Ekster
Aleksandra (1884-1949). Russian painter, born in Kiev. A Constructivist painter, she was part of the group centered around the Fashion Atelier, which opened in Moscow in 1923. A firm supporter of Lamanova and of rational clothing that finds beauty in simplicity, she designed overalls and other clothes for work and sport that were sober and practical. Her “everyday clothes,” made in fabrics like linen, cotton, raw silk, and satin, were suited to industrial production and composed of simple geometric figures such as rectangles, squares, and circles. Different shades of color were used to personalize the different garments. She also created one-of-a-kind models inspired by the pictorial aesthetics of Cubism and Futurism. These clothes were in abstract patterns and made exclusively for the Atelier’s clientele and for exhibits. But for these models, she didn’t care about functionality, but devised inter-connected decorative solutions, choosing only precious fabrics and furs and using daring color combinations such as prune, orange and black, red and black, and silver and violet.
More than 50 years after her death, Russia remembers Ekster as one of the “Amazons of the Avant–guard” and the city of Moscow dedicates an exhibit entitled The Art of the Feminine to her and other artists from the 16th century up to today.