Does fashion designer Alexander Vasilyev have children? Alexander Vasiliev
The eminent host of “Fashionable Sentence” surprises his fans with fancy outfits and florid criticism appearance participants of the program. Therefore, interest in the personal life of Alexander Vasiliev, the presence of his wife in it and the silence about the children arouses constant interest among the viewer.
First love and first marriage
The fashion critic experienced an unearthly passion in his early youth - he fell in love at the age of 21. Alexander Vasiliev met his chosen one, Masha Lavrova, while studying at the workers' faculty and by that time only imagined her as a wife and mother of future children. The personal life of the future celebrity at that time was much calmer and less busy with work than it is now.
On the path to happiness, the young couple faced a most difficult obstacle - the girl’s mother married a Frenchman and the family moved permanently to Paris. Now residents of the former CIS can freely travel around the world. The Soviet state did not release its citizens easily and painlessly.
Alexander Vasiliev in his youth
Chance helped - Vasiliev met a French woman who came to Moscow to improve her Russian language. En-Micheline Jean Bodimon was pretty, Vasiliev was young and courteous, so the young people quickly found many common topics for conversation and more. After marriage, Vasiliev managed to obtain permission to leave, and he went to Paris to pursue his dream.
At first, the young decorative artist planned a fictitious relationship with a French woman, but after meeting his Masha in a small cafe on the Champs Elysees, he realized that Anna had become dear to him. Therefore, the girl’s story about her affair with a reporter from a local popular publication and about pregnancy was easy for the future celebrity, without leaving a noticeable wound on her heart.
Alexander Vasiliev was not ready to raise other people’s children, so he decided to leave his relationship with his wife and personal life unchanged. Moreover, Anna turned out to be a rich heiress of a French industrialist, whose factories produced packaging for chocolate products. The position of Vasiliev’s mother-in-law is also impressive - at the time of his move to France, she held the post of senior judge in the city of Bordeaux.
A. Vasiliev at work in France
The family had their own villa on the shores of a prestigious beach in the town of Arcachon, famous for its ancient traditions and clean coastline. The supplier of the best varieties of wine for the pious family was Aunt Anna’s husband, so Vasiliev tasted the taste of elite varieties of champagne even then.
Divorce from first wife
The ambitious and outrageous graphic designer could not get used to the measured order of the bourgeois way of life with its obligatory breakfasts, lunches and dinners in full dress. Sasha always wanted to change something, to shake up the family, frozen in its prosperous and measured order. The rebellion began with a change in the bedspread on the marital bed, which everyone, however, perceived as the whim of a young man who had escaped from the Soviet gray everyday life.
Gradually, the family accepted the Russian refugee. His wife’s mother even offered to become a Russian language teacher for him at a local school - by that time the “Iron Curtain” had slightly rusted, and it had become very fashionable in France to know the language of former ideological enemies. In addition, in the homeland of the great revolutionaries and founders of the Paris Commune, it is very prestigious to have a government position, which provides considerable benefits, a stable salary and the opportunity for career growth. Perhaps Alexander would have agreed with his wife’s arguments; only when returning from work in the evening did he see Anna with her lover. Their hugs and kisses left no room for doubt.
Vasiliev in his youth with his first wife
Since Alexander Vasiliev and his wife had no children together, he did not want to become a respectable French employee with branchy horns, the family decides to change their personal life - by mutual agreement they divorce. And the future celebrity has to pay for a rented apartment, his own food and look for work. Charm, hard work and, naturally, the talent of an artist helped.
Stephanie
Gradually, the talent of the Russian costume designer allowed him to travel around the world in search of ideas for his works and unusual antique works of design art. There was no longer any need to save - paying for costumes for ballet and theater productions and lectures at art schools in Europe provided a solid income for the fashionable genius.
