Fashion Designer Tatyana Arzhanova: Building a Brand in Belarus

For fashion designer Tatyana Arzhanova, skirts and trench coats serve as her canvas. Her sketches inspired by her pet cat’s life and abstractions in the style of famous Vitebsk artists captivate many. However, her journey to success was not easy. Her boss once dismissed her ideas, claiming she lacked experience. But Tatyana persevered, chasing her dream and ultimately triumphing. She shares her story, the evolution of Belarusian fashion tastes, and why the local fashion industry is on the brink of a revolution.

Tatyana Arzhanova: The Journey from Seamstress to Moscow Fashion Week

Tatyana dreamed of becoming a fashion designer since she was five. After catching a glimpse of a Valentin Yudashkin fashion show on TV, she was inspired to sketch models in beautiful outfits and sew clothes for her dolls. She attended a school with an artistic focus and later graduated from the Vitebsk State Technical College as a fashion designer-constructor. However, she initially struggled to find work in her field and ended up as a seamstress at a knitwear company.

Tatyana quickly mastered knitwear sewing, but she aspired to be a fashion designer. She had numerous ideas for improving the company’s clothing models, but her director dismissed them, citing her lack of experience. Despite the setbacks, Tatyana’s friend encouraged her to visit Moscow and show her sketches to renowned fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev, who appreciated her talent.

Convinced that design was her true calling, Tatyana resigned and began working on her first clothing collection. However, she faced a financial hurdle. With her friend’s help, she managed to create a collection of five original chiffon dresses. She posted photos of her designs online, which not only captivated the public but also caught the attention of a design competition in St. Petersburg. Her collection, “Spring in Pink,” received positive reviews, marking another sign of her budding success.

An Unexpected Turn: A Cat Named Mimi Inspires Prints

Back in her hometown, Tatyana didn’t lose heart. She opened a clothing store and started developing her brand. Today, she creates collections of basic women’s clothing, including shirts, t-shirts, pants, suits, and coats. She also crafts unique, hand-painted, and embroidered trench coats, raincoats, and skirts. The sketches on her skirts depict mini-comics featuring her cat Mimi.

Mimi, an eight-year-old charismatic, fiery-red cat, has been a significant source of inspiration for Tatyana. Recently, a new furry friend, a snow-white affectionate cat named Pushok, has also sparked new design ideas. Drawing from the Belarusian belief that white cats bring love, Tatyana incorporated hand-embroidered white cat prints into her designs. The flying cats, inspired by the renowned Belarusian artist Marc Chagall, have become particularly popular among Belarusian women.

Creating a single skirt takes Tatyana 3-4 days. She starts by sketching the model and sewing it according to her patterns. Then, she begins painting. Drawing on one side of the skirt takes approximately 3-5 hours, while decorating both sides can take up to 10 hours. The acrylic paint print dries for about a day and a half, after which she sets it using high temperatures.

Exploring New Talents During Challenging Times

Tatyana admits that it’s impossible to stockpile clothing design ideas. She creates when inspiration strikes. Sometimes, she envisions a piece of fabric as a perfect shirt. She prefers working with natural fabrics like Belarusian linen, cotton, and viscose. Travel often sparks her inspiration, and she typically starts sketching new designs about two weeks after a trip.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Tatyana’s travels were limited. However, she found a solution in her “Inspiration” folder, where she stores drawings and photos of elements that fascinate her. This folder has helped her create new designs during the pandemic.

During the quarantine, Tatyana discovered a new talent—painting interior pictures. It all started with painting trench coats. She craved more color in her surroundings, so she picked up wide brushes and began painting on trench coats. Her designs were appreciated by charismatic women, and one of her raincoats even made its way to Madrid.

During self-isolation, Tatyana felt melancholic and started painting portraits of girls, particularly African Americans. The beautiful chocolate shade of their skin reflected her mood. Her first dark-skinned girl portrait found a buyer quickly, encouraging her to paint more.

For more information about Tatyana Arzhanova and her designs, visit her Instagram page.