Whether shooting LGBTQ+ couples kissing in front of landmarks or organising underground club nights, Generation Z is a power to be reckoned with in contemporary creative Russia. Founded by stylist-turned-producer Diana Spit in St Petersburg, the collective unites like-minded people seeking to redefine fashion in both a local and global context. With photographer Nick Gavrilov, creative director Roman Gunt and producer Elizaveta Pottaeva as its key members, Generation Z functions as a creative agency and an online platform, with plans to expand into merchandise and a print magazine in the upcoming year.
With radical freedom of expression held as the thing they value most, the collective has emerged in spite of many obstacles in their native Russia – from the outdated outlook of the country’s mainstream fashion industry to society’s political conservatism. Generation Z represents the new wave of emerging Russian creatives who are plugged into international youth culture, keen to tell their own authentic stories and never shy away from complex topics including identity, subculture, and sexuality.
But a passion for community is what makes Generation Z; they represent the true colours of Russia’s open-minded youth. “Our main aim is to find artists who are so far away from the epicentre of the fashion industry and give them a chance to be seen and heard,” they say.
Anastasiia Fedorova