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The fashion industry does not stand still. She is constantly changing, bringing something new to everyday life and inspiring many people around the world. The main driver of fashion, setting the trends of the seasons, are fashion houses. There are a large number of young designers in the world who started their creativity from scratch and took their first steps in this complex industry. Among domestic designers, Ekaterina Smolina and her Fashion House stand out, which has become widely known among admirers of various clothing styles.

The business of a successful businesswoman specializes in sewing women's coats, which enjoy unprecedented success. And this is not surprising: having been in the fashion industry for more than fifteen years, the Fashion House of Ekaterina Smolina has gained recognition not only in Russia, but also abroad.

Childhood and youth

Since childhood, Ekaterina Smolina dreamed of becoming a designer. While playing with the dolls, the girl came up with beautiful outfits for them and immediately brought them to life: she made patterns, carefully thought through every detail, and selected a beautiful, harmonious combination of clothes. Later, Katya began sewing clothes for herself, surprising her parents and friends. But entering a university to major in design didn’t work out, so Ekaterina, without betraying family traditions, went to medical school. The dream of becoming a designer had to be put on hold until graduation. Only later, after many years at the university, did Ekaterina Smolina decisively set about making her childhood dreams come true.

Brand creation

The “Ekaterina Smolina” coat did not immediately become a brand; this required a sufficient amount of time and effort. In 2004, Katya and her friend Yulia Karginova started their own business producing women's coats. Together they thought through the design and appearance of the first model, which was characterized by an interesting cut and hand-embroidered with beads. But success did not come to the friends immediately; it took some time to gain trust in the clothing market and attract customers.

At first, many consumers were very distrustful of the outerwear that Smolina offered. The friends themselves went around the shops, offering hand-sewn outerwear items for sale. Inexhaustible energy and optimism helped the girls not only sell their first coat, but also make the next batch, and subsequently significantly expand their assortment.

The shops

The decision to open my own store did not come immediately. The friends initially worked only to order, but the increased demand for unique coats pushed them to this idea. It was difficult to find suitable premises and large material resources to implement the idea. At that time, the Internet and various social networks were not as widespread as they are now, but information about the young outerwear designer quickly spread throughout the Northern capital.

The first boutique opened in St. Petersburg in 2010. It was a very difficult period, because opening the store took about two years and required significant financial investments. Nevertheless, Karginova and Smolina coped with the difficulties. The store did not have a storefront, but this did not stop customers from regularly visiting the boutique.

Now Ekaterina Smolina’s stores are open in two cities - Moscow and St. Petersburg. There is also an online store where you can place an order 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

Production

Now the production of Ekaterina Smolina coats is well established and offers customers products not only in the right season, but all year round. The Fashion House itself has its own workshop, which employs about 150 people.

Every season, about 40 models are sewn in this workshop, new ones are constantly appearing, which immediately become in demand among the buyer. It is worth noting that all coats are made of the highest quality materials that do not lose their appearance and remain fashionable for several seasons.

The demand for products from the Fashion House of Ekaterina Smolina is growing every year, so it is quite possible to say that in the near future there will be an expansion of the product range.

Coat from Smolina

Each Ekaterina Smolina coat represents a perfectly realized idea that such a piece of outerwear can be not only warm, but also stylish.

True ladies always prefer elegant coats rather than bulky down jackets, so every fashionista can find something she likes in Smolina’s fashion house. In the Smolina Fashion House you can find coats of both classic cut and those made in the form of a dress. This feature attracts customers from almost all over the world to this brand, because the fashion for vintage, and in particular for coats, is almost at its peak.

Brand philosophy

The philosophy of Ekaterina Smolina’s brand is that a coat is an outer dress. And that’s why Ekaterina Smolina’s coat-dresses look original, elegant and feminine. Each of the presented models not only hides the figure’s flaws, but also emphasizes its advantages.

The owner of a coat from Smolina will turn heads not only from men, but also from women, because the models developed by the designer are difficult to leave without due attention. A sensitive and reverent attitude towards the business, towards each model and customer allowed Ekaterina Smolina not only to find clients loyal to the brand, but also to regularly attract new ones.

