When Lotta Volkova, Russian daughter of a nuclear physicist and navy captain from Vladivostok, was Lotta Skeletrix, the Kashpoint bothering, lesbian space Empress, of London’s electroclash scene, she used to wear a glitter-ball on her head. That was out-there enough to make art photographer Wolfgang Tillman a little obsessive. Then she got into Blade Runner type double-breasted power-suits, matched with the odd toy gun slung round her neck and tape-measure braces from the DIY store. Volkova went on to design a range of death metal and militaristic post-punk inspired menswear, moved to Paris, morphed into a bit of avant-guard crumpet, gave up designing, started styling for magazines based in Japan, Paris and Russia, and married this guy that used to be gay. Now Volkava’s designing again, this time for women.

According to Lotta Volkova, her self-titled womenswear label’s shirt dresses and Russian criminal tattoos have a “very peculiar aesthetic, mixing music influences with hints of fetish.” Volkova’s moody stuff is perfect for some modern remake of Pasolini’s sick S&M Nazi flick Salo.

DARYOUSH HAJ-NAJAFI