Russians Flaunt Their Sense of Fashion

Oyuna Batuyeva (R), 23, from the Buryatia region and? Anna Schelukhina, 20, of the Krasnoyarsk region, preparing backstage before the? final show of? the Eighth Miss Asia-Siberia international amateur beauty and? talents contest in? Krasnoyarsk last November.

Bushy, elegant and? positively scary facial hair was on? show at? the Third Russian Beard and? Mustache Championships, which took place earlier this year.



The? competition took place just before Beard Day in April, which marks the? day when Tsarina Elizabeth of? Russia removed the? beard tax that her father Peter the? Great had introduced during his reign.

While most of? us do not associate the? catwalk with buff men in? army gear, Russia's Armed Forces has shown it is more than willing to? step into? the spotlight with a? new clothing range for? civilians.



The Defense Ministry's design label? — Russian Army, or Armiya Rossiya? — showcased its Fall/Winter collection of? "army inspired" outfits as part of? the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, which ran from? March 26-31.

Columns of? bicyclists wearing 1940s-style tweed suits and? other traditional English biking attire rode through the? streets of? Russia's northern capital last summer.



The riders started from? the docked Krasin icebreaker and? weaved their way across the? city's islands until reaching St. Michael's Castle in? the historical downtown.

A model presents a creation by Black Star Wear during the New Russian fashion competition in Moscow, June 3, 2015. During the competition young Russian designers presented their collections that are related to the history and symbols of Russia, according to organizers.

An employee shows a ring featuring President Vladimir Putin created by Gleb Krainik for a jewelry line called Putinversteher during the New Russian fashion competition in Moscow.

A? woman inspects T-shirts, printed with images of Putin.



Creators of? the new collection, which went on? sale Monday after an? earlier batch sold in? June was well-received, produced the? T-shirts as they were inspired by? triumphs of? Russian sportsmen at? the Sochi 2014 Olympics, the? Paralympic Winter Games and? the 2014 Men's Ice Hockey World Championship, as well as Russia's annexation of? Crimea, according to? local media.

Earlier this year a? Russian store released a? "separatist" swimwear collection in? its own bid to? bring peace to? the region.



The? Voyenpro online store, which specializes in? military- and? patriotic-themed goods, named its latest collection "World of? Novorossia," in? reference to? a Tsarist-era region that formerly comprised all of? modern southern Ukraine and? is now used by? Moscow to? refer to? rebel-held territory.



Customers can buy anything from? bikinis to? bags featuring the? separatist flag or the? red, blue and? black colors of? the unofficial Novorossia confederation of? Luhansk and? Donetsk people's republics.