Modern fashionistas have long been guided by the brand when choosing clothes. The most popular of them are from foreign manufacturers. It just so happened. The post-Soviet space cannot boast of a large number of high-quality clothing manufacturers and famous designers. However, sales volume does not always indicate a high level of product. Therefore, Russia also has, although there are few designers, very talented ones, those who put their soul into their work. A prominent representative of the fashion industry is Ekaterina Smolina, who has already managed to win the hearts of many women with her original solutions in creating clothes.

Life path

Very few facts are known from the life of this designer. Basically, all interviews with her are about the brand and the history of its creation. But fans of our heroine’s talent are so interested in her biography. Ekaterina Smolina grew up in a family of doctors. Since childhood, Ekaterina was fond of sewing and created clothes for her dolls. After graduating from school, she entered medical university, following in the footsteps of her parents. When she already had her diploma in hand, Ekaterina again plunged into her dream - to become a designer.

Brand creation and development

Designer Ekaterina Smolina understood that to start a business you need start-up capital and a reserve of strength. Therefore, Yulia Karginova became her reliable colleague. The amount that was initially invested in the business was only 40 thousand rubles. This is how the Fashion House of Ekaterina Smolina was created in 2004. The girls decided to specialize their design activities specifically in women's coats. This idea is rare in its own way, since a minority of workers choose a narrow direction in their activity, creating a specific item of clothing. It was precisely this decision that became the trump card that played into the hands of the brand.

At the very beginning of their activities, Ekaterina Smolina and her partner used their own labor as much as possible. Having created the first products of their talent, the girls decided to sell them. They went to stores where they brought their creations. But here the designers suffered a number of failures. As it turned out, their sketches were stolen. Things based on them were already sewn by someone else. Ekaterina Smolina created the coat to be original, unlike other models. The first copy was red, the style emphasized the figure. The coat was embroidered with beads. And then such a failure. But the strength and endurance of young talents helped to withstand unpleasant factors. They decided to sell their coats themselves.

To save on delivery costs, the girls carried the materials themselves in minibuses. They made buttons at home, and the whole family sat sorting beads. The first coat was sold for 14 thousand rubles. This event was inspiring for designers. They rushed to work with renewed vigor.

A new idea was the desire to produce not only a coat, but also such a wardrobe item as a jacket. This time, Ekaterina Smolina also encountered theft of sketches.

And finally there was a radical turn in activity. The girls hired two tailors and one instructor, rented premises, bought two sewing machines and launched their own production. It was 2005.

Brand popularity

Ekaterina Smolina designed and created coats that were elegant, high-quality and unusual. Exclusively natural fabrics were used. The stitching was original and of high quality. The color palette was distinguished by its luxury and laconicism (the models were in classic, pleasant, traditional colors: black, white, red, warm beige, coral tones). The first batch was sold at the exhibition - 15 coats for 75 thousand rubles. From that moment on, outerwear from Ekaterina became famous in St. Petersburg.

Ekaterina Smolina and Yulia Karginova actively distributed their coats in stores, and later began selling products by mail. In 2007, they took part in the fashion show “Defile on the Neva”. Realizing the demand for her coats, Ekaterina decides to open her own store. It took 2 years. In 2009, St. Petersburg was replenished with a clothing store from Smolina. And in 2011, a boutique opened in Moscow.

Features of the coat from Ekaterina Smolina

Smolina's coat is called an “overdress.” And for good reason. The silhouette is always feminine, it emphasizes the figure, looks graceful and elegant. The decor uses various elements that make the coat exclusive. The fabrics used are natural and high quality. The colors chosen are noble, classic, and delicate. Fur is actively used for insulated coats. Fancy cut, folds and other design solutions cannot go unnoticed.

Ekaterina Smolina justified her area of ​​interest (women's coats) by the fact that she, like any resident of St. Petersburg, understands how damp weather in the city affects her wardrobe. Layering saves you from the cold, but does not make a woman elegant. Therefore, Ekaterina decided to take up the production of outerwear. The collection includes light summer, demi-season and warm models. They are decorated with lace, interesting buttons, knitted brooches, and leather straps.

