Maria Bekh
Country: Ukraine
In this collection, the high collars and long, aristocratic cuts were reminiscent of Smolny, the first women’s college in Russia. Bekh’s girls were almost always covered in dark tones, thick stockings, trousers and maxi-dresses, but sometimes a calf-slit or a sight of décolletage would peek through. At the end, the girls liberated themselves from the modest wardrobe: With their collars buttoned to the top, they strolled down the as runway in crinoline cages instead of skirts, proving the point that a real lady never wears pants.