Tatiana Ruinist’s nostalgia-threaded tracksuits

Tatiana’s inspiration comes from a feeling of nostalgia that has always accompanied her. Her melancholy never felt entirely real in Moscow. Being still in her home country, surrounded by familiar things made that eerie sensation less tangible. Tatiana’s nostalgia was a creature that took form when the designer moved to London to complete her studies. Thinking about home, what she had and what she had lost, helped her give a name to what fuelled her creativity.

So, she took this feeling and transformed it into something even more concrete. Linking together pieces of fabric as if they were the different bits of her life, Tatiana created her graduate collection: ‘Ruinist’. The designer’s work draws inspiration from things that came before her and combines them with elements of today, creating a puzzle whose pieces come from the past and the present.

Merging together British and post-soviet fashion, Tatiana created a collection of modern tracksuits. This sports staple has surrounded the designer during her whole life. Not only her parents were professional sportsmen but tracksuits in the post-soviet era assumed a peculiar meaning of wealthiness. Because of its price the sporty two-piece started to be used as an attire for all sorts of formal events. “I even have a picture of my dad in a tracksuit at his prom,” said Tatiana.

Ruinist’s tracksuits mix stripes of traditional British tweed with synthetic fabrics often used in athletic wear, creating unique pieces that are almost impossible to replicate. The materials Tatiana used for her collection are, in fact, almost entirely deadstock; scraps of fabric forgotten at the back of stores. The buttons that embellish the tailored tracksuits were found by the designer in her grandma’s cookie tins. “I was really excited about using something that was already lying around and creating garments that cannot be reproduced.”

“In Russia people have mostly the same experiences. At UAL all of my peers were international students and it made me realise that fashion is not just garments. It made the whole industry way more exciting.”

The idea of exclusivity is something Tatiana associates with what she calls ‘her cosy little brand’, Ruinist. A project she wishes to keep developing in the future, infusing it even more with the themes that are dear to her. During her studies she often found herself lost in the process, forgetting what the motives behind her work were. “It’s easy to forget what you’re doing after you spend a whole year making a collection. So, I would tell future students to always question yourself. Keep reminding yourself what the reasons are behind what you’re creating.”

Looking back at her education she feels that the international environment of LCF helped shape her as a designer. “In Russia people have mostly the same experiences. At UAL all of my peers were international students and it made me realise that fashion is not just garments. It made the whole industry way more exciting.”

“I was very worried I would be late for something, but now I understand that there’s nothing to be late for.”

The outbreak of the pandemic was a roadblock for Tatiana. In March she was meant to return to her home country, but lockdown forced her to stay in the UK. Her things, carefully packed in boxes, were stuck between the United Kingdom and Russia, as a nostalgic thread linking the two lives of the designer.

Seeing her peers going home or starting working made Tatiana feel as if time was slipping out of her hands. “I was very worried because I saw everyone around me having a life, while I was just sitting in the countryside doing nothing.” But that’s when she realised there is no rush. After spending the past years feeling like she had to run faster to be at the same pace as those around her, Tatiana finally stopped sprinting. “I was very worried I would be late for something, but now I understand that there’s nothing to be late for.”

“Late is better than never”

The designer is finally comfortable in this feeling of stillness, seeing the world slow down for a moment. Even if the changes in fashion haven’t been as grandiose as everyone expected, Tatiana feels that the unsustainable pressure of constant production was somewhat relieved from the industry. 

Now knowing that even if a few things are delayed “late is better than never,” Tatiana wishes to continue creating for Ruinist. Her nostalgia for something left in the past will keep on fueling her process, pushing her to look for answers in the most unexpected places. Just like opening a grandma’s cookie tin and finding buttons.