Vasiliev had a relationship with Icelandic Stefania
During one of these trips, Alexander Vasiliev proposes to the Icelandic Stefania, hoping that the young girl will agree to become his wife and mother for his future children. The personal life of the fashion historian at that time was very eventful - Sasha knew how to please women, so he counted on the consent of his future wife to live with him in Paris. The costume designer’s arrogance let him down – Stefania flatly refused to leave her homeland. Another dream of starting a family suffered from the fashion guru's fascination with the Parisian atmosphere.
The wife must distinguish cable from Babel
Today, Alexander Vasiliev has neither a wife nor children - the entire personal life of the fashion historian is planned literally minute by minute. Although he, like an ordinary mortal, really wants to find a life partner.
At the same time, his requirements for his future wife are very, very solid:
- not younger than 40 years old;
- a celebrity does not have to explain to her how Gogol differs from Hegel, and cable from Babel;
- a woman should take care of herself and not paint over her gray hair with “eggplant” dye;
- have an even, non-hysterical character.
With close friend Evelina Khromchenko
According to the fashion style guru, his chosen one should simply be smart and attractive, and not a crazed fan offering to bear him children. Alexander treats this question very carefully and he does not want to know that his little one is growing up in an unhealthy atmosphere.
At the same time, in numerous interviews, the fashion critic says that he has several beloved women at the same time and, like a true gentleman, keeps their names secret from the yellow press.
Participation in the “Secret to a Million” program
The format of the TV show is designed to elicit the frankness of the guest star in exchange for a certain amount. Fans of the “Fashionable Sentence” guru enthusiastically listened to Alexander Vasiliev’s revelations about ex-wives and unborn children, wanting to learn at least something new from the personal life of their idol. The intrigue reached its climax when Lera Kudryavtseva proposed declassifying the name of the fashion critic’s illegitimate child. In his usual manner. Vasiliev avoided the question, saying that all fans of his talent would learn about this only from the celebrity’s memoirs.
Thus, the million remained with the organizers of the program. Vasiliev was not very upset, because working in Parisian theaters as a production designer allowed the critic to purchase real estate in different parts of Europe. Today, Alexander has a family nest in Lithuania, apartments in Moscow and the Kaliningrad region, in Paris and Belarus.
With Nadezhda Babkina on the set of the “Fashionable Verdict” program
Vasiliev selects all real estate with an emphasis on antiquity - for example, he restores a mansion in the Kaliningrad region based on a photograph from 1910, seeking permission from the authorities to recreate the former appearance of the house. Modern double-glazed windows and facade insulation of residential buildings infuriate the critic; he devotes all his efforts to preserving historically valuable buildings.
The interior decoration of purchased apartments and mansions is no less important for Alexander - he can travel around several countries in a day in search of an authentic interior detail or a suitable sugar bowl. He is still attracted to flea markets in Europe and the East, where Vasiliev bargains furiously with sellers.
Difficult relationships with children
The critic does not feel lonely, despite the absence of a wife and children in his personal life - according to Alexander Vasiliev, the presence of small heirs does not always make a person happy. As an example, he cites the life of the actor Zeldin, who died at the age of 101 and at the same time left behind the good memory of a happy and charming man in the full bloom of his years.
The critic is very attached to his goddaughters, with one of whom Alexander has a particularly warm relationship. Marfa Milovanova, the daughter of an old friend of Vasiliev, adores her godfather, listens to his advice and is incredibly happy about gifts. In turn, the guru of the fashion world idolizes his goddaughter and speaks about her only in delightful terms. Perhaps this girl will inherit part of the multimillion-dollar fortune of a world-famous artist and costume designer. She took part in the filming of a scandalous TV show, defending her beloved godfather from attacks by the presenter.
Alexander Vasiliev with his beloved pug Kotik
Alexander Vasiliev doesn’t even think about adopted children - without a good wife, they will only become a burden in the professional activities and personal life of the popular stylist. Therefore, the main member of the Vasiliev family at the moment remains the pug Kotik, who does not require special care and attention, is loyal and affectionate.
