscow, there’s more than the rest of the country, but nothing is really sincere or even creative – it’s all focused on commerce” – Nick Gavrilov
How did you first get in touch with Gen Z?
Nick Gavrilov: I first met Diana about three years ago, when Gen Z was only a community on VK (the Russian version of Facebook). After some time, we decided to make something more out of it, namely, a full-fledged platform about the new generation, aimed at supporting and implementing Russian and later foreign artists.
What is your role in the community?
Nick Gavrilov: For Gen Z, I am committed to finding new faces and talents and placing their portfolios on the platform so that in the future they can be approached to participate in various projects. In Russia, no such platforms existed, but now you can find like-minded people for both creative and commercial projects.
MARINA MALINOVSKAYA – STYLIST
What is the creative scene in Russia like at the moment?
Marina Malinovskaya: Our country has a huge raw material problem, a lack of production options, and limited technology. Education and fashion literacy of the population also lags far behind. I think Russia needs to more actively use new technologies and utilise its abundance of talented professionals in order to fully express itself in the global fashion industry.
Things are also complicated when it comes to small businesses in Russia. There are a lot of new, independent brands appearing, but unfortunately, our state has no global interest in the development of the fashion industry; designers have had no support from the government until very recently.
How did you first get into styling?
Marina Malinovskaya: My interest in fashion originated when I was young. When I was 10 I already knew all the designers and followed all the shows each season. The decision to be a stylist came when I found myself. I asked my friend who was the editor-in-chief of a local magazine if I could try styling even though I had no experience or portfolio. She gave me an opportunity and now I can see that styling and photography are what I want to focus my attention on. When you’re shooting, nothing else exists. It’s just me and the amazing world that I’m trying to create.
“Generation Z is a huge community of emerging Russian artists that are undoubtedly important for our country and most importantly, it’s a platform on which you can express yourself” – Marina Malinovskaya
What have been some of the difficulties you’ve faced?
Marina Malinovskaya: In the provinces, the fashion industry doesn’t exist, so nobody cares about your unique vision. I was labelled a ‘controversial stylist’ in Yekaterinburg because the job didn’t really exist. I started working at a local glossy magazine, but they didn’t really accept me because my vision was very different to the norm and I wanted to destroy all the stereotypes.
Why do you think the platform is important for Russian creatives?
Marina Malinovskaya: For me, Gen Z is a base of contacts for professionals – I’ve met many photographers through it who I now work with. No matter how far you are from each other, you can always form a team. Generation Z is a huge community of emerging Russian artists that is undoubtedly important for our country and most importantly, it’s a platform on which you can express yourself.
ANGELINA SMIRNOVA – MAKE-UP ARTIST
How did you first get into make-up?
Angelina Smirnova: As a child, I used to draw on the walls of our flat with ballpoint pens, then I started drawing on myself as a way to relax. I just kept doing it: but instead of paint, it’s now cosmetics.
I really like bringing joy to people by helping them discover a new personality through my make-up. Maybe it was a side they already had but were too shy to show – the make-up allows them to be truly themselves.
“The creative scene in Russia is developing quickly, but everything is still censored” – Angelina Smirnova
What do you think of the creative scene in Russia at the moment?
Angelina Smirnova: I’m not from Russia, but I often visit Moscow and Saint Petersburg and I like what is happening there right now. The creative scene in Russia is developing quickly, but everything is still censored.
What is it like in your birthplace?
Angelina Smirnova: I can’t say the same about Belarus, my home country, as the development of the creative scene is so slow. Many young people are forced to leave the country if they want to succeed. With Gen Z existing in Russia, it’s a great opportunity for people to express themselves, meet new people, and find like-minded creatives to create something new with.
PAVEIL ONE – FILMMAKER
How did you first get into filmmaking?
Paveil One: I’m a believer in the idea that anyone can do anything that he or she wants, so that’s how I first got into video. I realised that I could tell a lot more through video than through other art forms. One of my favourite videos is a documentary about the КЛУБ club space – I really tried to put together a vision with the energy of club life.
What do you think the creative scene in Russia is like at the moment?
Paveil One: I can’t really answer this question, because I’m not really interested in the fashion industry, but in my opinion, I think that creatives in Russia have great potential. Especially since it’s an era when everyone can live as they want now that all Soviet and post-Soviet restrictions have been lifted.
“I think that creatives in Russia have great potential. I’d love to make videos that are recognised in Europe, the US, and all around the world” – Paveil One
How did you first get in touch with Gen Z?
Paveil One: I first met the guys from Gen Z when I made a video for the brand SINETEZIA. I immediately realised that they were my people.
What are your plans for the future?
Paveil One: In the future, I really want to work internationally. I’d love to make videos that are recognised in Europe, the US, and all around the world.
ROMAN GUNT – CREATIVE DIRECTOR
How did you first get into creative direction?
Roman Gunt: I have always been passionate about fashion, collecting magazines and following the collections, but I had no idea I’d be involved with it one day. It was tough because I didn’t really know what I wanted from life and I didn’t have any outstanding talents. I tried shooting and styling, I even tried to be a model, but I didn’t succeed at any of them.
After a while, I realised I could become a producer and creative director because I was always coming up with ideas for shoots and bringing people together to make something fresh and new. Finally, I found my talent and it was a huge revelation for me. Now, I’m working as creative director of Generation Z and our local underground club КЛУБ (aka Kisloty).
What is the creative scene like in Russia at the moment?
Roman Gunt: People in Russia have a strange perception of creativity – I’m especially talking about our government and the older generation who are stuck in USSR times. They don’t consider creative professions necessary for the country and don’t understand that the culture of the country depends on the creative potential of new generations.
It’s not as bad as the international media says; we can do what we want, but we don’t have any support from the government which is why we create our own safe spaces and communities. At the moment, the creative scene in Russia is very fragmented, and the most important thing to do is unite people together.
“We need a strong community based on the principles of equality, that’s the most important issue in Russia right now. We have a very scattered society and we need a platform like Gen Z to overcome the post-USSR stagnation” – Roman Gunt
How did you first get in touch with Gen Z?
Roman Gunt: I met with Diana about a year ago, but we knew each other long before and were watching each other’s work from afar. I think fate brought me together with Nick and Diana. It wasn’t by chance, but because of the need for a new community here in Russia.
We need a strong community based on the principles of equality, that’s the most important issue in Russia right now. We have a very scattered society and we need a platform like Gen Z to overcome the post-USSR stagnation.
Why do you think the platform is important for Russian creatives?
Roman Gunt: We should look to the new generation and listen to their opinion because the future of culture in our country fully depends on their creativity and uniqueness. Platforms like Generation Z are like a breath of fresh air that we needed so long and I’m so happy to be part of it.
Ultimately, I want people in my country to be more open-minded and not afraid to be themselves. Every creative person in Russia can help with this struggle and we will help them in promoting and developing their skills. My main goal is to explore and promote young artists from Russia to help them overcome this stereotype that nothing happens in our country.