Alik Zinger, become famous in Russia still then, when word combination "design of clothes" was absent in lexicon of our man, never searched for easy ways. The personal fashion designer of the Soviet stars of variety art, theatre and cinema, he thirty years ago has crossed out all achieved and left on West. To begin all anew. "Main, that it was interesting. And I had that time huge boldness. The changes did not frighten me", - tells Alik. In the last season in Moscow there were two performances, costumes to which has thought up and has made Alik Zinger, anniversary work of Roman Viktuk "Little matrimonial crimes" and original project with participation of the favourite actor and personal friend Emmanuel Vitorgan - comedy "He, she and Jenny".

- With what capital you leaved from Russia to begin new life?

- Capital! I had 200 dollars in a pocket - that's all! I have arrived to Paris by the invitation of known Concern of a High fashion and thus lived in hotel for the prostitutes! With the immigrant they deal shortly. Two thousand dollars per one month, cheap hotel are everything, for what I could apply. But I had roof above a head and opportunity to work - that was already something. Main, I spoke to myself, that the chance itself was presented to me to show. I have made a collection in record short terms - for forty days. By one of its themes became snakes. Embroidered snakes were twisted on sleeves, trousers, passed to collars... The proceeds from sales have made one million two hundred thousand dollars, critics applauded, It seemed to me, that it, undoubtedly, big good luck and now life will be adjusted. But all has turned out not so: the concern has let out my collection under brand, having kept my name in secret. I have broken off the contract and left, it is possible to tell, to anywhere. But, thanks the G-d,soon at me the own clientele appeared. I am grateful to destiny that it presented me meeting with great and brilliant Parisians - Catherine Denev, Simona Sinyore, Michelle Morgan...

- And how "great and brilliant" found out about your existence?

- Sarafan radio! I have sewed a beautiful dress to one French, she brought another, that - a third, and, eventually, to me began to look stars. I have never made distinctions, for whom I sew. It is necessary please yourself, to tell: "Well, this customer is most usual, with unpretentious taste, here I can strongly not strain ", - and everything, on reputation it is possible to put a cross. Then this dress, which you have made letting things go hang, necessarily will remind of itself, will make antiadvertising. Therefore I exerted myself completely. When do not make indulgence to yourself the success necessarily will come, I believe in it.

- What memoirs have remained about your star customers?

– With Catherine Denev and Michelle Morgan us the professional relations mostly connected they wanted to look well, I helped them in it. And with Simona Sinyore we communicated informally. A superstar, which name knew all over the world, in life remained natural and open. Meeting, we saw coffee, chattered shared the news, discussed, what at whom has happened, and only then began to fitting. Simona ordered extremely classical costumes, categorically not wishing to carry dresses. May be, because Sinyore had difficult figure: if to look full face - slim woman, but in profile - she had a very ridiculous stomach. Here again much depended on what clothes she dressed. If correct, this paunch nobody noticed. But if to dress on thing not irreproachable - the paunch there it is!

- After the Parisian success you however set off to New York. What for?

- At me it is always so. As soon as in life comes calmness and pacification, I threw everything and went there, where all should be begun from clean sheet. We with the wife and son lived in Paris two years, and then were going and went for ocean. The case is that New York was city of dream of my wife. And I have not got used to it. Having lived there for thirty years, and could not accept it by whole soul.

- Each designer has his favourite subject - firm thing, on which he was recognized, like a small black dress at Chanelle...

- In New York my coats became very popular. The observers American "Harpers Bazaar" even gave me a title "King of a coat ". It was huge recognition, as in States during long time as "King of a coat" was considered Gian Franco Ferre.

- What you have thought up, if managed to bypass him?

- Actually it was not necessary to think out anything. Creating things, I always kept up their quality. On my sight, what from the point of view of design the form would not be interesting, if the bad quality material was used, it loses half of charm. So it has turned out and with Ferre. Both of us did excellent cashmere coats, but only mine cashmere was better! A piece in that, as Ferre, and I bought cashmere in Italy. It would seem, the material should be identical! Ferre has required leading examination. It proved: in a fabric, which uses Ferre, cashmere were 10 percents only, while at me - 100 contained.