In addition, Alexander Vasiliev is not going to give up on his personal life - according to him, both his wife and children are in his future, because he leads a healthy lifestyle and is surrounded by beautiful women all the time, as can be seen in the photo.
Today the name of Alexander Vasiliev is known far beyond the world of fashion, since he is rightfully considered a fairly public person. He gives lectures at universities, hosts a program on Channel One, and gives speeches to viewers with stories about the most current wardrobe items.
All this allows us to consider Vasiliev a fashion historian with a capital F. In addition, he is a quite successful decorator and art critic, writer and collector, which is not a complete list of the advantages that this versatile personality possesses. As they say, a talented person is talented in everything! Despite all his openness, he strictly keeps the secrets of his personal life, without revealing any secrets or details. Of course, such mystery only fuels the curiosity of the fair sex, who show increased interest in this ambiguous personality.
Alexander Vasiliev - show business star
Let us immediately note that, as in the life of any famous person, who managed to make his way in life with his work and talent, he experienced both periods of rapid ups and downs. Moreover, some journalists even made a dubious assumption about the historian’s unconventional orientation. No one provided evidence of such rumors, and he himself justifies polygamy for men.
So, who is she, the wife of Alexander Vasiliev, a fashion historian? Let's start with the fact that he has two marriages behind him. His first wife was a Frenchwoman, with whom he lived for three years and still maintains an excellent relationship. Although there were rumors that the marriage was fictitious and only thanks to it the artist was able to move abroad at one time. But let this remain on the conscience of the spiteful critics.
Vasilyev's wife
It was in France that the fashion designer’s remarkable career began, and his name began to be heard more and more often in the fashion world. The most famous ladies of secular society listened to him. The clothing models he created created a real sensation on fashion catwalks. After some time, Alexander Vasiliev’s next wife was an Icelander, but this marriage was not destined to last long. By the way, it’s worth saying that he maintains contact with all his former spouses. All of them were and remain successful and happy women. Both remarried and each has three children.
On December 8, 1958, a unique man, a true patriot of his great homeland, Alexander Alexandrovich Vasiliev, was born. Now he is called: a fashion historian, one of the best art historians, a talented writer and a brilliant TV presenter. But first of all, on that memorable winter day, the country received a great patriot and connoisseur of Russian traditions.The youth of Alexander Vasiliev
Alexander Alexandrovich's whole life was devoted to culture. Born into an intelligent family, where his father, Alexander Pavlovich, worked as the chief artist of the Moscow Theater, and his Mother, Tatyana Ilyinichna, fascinated the viewer with her play of dramatic roles on stage. Alexander simply had no chance to escape his fate.He designed his first costumes for a puppet show at only five years of age. And at the age of 7 he was already delighting young viewers in the television programs “Bell Theater” and “Alarm Clock”. For the rather serious production “The Wizard of Oz,” the boy created the costumes and scenery when he was only 12. So it is not surprising that in 1974, as soon as he turned 16 years old, and the law allowed Sasha to draw up a work book, he He was immediately hired as a prop maker at the Sovremennik Theater, where he worked until the Moscow Art Theater. Vasiliev graduated from studio school at the age of 22 and went to work as a costume designer at “On Malaya Bronnaya”.
The role of women in the life of Alexander Vasiliev
It is unknown how the fate of the great art critic would have developed further if not for his stormy romance with Masha Lavrova. The young hot blood always wanted to be close to the woman he loved. But her mother married a Frenchman, taking her daughter to another country.- “You should come to me there - at this very a beautiful city on the ground!" Alexander Alexandrovich still remembers these words. And he promised to come. The 21-year-old guy then had no idea how, but firmly believed that he would succeed.
The opportunity presented itself two years later. A French girl, Anna, came to Moscow State University to improve her Russian language. It became Vasiliev’s passport to Europe.