Other wardrobe items designed by the designer

Ekaterina Smolina previously specialized only in creating coats. Currently, fashion collections include vests, light blouses, skirts, dresses, trousers, shoes and bags. You can find velvet or floral-printed sneakers. There are also bags with fringes and chains, presented in classic black and delicate spring colors (turquoise, pink, light yellow and others). You can also purchase vests with perforations, cozy models with a voluminous collar or a classic cut. Summer and business style, with perforation and fashionable floral patterns, asymmetrical edges are also represented by this brand. Now you can buy blouses and shirts with voluminous bows, brooches in the shape of flowers in airy and delicate tones. Cozy, elegant dresses in classic and noble shades have earned the attention of many representatives of the fair sex.

This designer does not follow all fashion trends. Ekaterina has repeatedly mentioned in interviews that not all trends can favorably emphasize a woman’s silhouette. Therefore, for her, the criterion of good taste and style is exclusively femininity. Instead of changing your wardrobe with each fashion show, Smolina recommends stocking up only on accessories: gloves, straps, bags, jewelry, brooches, scarves, hats. Ekaterina believes that these items can not only emphasize individuality, but also significantly refresh the wardrobe of any woman.

Catalog of insulated coats for the winter from the fashion house of Ekaterina Smolina.
Elegant style and amazing quality of French and Italian wool combined with Russian fur and modern insulation.

The winter coat wins more and more fashionable hearts every year. Some find them lighter and more comfortable to wear, others believe that this is a new word in winter clothing, while others like the strict, laconic style of the products. The calling card of designer Ekaterina Smolina was precisely the coats, which she, with ease and her inherent femininity, transformed from a traditional straight silhouette into real works of fashion that you want to try on, buy and wear with great pleasure.

Components of a winter coat.

The designer independently selects the highest quality European-made fabrics that do not lose their shape and color. Women's winter coats from Ekaterina Smolina are most often made of wool, which has dirt-moisture- and dust-repellent properties. Incredible wearing comfort and preservation of natural warmth are provided by high-tech insulation materials, which, despite their thinness and lightness, are able to protect their owner even from severe frosts. Most often, coat models are complemented with fur collars. They can have a variety of colors, most often made from arctic fox, whose fur is considered one of the most durable and fluffy. Some coats from the Fashion House are complemented with detachable peplums that allow you to play with styles.

What to combine with a winter coat.

The uniqueness and originality of the models from Ekaterina Smolina also lies in the fact that with the help of one coat you can create many looks at once. For example, we can take a classic straight transformable coat, complemented by a cape that can be easily unfastened using neat metal zippers. Without it, you can safely combine the coat with flat boots, men's boots, a crossbody bag and a voluminous hat in the swag style. This will create a relaxed, casual look that will look bold and at the same time stylish on the city streets. Complete the look with a feminine cape and fur collar, heeled ankle boots, a tight skirt or dress, and you're ready to head to a dinner party or theater premiere. Buying a winter coat means adding several items to your wardrobe at once.

How to choose a winter coat.

The right winter coat must be selected based on the characteristics of your figure. If you have wide hips, a narrow waist and slender legs, then your choice may fall on a coat complemented by a flared circle skirt, pleated or tulip. A coat with a straight silhouette, trapezoidal or slightly tapered at the waist is perfect for girls who think that their waist is not narrow enough. For tall and fragile girls, we recommend long, floor-length coats that perfectly elongate the silhouette. If you want to add extra volume to your shoulders, then for you there are models with wide puffed sleeves or outstanding shoulder straps, decorated with beads, pearls and additional chains. Ekaterina Smolina presented a luxurious collection of coats, in which every girl will definitely find exactly the shape that can highlight her advantages, smoothing out or completely hiding minor flaws.

Winter coats are beautiful not only in photos, but also in real life, so feel free to visit the official boutiques of designer Ekaterina Smolina, as well as the website, where you can familiarize yourself with the entire range, choose the right color and style, and become happier in the new season, shining on streets of the city in the most fashionable and luxurious coats.

Ekaterina dreamed of creating clothes since childhood, she enthusiastically sewed dresses for dolls, and later began to cut and sew for herself. She grew up in a family of doctors, and therefore she also had to choose a medical profession, and only after graduating from medical school, Ekaterina again began to think about her dream - creating clothes.

