"I had complexes and have": Oksana Fedorova about self-love, “instagram” standards of beauty and communication with Trump

“Your new book, Create Your Own Brand, has hit the shelves.” Who is it addressed to?

- It is addressed mainly to women who are interested in issues of image, style, and self-realization. First of all, it is for women who want to succeed in life, in social, professional activities. Such a motivational story that summarizes my personal experience. I also share not so widely known facts from my biography. Well, and, of course, it will also be useful to men - so that they understand their chosen ones more.

- Your previous book, Formula of Style, was published in 2008. Have your views, understanding of fashion and style changed during this time?

- Of course, ten years ago there was a completely different story. And if I reprinted the book, I would partially leave that material. But, let's say, I would supplement it with modern, new schedules, photo shoots.

Of course, time does not stand still. Now it is very, so to speak, compressed. In one year, several styles, views or trends can be replaced. Of course, a lot is changing, and I wanted to do something else - although this material was written almost immediately after the book “Formula of Style”.

As you remember, in 2008 there was a crisis, many enterprises were closed. The crisis was also in the publishing business, and the release of the next book was postponed for some time. Just last year, at one of the events, I met with the publishing house - more precisely, with its representative. We had a conversation on a new story, and I said: “Let's not invent something, but we will process the material that I have already created.” It was just necessary to modernize it a bit and, perhaps, supplement it with some new facts from my biography, stories, personal experience. Together with the editors, we finalized it. We thought about the name for a long time - I had a different option.

- We are in the Fashion Museum, of which you are the director. How did he attract you? What are your main achievements in this post?

- We literally a year ago moved to this beauty, which is incredibly happy. If we talk about achievements, this is one of them. The fashion museum really needed a new breath, new projects, a rethinking of the activities of this institution. He received the previous premises not so long ago. By the way, they were also in Gostiny Dvor, but in a different place.

I received an offer to work in the Department of Culture and head the Fashion Museum unexpectedly. It’s not that I’m not connected with this topic: for several years I have released nine collections under my own brand. But the offer to work in such a guiding spirit, of course, came as a surprise to me.

I looked at the previous museum, visited several exhibitions, before I figure out where to go next. The museum’s funds are small, it is quite young - a little over 15 years old - and needs a new development vector. We are trying to expand our fund, we accept a lot of valuable things as a gift. It is small, about three thousand units. For the museum this is a very small figure, but we are actively developing everything.

We scaled the competition among designers "Young couturier", which was held several years before my arrival, began to work with higher educational institutions. The competition was already held in this territory. Last year, for the first time, we held a conference on fashion and the ways of its development in Russia. Our beautiful rooms opened with the exhibition “Russian Ballet - Fashion Forever”, where completely unique works were presented - from Edgar Degas to modern acting decorators and artists such as Boris Messerer, Victor Volsky. The costumes of Maya Plisetskaya, Rudolf Nureyev and work on the theme "Nureyev - our everything" were presented.

We also showed modern costumes of the Moscow State Choreographic School named after L.M. Lavrovsky. There was a wonderful presentation of the opening. Spectators who visited the exhibition saw with their own eyes how master classes and rehearsals of choreographic dancers and ballerinas take place. It is very interesting and fascinating to see not the performance itself, but as if a look from the inside ...

We received a lot of positive feedback. The exhibition was visited by Svetlana Nemolyaeva and the leading artists of the Bolshoi Theater - Igor Tsvirko, Eleonora Sevenard, Artyom Ovcharenko, Anna Tikhomirova. Many figures related to ballet art came, including critics. This is a very beautiful project, our first project, and it was not easy for us. But it was worth it. We plan to expand the museum, conduct workshops, all kinds of lectures on various topics. Now the museum is being closed for redecorating - we want to update it a bit so that it breathes freshness and, in the future, carry out international projects there. We are negotiating with several museums abroad. I hope that in this vein, the museum will develop.