In 1982, young people sealed their relationship with marriage and left the country of the Soviets.
Alexander Vasiliev in Paris
Paris greets the young man with its contrasts, dark alleys give way to the blooming Champs Elysees. The night city simply sparkled with lightboxes outlandish to the Russian people. In Paris there was choice, there was freedom. Even the ordinary restaurant menu was amazing. The newlyweds lived in the 14th arrondissement in a small apartment on the fifth floor.That building didn't even have an elevator. After the 100-meter Moscow chorus then. But freedom was more expensive. Freedom and that beloved girl to whom he promised two years ago to change his life.
Then there was a trip to a villa in Arcachon, a paradise on the Atlantic coast. Wonderful beaches and simply amazing views could not leave the creative person indifferent. Genius for a long time spends near the sea.
The only thing that caused protest was the uniformity and monotony. Dinner at the same time, the same dishes, the same orders. And everything alive in Alexander was playing, demanding reforms. The first thing the artist changed was the old bedspread on the marital bed. But he approached even such a small thing with all his talent and creativity. Everyone appreciated his choice.
Don't trust your friends - Alexander Vasiliev.
Three months flew by quickly, the visa expired, Sasha submits documents to extend his stay in France, and his request is granted. Now it sounds commonplace, but at the time it was fantastic. Only many years later did Vasiliev learn that this was facilitated by the KGB itself, which had its own plans for the Russian decorator.
First steps in Europe
The idleness is over. The artist enters the school at the Louvre, and upon graduation, enters the graduate school of the Sorbonne theater department. Already in the fall of 1982, Vasiliev was invited to decorate the play “Pope Joanna,” which took place at the Poitiers and Cartoucherie theaters. Then there were the sets and costumes for the plays “Galleries of the Palace”, “Triumph of Love”, “Galleries of the Palace”... He got to work with such stars as: Valerie Dreville, Recep Mitrovica, Michel Witold.Unfortunately, the wife did not share her husband’s aspirations, and after he refused to be a Russian language teacher at the local lyceum, they separated.
Confession of Alexander Vasiliev
As it turned out, Vasiliev did not take the risk in vain. His talent did not go unnoticed. Already in 1985 he was invited to Reykjavik. Where he prepares costumes for the productions “Plato” and “Wild Honey”. The performances were sold out, and the artist was recognized.Also in 1985, Vasiliev began working for ballet performances. Which, a year later, led him to Galina and Valery Panov, who gave him the position of artistic director at the Royal Flemish Ballet. The genius is literally in great demand, he is literally bombarded with offers from the leading theaters of all European countries.
Fashion historian Alexander Vasiliev - about school uniforms
In 1989, Alexander Alexandrovich was invited to Japan. Where Masako Oya invited him to design Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker”.
Vasiliev also made his mark in cinema. Working closely with Roberto Enrico, he creates costumes for the film “And the War Passes.” And also for the films: “My Friend is a Traitor” by Jose Giovani and “Manjklu” by Moshe Mizrahi.
Vasiliev - teacher
This man’s ability to work is simply amazing; while he performs a colossal amount of work, he finds time to teach. Lectures and seminars in higher schools arts in London, Paris, Beijing, Brussels, Nice...and this is only an incomplete list of Vasiliev’s achievements as a teacher. In 1994, he presented his lecture program in 4 languages. This work is read all over the world.Alexander Vasiliev today
2003 And again Alexander surprises the world. Having opened the design studio “Interiors of Alexander Vasiliev” in Moscow, yes, in his hometown, he amazes viewers with an unusually rich collection of antique clothing. Antique costumes purchased at various auctions are truly unique. And the collector will not part with them for any money. Although they offered quite a lot of money just for renting things. 
In 2009, famous fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev left Channel One for health reasons.
Alexander Vasiliev is invited to take the place of the host of the popular TV show “Fashionable Sentence”. In the same 2009, he took the post of head of the Moscow Fashion Academy, which was organized at the Moscow Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting "Ostankino".
