Russian menswear designer Gosha Rubchinskiy caused quite the stir when in early April he announced on Instagram with a since deleted post, “We will stop Gosha Rubchinskiy brand as you’ve known it. We will have no more seasonal collections. Instead, something new is coming.”
Prior to the announcement, Rubchiinskiy told Hypebeast he was planning to open a Moscow skate shop, a move that layers nicely on top of PACCBET, a label he launched with pro-skater Tolia Titaev.
At an event (May 3, 2018) kicking off Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi provided a talk at trendy nightclub Bassiani where he covered an array of topics hinting at his change in direction. In an English transcription of his talk provided by Vogue, Rubchinskiiy spoke about his namesake label, implying he had accomplished all his design goals. “Every idea has a time and what I wanted to express, I expressed it,” said Rubchinskiiy. “I believe that in the state that [Gosha Rubchinskiy] exists, it is a good condition to end this history and start a new one.”
Rubchinskiiy confirmed the shop is coming, but provided no further details on timing. And while he’s no longer designing his very celebrated label, he still very much believes in streetwear as a unifying youth movement. “At one time, everyone was united by rock music or film, and then hip-hop music, and now it is fashion for the youth: street fashion. I think that young people are pulled toward clothes. At one time, 20 years ago, they stood in lines at music stores, waiting for a new release of songs of their favorite group, and now they are waiting for a new release of sneakers or a new collection of their favorite brand. People have a longing for a need to stand in line and meet one another and the occasion for that today is clothing. I think that this situation may be used to unite people.”
