Sasha Barbakov is a Russian conceptual clothing brand founded in Moscow in 2023 by Alexander Barbakov, a graduate of the British School of Design. The brand’s aesthetic is built upon nostalgia for the Soviet era, family archives, and personal memories, reinterpreted through modern forms. The collections combine vintage fabrics, Soviet patterns, elements of folk crafts, and experimental techniques. The brand focuses on themes of searching for identity, roots, and home, transforming every piece into an artifact with a story.
«My brand is built on conceptualism, and what inspires me is incredibly important. Most often, it’s stories—either from Soviet films or real-life events from people who lived in the USSR, like my grandfather. I dedicated my new collection, Family Archive, to him. By studying family archives, old photographs, and clothing, I reinterpret all of it through a modern lens while maintaining a connection to the past.»
Alexander Barkakov for U Magazine, 2024
Collection Where is my homeland? // Source: The Blueprint, 2022
Timeline
2023 • Launch of the brand with the debut collection, Lace&Ruffles.
2024 • Presentation of the Family Archive collection, inspired by the designer’s family archive photographs. • Release of Lace Edition—a line emphasizing lace and ruffles.
2025 • Participation in a marketplace during Moscow Fashion Week.
Lace & Ruffles, SS2023 // Source: Instagram (the social network is recognized as an extremist organization and is banned in the territory of the Russian Federation)
«It is important to me that each collection reflects the themes that concern me. Right now, these are family, roots, and home. But I understand that eventually these stories might run out, and I will seek new themes, although I am confident I won’t stray far from the Soviet aesthetic. It is hard to say which theme I would never touch, but I feel like it would be something dark and gloomy—that isn’t my aesthetic.»
Alexander Barbakov for U Magazine, 2024
Collection: Where is My Homeland? // Source: Brand Website
Main Collections
Where is my homeland? 2022 A graduation collection exploring the theme of identity through the lens of family history. It featured coats printed with archival photographs and elements of traditional Jewish costume.
Lace&Ruffles, ss2023 The designer’s first commercial collection includes body-hugging tops made from lace scraps, voluminous silhouettes featuring ruffled stripes, graphically printed skirts, and pattern-free knit cardigans. It pays homage to Jewish roots, inspired by prints from the Jewish Museum exhibition.
Summer of Nostalgia, ss2024 A capsule collection focusing on handcrafts: knitted vests made from collected doilies, ruffled and lace-paneled dresses. The collection referenced Soviet dacha traditions.
Lace Edition, 2024 The brand’s second line, distinguished by its use of lace, perforation, and ruffles, inspired by Soviet interiors and folk costumes.
Family Archive, fw2025 A collection reflecting the brand’s DNA, centered on family stories and built upon oversized silhouettes reminiscent of childhood memories of trying on adult clothing. Vintage fabrics, Soviet buttons, and deconstructed tailoring were utilized.
Summer of Nostalgia Collection // Source: Brand Website
Media Mentions
The Blueprint, 2022 Seven Top Graduates of «Britanki»
Buro 24/7, 2024 A New Name. Sasha Barbakov—Clothing Drawn from Family Photo Albums
U Magazine, 2024 Alexander Barbakov: «Old photographs, stories from the past, and warm memories are becoming central elements of my work»
PROfashion, 2025 Retro, Classics, and Avant-Garde: New Russian Brands in Men’s and Unisex Apparel
New Russian, 2025 The Sasha Barbakov Brand
Sasha Barbakov Lace Edition // Source: brand website
Contact Us
• Website: Sasha Barbakov • Instagram: Sasha Barbakov Brand (This social network is recognized as an extremist organization and is banned in the territory of the Russian Federation)
Family Archive Collection // Source: Buro 24/7, 2024
Family Archive Collection // Sources: U Magazine, 2024; Brand Website