Now the great fashion historian, despite all the years he has lived, is still 18. He is full of energy and initiative. He writes books, gives lectures, and is the host of many television and radio programs.
Of course, Alexander Vasiliev is a fashion historian, whom almost everyone knows, since he is a public person. He teaches at universities, hosts a well-known television program, and speaks to a wide audience, talking about what wardrobe items are most relevant today.
Probably, many will agree that Alexander Vasiliev is a fashion historian with a capital F. As you know, fashion is a fickle and capricious lady. Her story is a reflection of how ideas about female beauty have changed over the centuries. And it is very important to learn to catch the slightest changes in what clothes will be popular tomorrow.
And it should be noted that Alexander Vasiliev is a fashion historian who has perfectly mastered this skill. Since childhood, he dreamed of devoting himself to a creative profession. Who is he, what was his path to fame? Let's look at these questions in more detail.
Biography
Alexander Vasiliev, a fashion historian, was born on December 8, 1959 in a family of intelligent people who lived in the Russian capital. His father was a national artist, and his mother served in one of the Moscow theaters. Little Sasha was brought up in an atmosphere of love for art and creativity.
Today Alexander Vasiliev is a fashion historian, whose advice is an invaluable gift for many Russian couturiers.
Childhood
Alexander himself recalls with delight and nostalgia the years of his youth: “My father was a real master of the brush, and my mother played roles superbly in the theater. All my ancestors were in one way or another connected with creativity. Dad himself created costumes and scenery for the theater. He was a true professional in his field. We had a huge library, so I read a lot. I enjoyed going to plays and art exhibitions.
Even as a child, it was clear to me that my life would also be connected with creativity.”
Fashion historian Alexander Vasiliev, whose biography is simply unique, as a young man became so attached to the theater that he began sewing costumes on his own and inventing decorations for his dolls. At the age of 12 he was already staging plays.
Moscow Art Theater student
It is quite natural that after graduating from school he wanted to connect his life with the theater, submitting documents to enter the production department of the Moscow Art Theater School. The dream comes true, he becomes a student at this theater university. After receiving his diploma, he worked for some time as a costume designer in
In 1982, the future fashion historian Alexander Vasiliev, whose biography is extremely interesting and remarkable, goes abroad to the capital of France, where he subsequently studies and works. And this is where success awaits him.
Path to glory
It should be noted: despite the fact that the family of Alexander Vasiliev, a fashion historian, was very famous in the Russian capital, the aspiring theater artist was not immediately noticed in Paris. There was a time when he could barely make ends meet financially. He couldn’t even afford to buy a chair, and he made money by singing Russian songs with street musicians.
However, the dark streak in life could not continue indefinitely. After some time, several famous Parisian theaters began to order decorations from Vasiliev. The future collector and writer studied in France for a long time: he successfully graduated from the Louvre School with a degree in interior designer for large palaces. He also devoted a lot of time to self-improvement, regularly reading books about fashion.
As a result, in 1994, he prepared his own course of lectures on this topic, which was translated into several languages. And today the host of the “Fashionable Sentence” program is actively involved in teaching. University and college students know him different countries peace.
Homecoming
At the beginning of the 2000s, the fashion historian returned to Russia and began active work. He becomes a TV presenter on the Culture channel. Alexander hosts his own program called “Blow of the Wind.” He is invited to teach at Moscow State University. He also organizes tours for students to get acquainted with European culture. Students of his course travel to Spain, Italy, England and France.
In 2003, Alexander Vasiliev created a design studio, whose stylists in their work combine the unique traditions of Russian culture with
A few years later, the writer and collector becomes the head of the Fashion Academy, which was established at the Ostankino Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting. Currently, Alexander Vasiliev hosts a TV show known to Russians called “Fashionable Sentence.”
