Fashion designer Fyodor Podgorny gifts his garment to a Latvian museum

In early July, the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design marked its 37th anniversary. As part of the celebration, the institution received a special gift — a kimono-style evening dress from the internationally known label "Fyodor Golan", co-created by fashion designer Fyodor Podgorny.

A sense of belonging to Latvian culture

Speaking on the Latvian Radio 3 "Klasika" programme "Pa ceļam ar Klasiku", Podgorny explained what prompted the gesture. He said he has increasingly come to feel woven into the broader fabric of Latvian culture, describing it as a kind of cultural tapestry that brings together many creative people and their work.

A wish to be accessible

For the designer, donating the piece was also a way to make his creative work accessible to a wider public, rather than only to those who closely follow fashion or attend exclusive events. In his view, a museum collection is a place where anyone can come into contact with a garment, which made this kind of gift feel like a fitting and open gesture.

The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design has spent decades collecting and preserving works of design and applied art from Latvia and abroad. The newly acquired dress will now join its collection as evidence of the international achievements of contemporary designers of Latvian origin.