My main mission, probably, was to give him a new life, to recruit a promising team with burning eyes that wants to work and show fashion and Moscow from the side of art and design. That is, look a little deeper at the fashion itself. I think we are on the right track. Of course, it is very difficult to start, but, thank God, everything is changing step by step.

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- You were inspired by one of the celebrities at the very beginning of your career, when you were still looking for your own image and style? Who is the standard of style, beauty, femininity for you?

- It was a thorny path. There were no teachers in youth. If you ask, I think, many will say that they were mistaken, stuffed bumps. Only now I am beginning to meaningfully understand my style, nature. Without this understanding, it is impossible to work with self-presentation and your own style. First you need to understand yourself. But before this happens, a lot of various events will happen. Of course, there were some mistakes.

I was inspired by different women - both ours and foreigners, magazines, newspapers, my practice as a model. Then I worked abroad. And, in principle, this began my internal creative search for myself and my appearance.

Of course, Sophia Loren had a great influence on me. For some reason, my mother always said that we have common features. Ekaterina Rozhdestvenskaya saw me in the same way, with whom I did a project in the magazine “Caravan of stories”. Naturally, I am a Russian woman, I have softer facial features. But something was common.

Sophia Loren inspired me not only with her style - it is too one-sided. A person needs to be viewed from different angles, not only from the outside. Of course, activity must be manifested, inner charisma, character. For me, Sophia Loren was an example of a woman who correctly used her luck, her case. He first brought her to the Miss Italy beauty pageant, then there was a wonderful meeting with her husband. She successfully realized herself, built a career, long fought for love, gave birth to beautiful children. In principle, she did everything in life.

I have one more beloved woman - Michel Mercier, whose acting was inspired by me. Fate so happened that we met with her at the festival of children's and family cinema, which I led. It took place on Pushkin Square, in our musical hall. We talked for so long! She told me that her images knocked down, ruined her personal story.

The line here is very thin. Personalizing the images of your heroines, it is important to find yourself in real life. This is often very difficult.

There are Russian women who really found themselves, their image, style. This is Renata Litvinova, Julia Vysotskaya, who inspired me and, despite the fact that she is an actress, found herself in a completely different field. And this perfectly complements her acting talent. Much more can be called names. Alyona Doletskaya: this is a woman who inspires me as a professional in her field, such a self-made strong woman (a strong woman who has achieved success on her own. - RT ). Probably each of them gave me something to form my image.

- Recently, through a social network, especially through Instagram, a certain beauty template has been broadcast: wide eyebrows, small nose, full lips, sharp cheekbones. How do you feel about such standards, images, patterns? They are present in every generation. Should young girls blindly follow them? And how can one not lose oneself in this?

- Your question contains the answer. The word “blindly” contains everything. Of course, blindly follow the "instagram" trends from the virtual world is not worth it. It is not worth those women, those personalities who have something to say to this world, and who want to improve and develop. Sometimes they ask me what is better - to be beautiful or smart? I say smart. Because an intelligent woman will always find a way to show her beauty, to be beautiful. Modern society and a look more focused on external beauty dictate certain standards. And young girls want to imitate this. Having no prerequisites at all, to make large lips that do not suit them, wide eyebrows. Well, if they suit you. And if at the same time your personality is erased, and charisma disappears somewhere, it is better not to do this. Let you have your own twist.

It seems to me that you will not advance far with an artificial image. All the same, you need to have character, brains, goals.

It was extremely important for me to be taken seriously. By deeds, deeds, I proved my worth. I think that everyone in the process of formation has a period that needs to be proved not so much to the world as to itself, that in addition to external data, it has something more and deeper. And I had such a period. Now he is somehow already moving away - like a stage passed.

I have a period when my experience begins to go out and translate into society. The accumulated talents, the period of study, my goals, my desires. And I would not advise the girls to follow these “instagram canons” so eagerly. You can improve something, fix it - without this, nowhere. In any case, the image must meet the spirit of the times, be modern. But it is necessary that understanding of oneself does not lag behind external correction.

