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Communicating Heritage in Haute Couture. The Сase of Ulyana Sergeenko’s Spring-Summer 2021 Collection
Heritage and its several dimensions play a major role in Fashion, particularly in Haute Couture. According to Urde et al., fashion brands can leverage on five heritage elements: history, track records (main achievements), longevity, core values, and symbols.1 Such elements do not require per se that a brand is an old one: also young brands can use those elements, while creating and communicating their own peculiar heritage and connecting themselves with traditional local practices. This study presents the case of Ulyana Sergeenko, whose luxury fashion brand, established in 2011, managed to become part of the Parisian Haute Couture in the years 2015-2022. The brand extensively uses dimensions linked with Russian textile heritage, showcasing handmade traditional crafts. In particular, the Spring-Summer 2021 Collection is analysed from the heritage perspective, highlighting its many references to the famous silent film actress Vera Kholodnaya and to Art Deco style, while at the same time extensively employing traditional Russian crafts: Gus Khrustal, Rostov finift, Yelets lace, Kadomsky veniz, and Krestetsky stitch. Through this case, the paper provides an extensive exploration of heritage within luxury fashion, exploring its many roles and communication strategies.