“Once in Switzerland I was introduced to a woman who reads palms,” Elena Yarmak begins her story. “Without knowing me at all, she told me to always carry at least a piece of fur with me as a talisman.” When I told about our Fashion House, the fortuneteller said that this was sent to me by fate to protect me.”
Even convinced skeptics are unlikely to argue: in the life of Elena Yarmak there are too many plots that fall into the category of “it doesn’t happen like that.” However, it happens. The stars aligned in such a way that a mathematician from Kiev, holder of a scientific degree, in love with functional analysis, created a world-famous fashion brand, whose fur products warm not only the body, but also the soul of A-list stars - from Beyoncé, Madonna, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown to representatives of the Kardashian family. The Helen Yarmak brand's jewelry line is called Lucky Jewelry (“jewelry that brings good luck”).
If we analyze the life path of our heroine, everything falls into place. The prerequisites for such a career have always been there. Let it all start not with a fur coat, but with a dream about it.
“When I was five years old, like all children, I had a sheepskin coat. I bought the next one myself when I went as a representative of the Institute of Cybernetics to a mathematical symposium in Central Asia,” says Elena. — In one village I saw a fur coat made of black and brown broadtail - the fur is wonderful, the price is amazing, I didn’t like the model. I asked if they could make a model based on my ideas, they said yes. The money I was willing to pay for one fur coat was enough for three. Since there was no lining in the studio, I decided to make a fur coat without lining - that’s how our concept was born. For the second one, I took thicker fur, but since there was still no black lining, I chose a contrasting burgundy color. With the rest of the money I ordered an English jacket and two skirts - long and short. Seeing them, my friends wanted the same thing. These things are still kept in our library.”
One can only guess what a sensation the skirts and jacket made of astrakhan fur produced then, which even today are sometimes presented to us from the catwalks as a supernova trend. Meanwhile, Helen Yarmak’s assortment has been offering skirts, shorts and even (!) swimsuits made of mink and sable for decades. Our heroine has always been an innovator - almost since childhood.
“Since childhood, I couldn’t be dressed in anything I didn’t like.”
Parents were often called to school and advised to dress their daughter in simpler clothes. “At the same time, the first thing made for me from new fabric, and not altered, for example, from my dad’s old trousers, was my prom dress,” Yarmak recalls. — Details have always been important to me: I wanted certain buttons, collars. Nothing has changed since then.”
“The first office was in the kitchen...”
Elena Yarmak has always been interested in fashion (“she didn’t even go to defend her dissertation until she came up with an image for herself”). However, only when difficult times came to the country and allocations for science were sharply reduced, she switched from mathematics to design. Again, as she claims, she did not think about serious scale - she just wanted to sew a dress, went to the Krasnaya Zarya factory to buy the necessary fabric, because the family of two scientists did not have money to buy on the black market... Her ideas were presented to the representatives of Krasnaya Zarya liked it, and Elena was offered to create her own line, which was sewn in their laboratory.
Realizing that no one would believe in a Russian name, Yarmak wrote her name in English, and the Helen Yarmak brand was born. True, at first it was called modestly - Helen. “I said that I was a representative, then I “grew up” to a manager, and then to an exclusive representative.” Meanwhile, Helen Yarmak's clothes - children's, men's, women's - were already being sewn in different factories throughout the country.
“And then it became boring to deal with the flow. I wanted something new..."
Thus began the fur epic, and with it the expansion of Helen Yarmak to the West. Having established herself there, Elena Yarmak also took up jewelry design - this endeavor also turned out to be successful.
Awards[edit]
- 2000 - Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Women in Business (Washington);
- 2002 - Award “Creator of the Year” by the magazine “Creativity & Creativity” at the Union of Journalists;
- 2003 - Leadership Awards, Foundation for International Understanding (New York);
— During International Fashion Week in New York, Helen was awarded the title of “Best International Designer of the Year.” And she is the only Russian designer to receive it; — Olympia Award for promoting the Russian brand on the international market;
- 2005, Knight “For the Revival of Russia in the 21st Century”;
- 2007, “People of the Year in Russian America” Award
“When they ask about competitors, I say: I don’t know them, we have our own style”
During her first year, Elena’s daughter was born; she didn’t have time to attend classes, but at the institute they said: “What Yarmak won’t take with perseverance, she will take with character.” This attitude always helped her. Today she remembers with a smile how her American history began. Then, however, there was no time for laughter.
“We didn’t know anyone, no one knew us.”
Yarmak's pressure played a decisive role here too. Despite everything, she got an office (and next door to the main jewelry brands), which previously belonged to Playboy. At first, however, there was a more modest showroom, but at the same address.
“The first to come to us was Melanie Griffith, who was invited by a friend of my friend from Moscow. She bought several fur coats and said that she did not want to offend her mother, who had her own private zoo, but she could no longer part with what she bought from us.”
Soon other celebrities began to frequent the Helen Yarmak showroom. They say that anyone who has ever thrown a chiffon-lined fox or sable over their shoulders has never agreed to compromise. To this day, Jennifer Lopez, even when shooting for fashion magazines, can easily be outraged if she is asked to pose in a fur coat from another brand.