When I meet young people, I see that for the most part our modern girls are smart, interesting, well-read. In fact, there is very little artificial. And this is only a very, very small percentage that seems large. It's just that it is widely visible and attracts attention. Of course, there are more women who have their individual qualities.

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- Many women have certain problems with self-acceptance and self-love. Why do you think so?

- I can say from my own experience. I also had questions about accepting myself despite the fact that the whole world seemed to recognize you in terms of external qualities. Moreover, I still studied at the University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: it would seem that from the point of view of career and development, there is also recognition. Nevertheless, the complexes were and are. Probably, they can’t get rid of them 100% - and it’s not necessary. They need to be controlled. Because our complexes, fears are such a ladder: overcoming them one by one, we are advancing in our development.

We can only improve ourselves indefinitely. And this is interesting: to work with your inner world, to study yourself, to show in different areas, to find in yourself some new qualities, talents. I think it's great. And it’s good when, despite the fact that you have complexes, you have the courage to take risks.

What causes the complexes? Of course, these are value judgments. Where do they get their life? From childhood. When our parents pull us all the time: don’t do it, don’t go there, it’s cold here, don’t eat it, dress warmly ... Constantly pulling. When this happens day after day for many years, a person, reaching a transitional age, wants to get rid of all this. Get away from parents, find a job, go to school faster. I think this is one of the reasons.

There are conflicts in the family. There are single-parent families when a mother brings up sons. The child does not receive proper education on both sides, the male side suffers - just like the female side in an incomplete family. I think it's all from childhood.

Naturally, children are the fruit of their parents. Some character traits, even the appearance with which we come into this life, were laid down initially. And at some point this combination prevents us from living freely, acting. And then - our passions acquired in life. Bad habits: laziness and so on ... The most important victory is over your passions. Only then can you feel life in its entirety.

Plus, when you become a professional, value judgments certainly interfere. It’s good if you’re not scared, and even if you’re scared, you take a step forward. You need to go forward anyway if you have a goal. If your heart answers that it is really necessary - you should move in this direction no matter what. How can one get a person astray? To say that the business he is engaged in is not interesting to anyone. All! A man gives up, he does not want anything, stops in his development, ceases to believe in himself.

Why are motivational sessions, lectures, some kind of trainings, master classes now widespread? To make a person feel that he can fulfill his dream and achieve his goals. If something interferes with a person, then what? I diagnose this as a kind of fear that prevents a person from taking a step forward. But this is how life works, it will still test the strength of your desire. Do you really need it? Is your desire not a figment of your imagination? Not a false prestige - “Others have it, and it means that I need it”? It seems to me that a person who finds his own is very strong, it is almost impossible to bring him down.

- You took the same step when you left the internal affairs bodies? Or did you know that you found yours?

- For me it was not easy. I worked for 12 years in the system of internal affairs bodies, for four years I even combined this with working on television, and, returning after the competition, I was sure that I would not connect my life with public activities. No matter how many offers I received later, I always refused.

I returned to the university, defended my dissertation, started teaching at the university with clear certainty that I want to work in the department. I had the position of assistant professor, I was the captain of the police.

I can say this: I did not choose this profession with my heart in childhood. She was chosen by her head. My grandfather served, my great-grandfather was the chief of police of the Pskov region, and, apparently, this factor then played a dominant role. But the heart wanted something else.

However, 12 years is a decent time when you manage to get used to your activity and take root. However, the desire for youth and childhood still later manifested itself. No wonder they say: we come from childhood. At the whole stage of my studies and work, my activity included a model story, which also fell on me by accident.

When I was studying at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a woman approached me on the street and offered to study in a model studio. For me, it was then a good salary: for three days I received my monthly salary, along with rations and officials.

I did not consider model history as a profession. That was a good help. But then, gradually, circumstances began to take shape, and I stopped resisting. I realized that a public story is mine. I'm running away from her, but she still finds me.

