Youth is Timeless: Stylist Vladislav Lisovets Shares His Alphabet Associations

Recently, the brand ZARINA hosted a public talk with stylist and TV host Vladislav Lisovets. We seized the opportunity to chat with Vladislav about everything! Because in the “Alphabet” section, you never know what associations a random letter might evoke. The results sometimes even surprised Vladislav himself.

About Vladislav Lisovets

Vladislav Lisovets is a renowned stylist and TV host. He has worked with many Russian show business stars, serving as the stylist for groups like “Agata Kristi” and “Brilliant,” as well as artists such as Anita Tsoi, Zhanna Friske, Valeriy Leontyev, Irina Ponarovskaya, and Avraam Russo. He has participated in numerous fashion shows and owns several beauty salons and cafes.

A — The Letter “A”

For some reason, the letter “A” reminds me of the beginning of life. Not school, but early childhood: the first steps, the first sounds. Although the first words we usually say are “mom” and “dad,” “A” is the beginning of beginnings. It’s when you start to stand up, move, and say something. These are the first manifestations of yourself and your abilities.

The first thing I remember about myself is kindergarten when I was about four or five years old. I told my mom about my impressions of the group: which girl I liked and which one wasn’t very nice. I was very early in communication and very sociable from an early age.

V — Vladislav

I have always had a strange relationship with my name. To this day, I don’t associate it with myself. Therefore, I don’t mind when people call me Vladimir, Vadim, Mikhail… Nothing offends me. But the association that arises is: “V” is, of course, Vladislav.

G — G…

Oh my… (laughs). Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is something we all face throughout our lives and complain about. Because, honestly, there’s a lot of it around, and you can’t do anything to live without it; you just have to accept that it exists.

And when you become a famous person, it’s impossible to avoid. Even today, I thought I performed excellently, and everyone was so happy, and there was such a positive atmosphere! But I was already told that, nevertheless, there were people in the back rows who shouted obscenities, discussed me, and said nasty things about me.

I’m saying this because it’s impossible to live without it. I’m wildly delighted with this meeting. Every time I come to Minsk, I think: “It’s some other planet—a planet of kindness.” The atmosphere around me today was very positive. But then there’s that other thing. It exists, and you can’t do anything about it; you have to accept it.

You know, it’s like the other half of you. One half is very good. And the other is a bit strange and always confuses you.

But when it ends, life becomes brighter.

Yo — Christmas Tree

This is something I lacked in my childhood. Because I lived in the Caucasus, and we never had live, fragrant Christmas trees for the New Year: they were either artificial or pines. But there was no New Year tree that smelled like New Year.

I had to go to great lengths to get them. I found cut-down trees that only had the bottom, and I collected the top from branches. I nailed them together and made a decorative tree. It stood and smelled, and everyone came to my house to see it. Because for the southern countries, the Soviet New Year tree was a luxury.

I remember my first New Year tree. I was still little. A real fir tree was brought to the center of Baku. While it was being decorated, many people just walked around it in a circle: the wind carried that smell.

I stood guard near it for a very long time: about four hours. At first, I asked to sell me some part of it, but because I was small, no one sold me anything. But when they started making the top, I asked if I could take a cut-off piece of the trunk. They said, “Okay, take it.” Then I asked if I could take the cut-off branches. They said, “Take them.”

I collected everything I could, rolled it all up, and went home. I had to walk three or five kilometers. And at home, I made the tree myself: I nailed the branches to the piece of the trunk I had. I put it on my mom’s sewing machine and decorated it so that no one could tell it was put together. I was very proud of it.

Now, if I’m in Moscow for the New Year, I put up a live tree because that smell is incomparable. But in recent years, I often travel during this period. And I have an artificial tree: it’s very beautiful; you can’t tell it apart from a real one in appearance—only the smell is missing.

I — Game

I’m a gambler, and a very passionate one. It’s easier for me to live if I imagine that my life is a game, and I’m always playing. If you treat life as a game, it becomes simpler and easier. Because there are so many problems in life, but when you realize that life is a game, it doesn’t weigh you down, everything becomes much more pleasant, and the moments of losing are not so hard to bear.

L — Lisovets, Love

Lisovets is my last name, with which I have lived my whole life and which, I think, has made me who I am. And love is what I live for.

Because everything I do, I love. At all events: now and before; at all parties: mine and others’; in all interviews, I always wish everyone love. It’s the only thing that can make a person truly beautiful and happy. It’s a fantastic feeling in life—when love overwhelms you. It’s impossible to explain or describe.

Unrequited, requited—it doesn’t matter. Of course, it’s better when love is mutual. But if you have to choose between “I love” or “I am loved,” then, in my opinion, the first is better. Love should be within a person; it’s your feeling. When it’s in someone else, you can observe it, but you can’t feel it. And someone else’s love sometimes suffocates.

Many seek love but don’t know what it really looks like. If a person hasn’t found love, has never experienced this feeling—it’s very sad.

O — Zero

This is strange: I saw zero. But at the same time, it’s a circle. I’ve always been surrounded by circles: from childhood to adulthood. All the interiors in my apartment were made with circles; there were never any sharp lines, even the windows inside the apartment were made in the shape of “O.” It’s something cozy, closed, yours… Probably, your own world.

But for some reason, I first saw zero. And what do I associate zero with? Definitely not with emptiness. Zero is a starting point, like the letter “A”: zero, one, two, three, four. The beginning. Purity.

R — Jealousy

Jealousy is something that has been with me all my life, something that has greatly interfered with me, something that has ignited some madness in me. Because of jealousy, I did bad things and lived incorrectly. But on the other hand, it gave me a lot of energy. And, since I don’t regret anything, I think it’s very youthful.

T — Patience

This is something I’ve been working towards for a long time. Something I wanted to learn. And something I finally acquired. I always envied that other people had it, but I never did. But life experience has changed everything.

Sh — Clothes

Clothes! (laughs) This is what I love. What surrounds me. What I work with. What brings me great joy. Because dressing up, dressing others, giving advice—it’s all like a game.

And, I think, it’s something that helps a lot—especially in a society of not very smart people. And there aren’t many smart people.

It always works. Even if you’re for conscious consumption, it still