Attitude towards the opposite sex
Despite the fact that Alexander Vasiliev is a public figure, he clearly does not intend to reveal the secrets of his personal life. And the fact that he managed to achieve a lot (became a successful decorator, art critic, TV presenter, collector, fashion historian, writer) does not go unnoticed by representatives of the opposite sex, so they show special interest in Vasiliev.
Of course, there were ups and downs in his personal life, it was simply impossible to do otherwise, since the path to fame was difficult and thorny.
Due to the fact that the presenter of “Fashionable Sentence” does not like to advertise his personal relationships with the opposite sex, some Russian print media began to actively spread rumors that, they say, our Alexander Vasiliev, a fashion historian, is gay. Whether this is true or not is unknown.
The theater artist himself has previously stated that he likes the point of view that justifies male polygamy.
Alexander Vasiliev admitted that he can experience passion for several women at the same time. However, he is not at all shy about it. This outrageous behavior attracts the opposite sex even more. Of course, the famous TV presenter, writer and collector has a huge number of fans.
Is Alexander Vasiliev married today?
A very curious fact is that the first wife of Alexander Vasiliev (fashion historian) was French. They say that it was only thanks to this marriage that he ended up abroad.
It should be noted that the marriage with her was fictitious and did not last long - only three years.
After some time, the theater artist married for the second time. His chosen one was an Icelandic woman, from whom he also later divorced.
The children of Alexander Vasiliev (fashion historian) never came into this world, which the presenter of “Fashionable Sentence” greatly regrets. The reason is that he never managed to marry the woman he loved. Today Alexander Vasiliev is not bound by marriage.
Alexander Vasiliev is proud that he was able to prove that a girl with brightly colored white hair is no longer as stylish and fashionable as before. He is also pleased that he managed to dissuade the fairer sex from the need to bare their bellies in front of others and wear jeans decorated with rhinestones.
The theater artist masterfully speaks seven foreign languages and has traveled around the world three times. He firmly believes that it makes no sense for a person to sit in one place, since life is very short.
Alexander Vasiliev is the owner of a unique collection of dresses from Russian culture. He repeatedly demonstrated it in European and Asian countries, the USA and Australia. The collection was collected over three decades. She is presented exclusive models, from the 17th century to the present day. These include exhibits that were created by the fashion houses Chanel, Doucet, Givenchy, Valentino, Paco Rabanne, and Gaultier.
Some models from the collection were worn in the past by famous ladies of their time, such as Baroness Galina Delvig, Countess Olga von Kreutz, Princess Maria Shcherbatova. Many exclusive items were donated by celebrities: Natalya Fateeva, Klara Luchko, Maya Plisetskaya, Lyudmila Zykina, Natalya Durova, Lyudmila Gurchenko.
Also a writer
Alexander Vasiliev is known as a talented writer. His work, entitled “Beauty in Exile,” has been reprinted more than six times and has been translated into English language and was awarded the title “Best Illustrated Book of 1998.” He also wrote a series of articles about the history of Russian fashion, which was called “Russian Fashion. 150 years in photographs." Vasiliev is also a co-author of the work “Lyudmila Lopato. The Magic Mirror of Memories", published in 2003.
Awards
The presenter of the “Fashionable Sentence” was awarded a medal for the fact that he managed to draw even greater public attention to Russian art, and he also received the gold medal of the Academy of Arts, the V. Nijinsky medal, and the Order of Patron.
Vasiliev Alexander Alexandrovich (b. 1958) - Russian fashion historian, theater artist, art critic, interior decorator. Television presenter, since 2009 he has been conducting fashion court sessions on the “Fashionable Verdict” show on Channel One.
Teacher, lectures at the Moscow Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting. He is the author of many articles and books about fashion. Founded the international interior design award “Lilies of Alexander Vasiliev”. Created the “First virtual interactive museum of fashion and style.”
Parents
Alexander was born on December 8, 1958 in Moscow into an intelligent family.
