Soviet Fashion Icon "Red Dior" Dies Aged 85: Report

The French press nicknamed him "Red Dior" in the 1960s.

Vyacheslav "Slava" Zaitsev, the couturier behind world-famous Soviet fashion that was often adorned with colourful Russian folkloric motifs, died on Sunday at age 85, Russian news agencies reported.

Born into a working-class family in 1938, Zaitsev's first international recognition came in 1963 when the French Paris Match magazine wrote about his collection of overalls for female workers, according to a note posted on the website of his fashion house.

The RIA news agency reported that the bright, flowery jackets and skirts of the collection were rejected by the Experimental Clothing Factory for which Zaitsev worked.

The French press nicknamed him "Red Dior" in the 1960s.