Six months passed, when I returned after the competition, I began to teach. They called me, offered to run a children's program ... Of course, I consulted with my mother. She says: "You loved this program very much." In principle, it all started. And then other projects came into my life. At some point, I realized that it was impossible to combine everything - I felt that the cadets had a different perception of me, more like a public person. When I came to classes, to lectures, and they began to ask me: “And how is Philip Kirkorov?” - I realized that everything. This is such a Rubicon when you need to make a decision, move on and leave behind the service, which taught me a lot.

- In the new life, the knowledge and skills acquired over 12 years came in handy?

- Mandatory. At the request of my husband, I am going in 45 seconds. That is, he is not waiting for me before leaving! But seriously - of course, come in handy.

As a lawyer, I now work a lot with documents - both in the field of public activities, and as the head of the Fashion Museum, and as an individual entrepreneur. Various contracts come, and I have to deal with them, to delve into. And, of course, the experience and understanding of these legal issues plays a big role.

- Did you regret that after winning the competition you didn’t stay in the States?

- Yes, there was an opportunity to continue my activities and study at the School of Film and Television in New York (. And I understood: if I did not interrupt my term, I would stay in America, because it is impossible to return to the system of internal affairs bodies in a year ... it was a decision to either stay in America or terminate his contract and return to Russia.

The friends said: "In no case do not come back here." Mom could not take such a responsibility, said: "This is your life - you have to make a choice for yourself." I made a choice - to return to my homeland, which I do not regret, despite the difficulties and misunderstanding.

But I can say: my husband saw me on TV, and it is the competition I owe for this meeting. Therefore, I do not regret it. Thank God that circumstances so developed, and I was able to survive this difficult moment and gain for myself certain lessons.

- At that time you talked with Donald Trump. You probably have some impressions about him. How do you perceive him as president of the United States?

- I perceive him as president quite adequately. This was unexpected. But, having some communication experience and understanding of his personality, character, scope, with which he did everything, in principle, I can say that this is his story. So to speak, it suits him.

Trump impressed me with his nepotism. He communicates well with his children. I know him, Ivanka Trump, and Melania (back then they were not married, only met).

I was impressed by his attentive attitude to the family. This person is really a family man who respects the family, takes care of his sons, of his daughter. He somehow gathered everyone near him. This shows that he is a person with principles and with understanding. I had a good impression after talking with him.

During his election campaign, various news agencies called - BBC, CNN - asking for interviews and come to talk shows. I needed to understand what kind of information and what kind of presentation they want. In this sense, they work very professionally. I realized that they were opposed to him, but I even had nothing to say negative, because in our professional relationships as the winner and the owner of the competition, he always showed himself in a worthy manner. I had nothing to reproach him with. Therefore, somehow it did not grow into a “snowball”, thank God.

- In Hashem Charity Fund "Hasten to do good" recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. In your opinion, how open are our people to help young people in distress?

- I can say that the traditions of mercy, charity, philanthropy have been developed for a very long time. Including in pre-revolutionary Russia. This topic has always been close to the Russian spirit and Russian people. But at some point in timelessness, this receded into the background.

I must say that charity came into my life after winning the competition. He turned my life 180 degrees and echoed in my soul. At first, I, as the host of the children's program, was invited to be the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador when the office was operating in the Russian Federation. For several years I was a partner, then a goodwill ambassador.

We opened the first Russian hospice in St. Petersburg and the peacekeeping and tolerance camp in Makhachkala. I attended various conferences, went to Africa several times with a charity mission, with vaccinations - in general, with propaganda.

And I saw this as a special meaning. That is, I realized that my publicity - not just like that, not just for the sake of narcissism. Since circumstances are like this, you must give something to life. After some time, I realized that I had already gained experience, and it was necessary to direct my charitable activities in a certain direction, to structure - to choose programs for which I would like to develop in the field of charity. So I created a fund. Last year we celebrated its 10th anniversary.

You watch the full version of interview with Oksana Fedorova on RTD.