His father, Alexander Pavlovich Vasiliev, born in 1911, was a theater artist and corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Arts. In 1975 he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR.
Mother, Vasilyeva-Gulevich Tatyana Ilyinichna, born in 1924, was a dramatic actress. Later she taught acting at the Bolshoi Theater Choreographic School and stage speech at the Moscow Art Theater School. Her students were such celebrities as Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Nina Ananiashvili, Andris and Ilze Liepa. In her youth, Tatyana Ilyinichna was very beautiful. She was courted by the poet Nikolai Aseev, the playwright and poet Mikhail Svetlov, and the artist Vladimir Tatlin painted her portrait.
The parents met in 1947, when the father came to the Children’s Theater to design the scenery for Ostrovsky’s production “There wasn’t a penny, but suddenly it was altyn.” They got married in the fall of 1958, a few months before Alexander was born.
Parents of Alexander Vasiliev
Childhood
Little Sasha loved it when the whole family got together, and his father shared his memories, drew a plan of his children's room, told in detail where his bed, sofa, and piano were. Dad greatly valued family ties and taught his son love for his parents, ancestors, and Motherland.
Famous creative personalities often gathered in the Vasilievs' house, so the atmosphere of art surrounded the boy from childhood. It was precisely this early immersion in the world of beauty that prompted five-year-old Alexander to create the first sets and costumes for a puppet theater. The work of his father had a great influence on the child, because Alexander Pavlovich created not only the scenery, but also stage costumes for Igor Ilyinsky, Faina Ranevskaya, Lyubov Orlova.
At the age of seven, Sasha took part in the children's entertainment program on television “Bell Theatre”. Later, with Nadezhda Rumyantseva, he hosted the “Alarm Clock” program on weekends, which all the kids adored Soviet Union. He played the role of Alarm Clock Boy and was quite popular.
School years
Alexander spent his entire childhood behind the scenes of the theater, where his parents took him. While mom was rehearsing and dad was busy with the decorations, the boy studied every corner - from the stage to the auditorium, from the foyer to the dressing rooms. Nevertheless, he was not interested in acting. I liked creating images and costumes for the characters much more. By the age of twelve, he staged his own fairy tale play, “The Wizard of the Emerald City.”
Little Alexander with his parents
Sasha studied at a specialized English school, but due to poor performance he was expelled from the school. He received further education at the school for working youth.
Alexander was noticeably different from his peers in terms of clothing. The family had a good financial situation, and the parents could afford to dress their children in expensive fashionable things. In addition, my father often went on business trips abroad and brought a lot from there. The younger Vasiliev sported flared trousers, fashionable shirts and stylish shoes.
Despite being well off in everything, Alexander loved going to flea markets and garbage dumps from an early age. He says that in Soviet times, truly unique things could be found in such places. Many people brought there all sorts of trinkets that they had inherited. It was then, during trips to Moscow garbage dumps, that Vasiliev first came up with the idea of creating a collection of antique items related to fashion. Now he, too, is not averse to strolling through the Paris flea market in search of the next thing for his collection.
Creative career
Having received a certificate of secondary education, Vasiliev became a student in the production department of the Moscow Art Theater. The parents liked their son’s choice and helped him in every possible way. In 1980, he graduated from school and began working at the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya as a costume designer.
In 1982, Alexander left for Paris because he married a French woman. The hardworking and talented decorator did not remain without work there; he was regularly invited to design street festivals and theatrical productions. Vasiliev did not stop there in terms of education. Taking advantage of the opportunity while living in France, he graduated from the Louvre School with a degree in palace interior design. His teaching career began at the Esmod fashion school in Paris. He lectured on the history of fashion.
