Russia’s leading designer, Vika Gazinskaya, shares her perfect day in the city.
When I wake, I drink tea with goat’s milk, as I prefer a strong, rich flavour. Or I drink Tibetan tea, which has Indian spices like cardamom and fresh ginger — it’s healthier and better for my body. It’s like a kind of soup and takes time to make. But today I’m in a rush so I’m having coffee.
I like it when it’s warm in Moscow, around 25°C, which isn’t often. I love to walk around the centre, the tiny little streets, and feel the mood of the city. Much of old Moscow disappeared during the 1990s. I was born and raised here and when it’s warm I love my Moscow. I’m looking forward to spring when I can walk around more. I just bought an apartment at Chistye Prudy with a very nice view.
On a perfect summer’s day I’d wear a sarong with sandals; in spring, probably Prada pants— simple, like the staff in the boutiques wear— with minimalistic sneakers, like classic Adidas, and white shorts, or a cotton T-shirt and a non-leather Stella McCartney backpack. I’m vegetarian. I don’t use leather in my collections and I don’t wear it. It’s a comfortable look; I can do many things. In my backpack would be heels, for a possible evening change, but small— comfortable yet feminine and chic. Roger Vivier shoes are perfect for me.
If there’s an opening at Dasha Zhukova’s Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture or an exhibition, I’d go. In June, there will be the big reopening of Garage by architect Rem Koolhaas. For now, we’ve had a temporary space that Shigeru Ban made from paper. Garage has the best shows and is the coolest place to visit. I like art but have expensive taste. I can’t buy Anish Kapoor or Antony Gormley, so I visit museums.
There’s an interesting concept store called KM20 (Kuznetsky Most 20) that has nice clothes, with a cafe, and you can play ping-pong. It’s not commercial at all. I call it the “museum of fashion”. It’s a beautiful place. There’s also Aizel, with three floors of gorgeous clothes.
Lunch would be Coffeemania near my house, a chain with very good food and the best cappuccino in the world. Then I go to my studio to fit a model or meet a client. I like to go to White Garden spa near the Park Kultury Metro station. It has a great atmosphere, with good massages, facials and the best people. The food is very healthy and you can eat while you have a manicure or pedicure.
For formal dining, there’s Dr Zhivago, which opened just before the New Year. It has Soviet cuisine and is 1980s influenced. It’s very beautiful with a view of the Kremlin. Another place, small and hard to book, is Williams— an Italian chef, fusion cuisine, tasty. For clubbing, we’d start in the Four Seasons’ new Moskovsky Bar. And then Simachev Bar, a cool spot to dance and have fun. You see all the people you know. If the music is good we dance until 6am.
I always ask the barman for a very strong cocktail. He squeezes a fresh ginger root, which is really, like, Wow!—your eyes pop out—then fresh lemon, which I squeeze into the glass myself and mix with the ginger, and then I add the vodka, half a lemon and ice. It’s strong yet also very healthy. The ginger absorbs all the toxins and you never get drunk but stay clear and healthy. They will put that drink on the Moskovsky Bar menu with the name Vika Gazinskaya!
On a perfect day I would also read (it’s Hermann Hesse’s autobiography right now). To end the day I’d watch one of my favourite Russian films by Nikita Mikhalkov, The Slave of Love. A very delicate, poetic Soviet movie (1975) about the final days of the Russian intelligentsia. The silent film actress Vera Kholodnaya falls in love with a Bolshevik. The film captures the poignancy and depth of Russian culture.
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