However, one idea, albeit a wonderful one, was not enough - the business needed a very serious start, and Ekaterina Smolina decided to start a business together with her friend Yulia Karginova. The year was 2004.

It was decided to specialize in women's coats. Very soon the first copy appeared - a wonderful red coat, embroidered with beads and very original stitching. However, despite the fact that Catherine had obvious talent, and both girls simply had an irresistible desire to create and be famous, the business was still not moving. So, the girls did not immediately manage to find a production facility, and in the end, when their models were already made, it turned out that their sketches were simply stolen, and their coats were already being produced by others.

As a result, it was decided that they should sell the coats themselves - and the friends went shopping, offering their first batch of goods. When the first coat was sold for 14 thousand rubles, it was a real holiday for Ekaterina and Yulia. By the way, in total they invested 40 thousand rubles in their business at the first stage. In general, at first a lot was built on enthusiasm - they carried rolls of fabric in minibuses, made buttons at home with their own hands, and disassembled beads with the whole family. However, faith in my talent and success did not dry out.

After the coats began to sell little by little, it was decided to urgently expand the line of models and add new products, such as jackets.

It soon became clear that in order to ensure that orders were not missed, sketches were not stolen, and coats were not counterfeited, it was necessary to open our own production. So, in 2005, Smolina and Karginova rented a small room in a factory building, bought two sewing machines, hired two seamstresses and one designer. So, it was from this time that a small, but still own studio began operating. It was then that it was decided to create the first full-fledged collection of coats, which was later presented at the Fashion Industry exhibition. It was from the stand at this exhibition that 15 coats were sold for 75 thousand rubles.

By 2006, a whole production facility was already operating, staffed by a team of professionals, and coats from Ekaterina Smolina were already known in the city. Their coats were increasingly accepted by stores for sale, and soon they began selling by mail.

In 2007, Smolina and Karginova already took part in the “Defile on the Neva”.

Best of the day

It soon became clear that giving your coats to stores for sale was not the most rewarding thing. Coats that were not sold were more than once returned frayed and dirty, and, besides, Catherine wanted her own store, with her own energy and philosophy. So in 2009, the first store opened in St. Petersburg; it took almost two years to prepare for this. In 2011, a store opened in Moscow.

To date, the production of the Fashion House "Ekaterina Smolina" is a fairly large workshop, which already employs about 150 people. In addition, sales of coats via the Internet have been mastered and developed, and the geography of consumer demand has already expanded beyond Russia. New models appear in the assortment every year.

Ekaterina Smolina and Yulia Karginova remain faithful to their initiative: “Year after year, in painstaking work, creating new collections, we were faithful only to him! Coat!”

There is no such definition in our brand yet, but indeed, in October we organized a show. Since this is a show of transforming coats, it should not be ordinary and we decided that the transformation of images should take place in front of the audience and tried to make it enchanting and impressive.

Why was the theme of chess the key theme of this show?

I won’t hide that I had several themes to create this show, but we settled on the theme of chess because, first of all, there was a great desire to do the entire show in two monochrome colors. However, we consciously decided to use gray instead of white in order to exclude a literal understanding of the chess theme. There are a lot of images in this collection that are associated with chess; they are inspired by the main outline of the show and the script. And this idea is developed in the show: two shadows, two players argued and played a game, they make their moves, gracefully moving the pieces. The moment a player knocks out an opponent's piece on the chess field, the presented coat model is transformed.

“A coat is like a dress” - how did this idea come about?

You know, this appeared so long ago that now I can’t say for sure. She was not imposed by anything, she was born by herself. This came with the decision to create only coats. Initially, I didn’t want to create just classic, boring, template models that girls wear just to be warm. My main goal was to create a coat that would decorate a girl, but at the same time be warm, light and comfortable. Of course, it took a lot of time and effort to achieve such a result. Now, despite the fact that the coats are winter, they are very feminine and elegant. In this regard, fashion designers are more like sculptors or plastic surgeons, because by creating this or that thing, we can skillfully hide the flaws of the female figure. It always makes me happy when our new customers, trying on my coats, ninety-eight percent of the time, say in surprise: “This coat is like a dress.”

