Rising Star

Up-and-comer and SMU student Kira Plastinina makes her mark on the world fashionscene

Even though she’s not old enough to drink, Kira Plastinina already has made her mark on the fashion world. The Russian-born designer caught the attention of Russian Harper’s Bazaar, garnering ink in the December 2012 issue.

Plastinina began designing clothing at age 14 in her hometown of Moscow. “I always loved designing — I even made dresses for my dog," she says. Just two years after drawing on her first sketchpad, the young fashionista launched her own line called Lublu, which means “I love” in Russian.

Plastinina has stores back home in Russia and one in Los Angeles, and she plans to open a Lublu flagship store in Dallas this spring.

After attending the American embassy school in Moscow, Plastinina enrolled at Southern Methodist University, where she is now a third-year student studying communications. But Plastinina goes to Moscow once a month to work on her line.

She has stores back home and one in Los Angeles, and she plans to open a Lublu store in Dallas — which will be the flagship — in Preston Center this spring.

“The girl who wears Lublu is feminine but daring, sophisticated, and savvy,” Plastinina says.

Although best known for her striking, elegant dresses, Plastinina also designs richly textured and beautifully patterned tops and bottoms. She names Stella McCartney, Carven and Altuzurra among her inspirations.

Even at the tender age of 20, Plastinina is following in the path of her esteemed predecessors as she builds her own fashion house. And soon she will elevate our city’s fashion scene with yet another Lublu boutique. We’re crossing our fingers for a March 2013 opening.

Fashion on display

Rare Halston fashion exhibition now on display in unlikely Texas city

Halston: Inventing American Fashion exhibit Ellen Noël Art Museum

Photo courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

An colorful eveningwear grouping takes advantage of Ellen Noël Art Museum's curved walls.

A rare exhibition honoring fashion pioneer Halston has popped up in an unexpected place: West Texas. Dallas fashionistas who are fans of the designer can make a five-hour pilgrimage to Odessa’s newly revamped Ellen Noël Art Museum to view "Halston: Inventing American Fashion."

Halston’s minimalistic fashions are rarely the subjects of retrospectives, although the designer’s dramatic life story recently had a pop-cultural resurgence through a 2021 Ryan Murphy miniseries. "Halston: Inventing American Fashion" assesses the talent that made him a household name.

Known now for outfitting 1970s icons like Liza Minelli and Bianca Jagger, Halston changed the international reputation of American sportswear as part of the famous 1973 “Battle of Versailles” fashion show, holding his own against Paris’ most lauded couturiers. His uniquely louche style still influences contemporary brands like Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, and Tom Ford, who was briefly the creative director for a revised Halston label.

The mannequins in the Odessa display are outfitted with 75 ensembles from flowing Ultrasuede daywear to more dramatic draped gowns. The pieces “illustrate how Halston revolutionized fashion by prioritizing comfort, confidence, and modern femininity,” according to a release.

Although Odessa may seem an odd choice for the show, Halston had deep Texas connections. After he moved on from hat making, Amarillo millionaire Estelle Marsh was his sole backer willing to fund his first Madison Avenue boutique.

$Ellen No\u00ebl Art Museum, Odessa, new facade.$ The new facade at Ellen Noël Art MuseumPhoto courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

$Halston: Inventing American Fashion exhibit Ellen No\u00ebl Art Museum$

Photo courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

An colorful eveningwear grouping takes advantage of Ellen Noël Art Museum's curved walls.

And the recently completed renovation of Odessa's Ellen Noël Art Museum has some of the designer’s signature sleek. Designed by architect R.J. Lopez, the renovation includes new galleries and improved circulation, but the centerpiece is a striking transparent façade, replacing the original brick of the 1985 building.

“The renovation project has been over 10 years in the making and in the construction phase for the past two years,” says the museum’s buildings manager, Steve Patton, via a release. “The completion of the project has resulted in an incredible facility that is a shining star in West Texas, offering programs and exhibits that will be a destination point for people all over the world!”

"Halston: Inventing American Fashion" will run through March 22. Admission to the Ellen Noël Art Museum is free.

exhibits odessa fashion west texas museums designer texas

Loading...