- Alik whence at you such thoroughness?

- From the father! The father never missed any trivialities in the work. I think, if it would be in another way, he would not become the one whom he became - the leading artist - fashion designer of the Soviet Union. At the Moscow Textile University Rubin Zinger and today is named as an ancestor of design of clothes in our country. The father had own Fashion House in SDS, which Anastas Mikoyan helped him to open. He has put Rubin the personal salary: the father could work or not, but this money intended to him in any case, since 1953 and, till he left from the Soviet Union. It has taken place in 1973, and in half-year father was lost in automobile accident in Florence.

- And your father sewed for himself?

-He was improbable fop! He had huge wardrobe, of only costumes were about 60. Rubin looked ideally: always came on work in a faultless costume, thus could few times for day come home only to change a shirt. I do not remember such time, when the father would not sew something for himself. He sewed for himself always! It is not enough of that, in his Fashion House in SDS he demonstrated the things on all shows. Each such show became an event. I remember, in year 1958 Rubin has thought up for himself a magnificent white coat with black beaver collar. He in general loved white colour. And once has appeared in a wonderful white jacket with a black diagonal. I can not forget still now and jacket from karakulcha - from its kind just spirit grasped!.. The clients of the father were the actors of theatre, cinema, circus. They went with performances worldwide, and always brought Rubin pattern of a fabric, about which in Union anybody even could not, any wonderful pieces of chalk, buttons, locks, ties, studs - everything, everything! Something chose from all these riches the father first of all for himself, and rest gave back in studio. And the friends of the father were the same aesthetes, as well as he. Michael Astaganov, Vladimir Etush, Kvachadze, Shlessinger, director of a circus Arnold Arnold. All of them very captiously concerned how they looked.

- You treat with partiality to the appearance?

- Absolutely not. For me the main criterion in clothes - is convenience.

- But whereas it was possible, that you have taken a great interest in design of clothes?

That was a decision of the father. When I was 13, he removed me in workshops. My consent was not required. Rubin told: "You will study", - means, it was necessary to sit and to study. But in due course design has grasped me so, that I never reflected on choosing any other trade. Probably, to think out clothes is at us in blood... At first I was arranged in the House of Models. Thought, that I shall be engaged in pure art. But it was soon found out, that the pure art is fiction. I was told, that I should work on a classical man's costume, and everyone’s there devices are not for the Soviet man. Soon I have left to work on factory "Bolshevik". Then there was a period, when I worked at Stanislavski's theatre as the costume designer. The performances of "Devil", "Albert Einstein", in which I took part, were remembered to public. But once me nearly have not expelled from theatre after Zhora Burkov, having had a drink well, named abode of art "theatre - studio of Stanislavski and Nemirovitch-Zinchenko". Simultaneously with work at theatre I was invited as the costume designer on Mosfilm. In a picture "Silence of the doctor Ivence" I worked with Sergey Bondarchuk. He, by the way, was the customer of my father. I remember such amusing detail: Bondarchuk - the bogatyr, but thus at him was not largest - 39 - size of a leg! Because of it it was necessary to cut trousers by such especial image, that they did not close toe of a boot.

- Alik, and when you felt the largest satisfaction from work? In Paris, New York, Moscow?

- I think, that in Moscow, and right, when I worked at theatre. It was the largest pleasure. Not casually my clothes name theatrical, in it there is a lot of expression.

- Alik, Have you got tired because, what all life you think out things?

- I just do not think to myself of other existence. I remember, to Moscow came great Herbert Fon Karajan. I very much love symphonic music, but the first idea which has visited me after the beginning of a concert, was not at all about it. I have thought: "What excellent trousers had Karajan! Splendidly sewed... "When all life you are engaged in clothes - such course think - is an entity. It is possible to tell, that I in general look on life through trousers!...

E. Milienko,
"Novie Izvestya"