You really could have been anywhere. You could have been leafing through the pages of a J. Crew catalog, or you could have been at a fashion show in Milan.


That universal quality is probably what Alexei Grekoff and his team had in mind when creating the spring-summer collection of the designer's Fashion Gallery, which was shown last Friday night in a sumptuous affair at the President Hotel. What made this show different, though, was that it was in Moscow and that the worldly designs were coming from one of Russia's up-and-coming couturiers.


Despite the designs, it was definitely a Moscow show. The master of ceremonies was none other than Boris Moiseyev, the semi-notorious dancer known for his controversial and extremely flamboyant style, who provided the audience with a familiar face. He was also the first to appear in the show, sashaying convincingly down the runway in Grekoff's very handsome suits. Moiseyev, the designer said at a press conference several days earlier, was his "favorite" model. The dancer in turn praised Grekoff as the greatest and freshest designer around.


The show itself started with an otherwise ho-hum and lengthy showing of the men's collection. Grekoff relied heavily on the very conservative Amagansett look that many of us have become a bit too familiar with in Russia.


The suits, with their broad shoulders and generous tailoring, might have been designed by Hugo Boss. They came in a range of muted Mediterranean colors: sea blue, ocher, cognac, sand, olive and white. The resort wear was very resorty, evoking scenes of sailboats and the Vineyard. Boys sported rich, sunny-colored Bermuda shorts, complete with windbreakers, docksiders, and yes, argyle socks.


"There are certain fashion standards and laws, and every designer follows them. I am no exception," the designer said, perhaps as a way of excusing his by-the-book designs. Grekoff, a 1990 graduate of the Faculty of Applied Art of the Moscow State Textile Academy and winner of the Nina Ricci Design Competition, added, however, that he hopes his collection reflects the changes in the world of fashion, a world he sees as vast in scope and which is beginning to include Russia.


Moving on to the women's collection, it was perhaps useful to refer to the Fashion Gallery's press release, which made a point of stating that the designs follow the Grekoff philosophy, which is one of "two directions in production: Grekoff homme -- creating fashion for men; and Grekoff femme -- creating fashion for women."


Considering that nearly all designers throughout history have followed this rather practical format, one might wonder exactly what Grekoff has in mind. But the "femme" ready-to-wear designs, which were shown after a surprise musical interlude by the popular entertainer Sergei Penkin, were a real treat. In addition to the beautiful cut of his jackets and the obvious quality of the garments, there was also some imagination at work here.


Grekoff used about everything he possibly could to make one think that he was a European designer. His motifs ranged from the conservative navy look paired with saddle shoes, long skirts and Marlene Dietrich trousers, to tapered cuffed cigarette pants with tailored long blazers, on to the ethnic American look matched with a bit of hippie grunge, and culminated in Empire evening wear with very long beautiful dresses and chest-high waists.


Patterns also ranged from a simple play of navy and white polka dots, to a few pretty florals to some Aztec designs on transparent chiffon flared pants. Evening looks were dominated by heavy, and perhaps overpowering, velvet jackets. His ballgowns reflected masterful inspiration.


All of Grekoff's designs are crafted with "natural" fabrics, allegedly a source of pride for Russian designers of late, and his clothing is manufactured in Italy. The designs were beautiful and suggest a productive future for Grekoff, but what distinguishes this designer from others is, at this point, still a small mystery. People interested in checking out his designs can see a good range of cashmere jackets, coats and suits for men and women, as well as good-looking, if a bit classic, accessories, at the Grekoff Fashion Gallery.





The Grekoff Fashion Gallery is located at 1 Ulitsa Malaya Kaluzhskaya. Nearest metro: Shabo-lovskaya. Tel. 955-3311.