Legendary Russian Fashion Designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev Dies at 85
- Vyacheslav Zaitsev, Russia's most famous fashion designer, has died at the age of 85.
- He dressed the country's first ladies and gained fame when Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's wife Raisa wore his creations in the 1980s and early 1990s.
- Zaitsev went on to display his fashions in Paris, Tokyo, and other world capitals.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin's wife Lyudmila wore one of Zaitsev's dresses and accessories for a state visit to the United Kingdom in June 2003.
- Zaitsev founded his own fashion house in Russia and won numerous awards in his home country and elsewhere.