Tatiana Shabelnik Fashion Designer

“Contrast” Collection by Tatiana Shabelnik Fashion Designer Based in Los Angeles

Tatiana Shabelnik’s collection, “Contrast” is a dramatic fusion of bold color, contrasting textures and global influence, inspired in part by the colorful works of Russian artist Vasily Kandinsky and Belarusian/French artist Mark Chagal. A signature (and personal favorite) color in her collection is orange–– a color radiating enthusiasm, warmth and happiness, while capturing the stimulating energy of red, and cheerfulness of yellow. As a Soviet emigrant, she also relates to the color’s immediate representation of adventure and risk-taking, physical confidence, and vivacious competition and independence.

As a humanitarian Shabelnik’s collection also takes inspiration from the contrast of poverty and wealth in the world. Her love and appreciation for different cultures is seen in the collection’s dominant color and textures. She believes that vibrant clothing and accessories traditional to cultures in Central America, Mexico, Africa, Spain and other areas of the world have helped people to have a positive life-outlook during tough political, social, and economical times.

That global inspiration is reflected in the details and craftsmanship of her designs. Two of her skirts in “Contrast” utilize felted flowers made by Belarusian artists. This collaboration with artists and designers from Belarus is something she is very proud of, and is a partnership she looks forward to maintaining in future designs and collections.

As someone who loves to knit and crochet, Shabelnik is also curious about the influence of folk costumes across the world on modern designs. Her national heritage and pride for her native country of Belarus is evident in her collection. For “Contrast,” the designer has incorporated Belarusian folk dress trims and used Belorussian linen in one of the dresses. A number of chiffon dresses in “Contrast” also have Belorussian folk dress silhouettes.

During Fashion Style Week, Shabelnik introduced a dress that was hand-crocheted by her mother, Ludmila Kovalevskaia, who has been designing garments for her daughter since Tatiana was 6 years old. Not surprisingly, and with much affection, “Contrast” is dedicated to Shabelnik’s mother and lifelong creative partner.

Globally inspired, creative, and sometimes dramatic in design––yes. But Shabelnik pays close attention to the design of her European garments as “wearable art.” Her pieces have also been described as elegant, and––as noted by the Los Angeles Times––a fun, “interplay of bold color and contrasting textures, such as leather, silk and chiffon.”