Svetlana Cheremnykh Is Always Seeking Inspiration For Her Next Fashion Show

Our expat community thrives on connection, and here at Jingkids, we’re all about our readers, and what they need and want in order to maximize their time here in Beijing. Every Monday, we’re going to feature a prominent member of our expat community and get to know them a little bit better.

Hello, I’m Svetlana Cheremnykh. I am a fashion designer who’s been working in fashion design for over 20 years, a wife, and mother of a wonderful 17-year-old girl. I am a member of the Fashion Designers Association of Russia, leading designer of my eponymous brand “Svetlana Cheremnych”, as well as the founder of the teaching project “Fashion Workshop”.

After I graduated from Insearch College in Sydney, Canadian La Salle College, and British Middlesex University with a major in fashion design, I cooperated with clothing companies, participated in competitions and runway shows. For 16 years I worked at Raffles Design University in Beijing.

For several years I’ve been presiding over the annual competition of young designers “Art Space” in Russia. At the moment I own a small clothing production line and run an online teaching platform for fashion designers “Fashion Workshop”.

What’s on your mind?

Since I am currently working on my latest collection, what’s been on my mind is that I hope this whole covid thing will blow over soon so I can finally present it.

What’s your motivation to get up every morning?

Due to the fact that fashion design requires constant observation of the things around me – it naturally stimulates me to get to work whenever inspiration strikes!

How do you stay sane in all the madness?

Working always helps me get my mind off of things, even in these times of uncertainty. The work of a designer doesn’t only revolve around routine work, it also incorporates something new every time as it allows for me to explore my creativity. The work that goes into creating these pieces is therapeutic in a way – since I get to just dive into the process.

What’s your favorite thing about Beijing?

I’ve lived here for longer than I can remember – more 20 years. Perhaps the most memorable thing for me about Beijing would be the fact that as a foreigner I feel very welcome in the city. You don’t necessarily need to know the language perfectly in order to be able to assimilate into the rich culture that the city offers.

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Images: Courtesy of Svetlana Cheremnykh