A great event devoted to rebirth of House IRFE took place in Palais Tokyo in Paris. The first collection “Renaissance” created by the head and designer Olga Sorokina was presented to the guests. Evening wear, suits reconstruct the spirit, mood and philosophy of the former House of IRFE adding them a more modern perception.
In 70 years after its closure Fashion House IRFE, which was established at the beginning of the last century by Irina and Felix Yousoupoff, is being reborn. Its new head and designer becomes Olga Sorokina. Direct descendants of Yousoupoff dynasty take part in the House rebirth, countess Xenia Sphiris, who was born Sheremeteva.
This fashion revival has, as its creative director, Olga Sorokina, whose slender silhouettes and rich embellishment produced a collection with a spirit of the past in pleated dresses but the glamour of Moscow now in fur trimmings and rich color.
«International Herald Tribune», Suzy Menkes
The guests were met by exposition of evening ware of the 20-30th, presented by the famous fashion collector and historian Alexander Vassiliev.
A delightful retrospection was smoothly going to the modernity: the new century models of House of IRFE were seeming to meet guests in show room standing on mirror stairs of Palais Tokyo in Paris.
Models paraded on the steps of the Palais de Tokyo contemporary art museum in bias-cut silk gowns and rich astrakhan fur jackets inspired by the sleek fashions of the 1920s and 1930s
«Associated Press», Joelle Diderich
The particular solemn atmosphere of the show was stressed by musical composition of fragments from Mussorgsky, Dvorjak and Grieg. The defile was accompanied by demonstration of the imperial family and Yousoupoff couple’s unique film chronicles.
The evening was visited by the following specialists in fashion-business, chief editors and editors of fashion departments of the world leading publishing houses. The following people were noticed among guests watching the reborn House of IRFE’s first defile: the head of Syndicate of High Fashion week Didier Grumbach, a powerful critic of fashion Suzy Menkes, editor in chief of L’Officiel Russia Evelina Khromtchenko, editor in chief of Vogue Russia Aliona Doletskaya, editors in chief of Harper’s Bazaar and Citizen K Russia Anzor Kankulov and Sergey Nikolaevich, critic of fashion from Telegraph Hilary Alexander, fashion observer of Associated Press Joelle Diderich and many others. As guests of honor there were heirs of famous Russian and European great families, friends and relatives of the House granddaughter founders’ – Irina and Felix Yousoupoffs – Xenia Sfiris.
Fashion House IRFE was founded in 1924 by Prince Felix Yousoupoff and Princess Irina Romanova, a niece of Russian tsar Nikolay II. The House name is formed by junction of the two first syllables from names of Youssoupoff couple: Irina-Felix.
Lovers of fine arts and fine things, the white Russian pair in 1924 founded the house of Irfe in Paris, after the first two letters in each of their names, launching their first collection at the Ritz and then showing inside their own theatre, built in their Parisian home. Noted by Vogue and popular with American millionaires, Irfe offered hand-embroidered, hand-painted elegance, but crashed in 1931 due to the dire straits of its clientele after the Great Depression.
«Agency France-press»
Today the world legend is going through its rebirth and the first collection of the renewed House of IRFE shows that its future wills multiple its former fame.
The idea is fantastic! It is just like a dream, fairy tale! It is a dream that has come true! I know how my primogenitors loved this house!
Xenia Sheremeteva-Sfiris
The project is supported by Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Russia, Embassy of Russia in France.