Over time, the fame of the Russian decorator spread beyond France; Vasiliev began to be invited to collaborate in Scotland, Great Britain, Japan, Turkey, Iceland, Italy, and Spain. While working in Europe, Alexander became fluent in French, Italian and Spanish.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Vasiliev returned to Russia and began working on television. On the “Culture” channel he hosted his own program “Blow of the Century”. Besides:
- taught fashion history at Moscow State University;
- gave private lectures;
- opened Russia's first museum of the history of fashion of the twentieth century;
- founded his own design studio;
- organized a traveling fashion school, within which he organizes educational sightseeing tours to the cultural capitals of the world;
- On radio “Mayak” he hosted his own program “Portraits of Great Fashionistas”.
Vasiliev shares his wealth of experience in the history of fashion with future generations; he has written and published more than thirty books. For many years, Alexander has been diligently keeping a diary, on the basis of which he is now slowly writing an autobiography.
Vasiliev is an avid collector of historical costumes. His private collection is one of the largest in the world, numbering more than 65,000 items, stored in France. It contains a lot of valuable outfits that belonged to Russian princesses, French countesses, ballerinas, film and theater actresses. The main purpose of this collection is not ownership, but educational activity. On its basis, Alexander often organizes thematic exhibitions in Russia and abroad.
In 2009, Vasiliev was invited to Channel One as the host of the popular program “Fashionable Sentence”.
Personal life
There are many rumors around Alexander that he has never been married and is generally gay. This is all nonsense. In his youth, Vasiliev was madly in love with the girl Masha. But his famous parents were categorically against their son’s relationship with a girl from a simple family.
This didn’t stop Sasha. The lovers were separated only by the marriage of Masha’s mother. The woman married a Frenchman, and together with her daughter moved to live with him for permanent residence in Paris. Alexander and Maria said goodbye very romantically and tearfully. It seemed that youthful love could be given up. But Vasiliev promised the girl that he would find a way to come to her in France. And two years later he fulfilled his promise.
Alexander with his first wife, Frenchwoman Anne Bodimon
He met a French woman, Anne Bodimon, who was studying in Moscow, and entered into a fictitious marriage with her. A couple of years later I received permission to travel to Paris. In the French capital, he and his wife rented a small apartment. Vasiliev was struck by the measured daytime life and night lights of the big city. But then he had no time for beauty, he began to look for his Masha.
However, upon meeting his beloved, Alexander was disappointed. Maria did not wait for him and became pregnant by a reporter from a French publication. True, she never married the child’s father, but she still maintained warm friendly relations with Vasilyev.
Alexander divorced his French wife and completely immersed himself in work. He traveled a lot around the world and in Reykjavik he met a lovely Icelandic girl, Stefania. Vasiliev was offered to take her as his assistant as an assistant. During their collaboration, Alexander literally lost his head over Stefania’s blond hair and blue eyes. Soon they decided to live in a civil marriage. Unfortunately, this love ended when the question of moving to France arose. Stefania preferred the cold and mysterious, but native Iceland to her beloved man and Paris.
Now, when asked by journalists about his personal life, Vasiliev answers: “I have been married to fashion for a long time and am happy in my marriage.” Next to him is always his favorite black pug named Kotik, whom Alexander takes with him even in long trips.
Character, interests, hobbies
Alexander has five houses in which he surrounded himself with beauty, like a true esthete in everything. He loves the old style very much; in Vasiliev’s houses there is a lot of mahogany furniture, and his favorite piece of furniture is secretaries. For a fashion historian, a cozy and good atmosphere is important, so he does not use simple dishes, but only good silverware and porcelain sets.
He loves to work with his hands, he can glue and paint, assemble or restore furniture himself, fix paintings, but most of all he likes to work in the garden.
Favorite cities are St. Petersburg, Istanbul, Paris, Buenos Aires, and most beautiful place Rome counts on earth.
Alexander's wardrobe is large, but in life you can never see him in colorful jackets with floral brooches and voluminous scarves. These are his work clothes for the “Fashionable Verdict” program, because television requires brightness.