Are you still of the opinion that you only need to create coats?

I still adhere to this and plan to continue to do so. In my opinion, you can do well in one direction. Making several is, first of all, problematic in terms of quality and costly in terms of production. Of course, we create small capsule collections to support one image or another, but we don’t attach much importance to them. The main production is the production of coats.

In my wardrobe there are unearthly beauty sneakers from Ekaterina Smolina and, as far as I understand, this was a collaboration?

Yes, it was a collaboration, and these sneakers became the highlight of last year's spring collection. The collection was made in caramel tones, which, according to the idea, were supposed to create a spring mood and charge fans of the Ekaterina Smolina brand with optimism. The main idea was the desire to make the girl free. When I was working on the collection, I imagined the image of a girl: gentle, airy, walking through the streets with a light step, singing and dancing as she walked, traveling through cities and countries. Then I thought about what exactly makes a girl free and realized that no matter what image I create, it will not be free without comfortable shoes, namely, flat shoes. As a fan of sports and an active lifestyle, I decided that sneakers should be such shoes.

We created this collection together with the Berendeevo Kingdom company and we were faced with the task of reviving folk crafts. We chose Vologda lace making as this folk craft, namely bobbin weaving. In my opinion, this is the most elegant technique for creating lace. If we talk about the collection as a whole, then the coat model using Vologda lace, created from multi-colored threads to create a three-dimensional pattern, is a new experience, both for the Berendeevo Kingdom company and for me.

The brand exists not only in St. Petersburg, but also in Moscow...

Absolutely right, we have stores in St. Petersburg, Moscow, as well as an online store, which is now very actively developing. In addition, we have a fairly large number of partner companies that cooperate with us, and they offer part of our collection for sale in their boutiques and showrooms.

How do the preferences of residents of St. Petersburg differ from those of metropolitan fashionistas?

Oh, I find it very interesting to watch this all the time. When sales reports arrive, it is easier to understand what is most popular in Moscow and what in St. Petersburg. Every season I see how one of the models is incredibly popular in St. Petersburg, but is completely ignored in Moscow, and vice versa. Also, I noticed that there are hit models, they are popular both here and there.

In my opinion, in St. Petersburg fashion is more European and more practical...

It is quite possible, although our brand is quite well known in St. Petersburg. There are a lot of regular customers from St. Petersburg who already have more than one coat from Ekaterina Smolina in their collections; these are girls who love experiments. As for the newly arrived clients, and basically these are girls who are on the path of some kind of personal transformation and want changes, but for some reason do not dare to make drastic changes, they, of course, choose models that are calmer in cut and color palette .

For you personally, what is closer - practicality or beauty?

Of course, beauty! But for me, beauty should be comfortable.

And high quality?

Necessarily. Our company takes the quality of its products very seriously. Selectively, I review the models myself and am very proud that we managed to achieve such a high level.

Fashion for Ekaterina Smolina is a mood. In any collection. Of course, this mood changes from season to season, so the collections are always different and about different things.

Advice from Ekaterina Smolina...

I think it would be great if our readers use this advice and become a little happier. I periodically take a notebook in which I write down everything that I would like to achieve, for something positive to happen to me, and other innermost desires. Then you can close this notepad and forget, I call it “send a signal into space.” After a certain period of time has passed, the best period is a year, this notebook, or notebook, or piece of paper will catch your eye, and you, looking through the written list, will understand that everything has come true and come true. Well, or most!

The secret of success from Ekaterina Smolina...

It’s quite simple for me, but it has helped me a lot in my life. Now I am convinced that anyone can achieve success in almost any business. The main thing is to have a very strong desire to achieve your goal. But there’s a small catch: you need to know exactly what you want! This is a very big problem for many people, especially the younger generation. But if you, dear readers, know what you want to achieve, then every day you need to take a small step towards your dream. Do something, call someone, and even if it is, at first glance, a small, modest effort. But when a year, two, three passes, you will realize that you have come a very long way. And if you go in the direction that you like, you will definitely achieve your goal!

Katerina Goltsman