The most famous couturier in the history of Russia, Viacheslav Zaitsev, died today at the age of 85, his relatives told the local press.
The reason for his death is unknown, although it was known that in recent years he had suffered from Parkinson's, according to the REN-TV channel.
Zaitsev was admitted to a Moscow clinic today with internal bleeding, where he died hours later, the source said.
The French press defined him in the 1960s as the "red Dior" both for being a designer from the Soviet Union and for his talent, recognized by Pierre Cardin, among others.
The son of an "enemy of the people" retaliated against during the Stalinist purges, the couturier graduated from the Moscow Textile Institute and during his career he dressed the most famous USSR celebrities such as the singer Alla Pugachova.
His fame skyrocketed when he received permission from the Soviet authorities to put his personal brand on his designs.
In 1980, he designed the uniforms for the Soviet team that played in the Moscow Olympics and later dressed Raísa Gorbachova, the first wife of a Soviet leader who broke tradition by dressing like a true Western first lady.
Later he would also occasionally design clothes for Ludmila Putina, ex-wife of the current head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin. Her last public appearances were on a popular morning show on public television called "The Fashion Verdict."