“Every woman has her strengths. We try to help her reveal them. A woman should feel like a seductress. Our items are light and can be combined with both jeans and an evening dress. Each should give a feeling of protection.”
Yarmak calls his customers not clients, but like-minded people: “These are people of the world, the most demanding customers. They share our philosophy."
“If a person can afford it, but doesn’t buy it, it means that he doesn’t like the thing or doesn’t like it enough.”
Helen Yarmak - Russian designer who conquered America
Not all fairy tales about Cinderella begin the same and sometimes you have to work hard to become queen! This happened with our heroine, the queen of Russian fur - Helen Yarmak, who created her own unique business thanks to her talent and amazing performance!
The future designer was born and raised in Ukraine. And she chose a profession completely far from the world of fashion, enrolling in the Faculty of Cybernetics at the State University of Ukraine. She worked as a senior researcher at the Institute of National Economy. She defended her dissertation, becoming a Doctor of Economic Sciences.
And no one knows how her fate would have turned out if Elena and her husband had not moved to Moscow. The salaries of Soviet scientists have always been not high, and during the perestroika period they were completely meager. Then the future designer decided to open her own business. But it turned out to be not so simple. The doors of many Moscow officials were constantly closed to ordinary citizens, and more than once she had to resort to cunning in order to be heard. For example, when Elena needed to get fabric for production and place an order, at the factory she had to identify herself as a representative of a large Canadian company. But the order was successfully sold, and when the “trick” was revealed, no one had the slightest doubt that this was a professional with whom they could and should cooperate. When the beginning was made, and Elena had her own small business, she went on a business trip to the north. There, in one of the local department stores, she caught her eye on a fur coat hanging alone in the window. Our heroine liked the fur as a woman, but as a real artist, passion awoke. “What could be done with it to make an excellent fashionable fur coat out of this shapeless rags?”
No sooner said than done. The coat was transformed beyond recognition, and that’s when she realized the further direction of her work. And, having reasoned soberly, I came to the conclusion that Russia has always been famous for its luxurious furs, but the quality of processing and interesting design were weak points. “What if you combine the excellent quality of fur and original modern design... then you can compete with Italian and Greek producers, who, by the way, buy fur from us.” Unfortunately, at the beginning, large shopping centers did not want to cooperate with a Russian designer, preferring everything foreign. Then Elena decided to introduce herself as Helen Yarmak. The business in Moscow began with a small “show room”, which was visited by friends and acquaintances. They, in turn, brought their friends and acquaintances. So, gradually, Elena Yarmak and her team earned the love and trust of both the capital’s elite and ordinary lovers of luxury!
More than 10 years ago, Elena flew to New York . Of course, she understood that she was in one of the world's fashion capitals, and thought whether the local public would be able to accept her creations. Once again, chance helped: one day, while walking shopping in winter, Elena put on a fur coat from her collection and inquisitive passers-by began to ask where she bought it? “This is a fur coat from Helen Yarmak ,” Elena answered, smiling. And then I realized that if there is demand, then there must be supply. of opening his own boutique on 5th Avenue in Manhattan , but for a Russian designer this seemed completely unthinkable. “In 1998, Americans had two associations with Russia: frosts and the mafia.” But this did not stop our heroine, and even though she was still little familiar with the laws of the fashion industry, she became confident in the correctness of her chosen path.
Using her mathematical abilities, she managed to develop her own algorithm for doing business in the USA. To be a little more flexible, more original and certainly show the highest quality, which undoubtedly will not go unnoticed by buyers.
“The first star client in our showroom was Melanie Griffith , who immediately liked us very much, she tried on several fur coats, bought two that suited her best, and put another one aside, saying that her husband would take it ( Antonio Banderas ). Next was Goldie Hawn (Hollywood actress and mother of Kate Hudson ). And the first big victory - the largest department store in New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, purchased our collection. Now more people knew about us,” says Elena.
“But the real luck was that we managed to become friends with Patricia Field (the head stylist of the TV series Sex and the City ). She was so impressed by the things created by Helen that the friendship grew into close collaboration both on screen and in life. There are a lot of our things in the series itself and in its continuation in the cinema. There are also a lot of our clothes in such films as “ Shopaholic ”, “ Ugly Betty ” and the cult “ The Devil Wears Prada”.
Elena did not deprive Russian cinema of her attention; we can see her work on the heroes of the films: “ Wedding ” - Pavel Lungin, “ Moscow Saga” , “Day Watch” and “Black Lightning” - Timur Bikmambetov. Helen Yarmak's clients now include such stars as Rihanna, Beyonce, Sandra Bullock, Steven Spielber, Jim Carrey, Kate Hudson, Catherine Deneuve, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Renae Flemming, Chloë Sevigny, Queen Latifah . It is especially pleasant to note that Elena has received real recognition among professionals.
In 2003 she received the well-deserved award “Best Foreign Designer of the Year”. Considering the fact that almost no one knows about Russian fashion designers abroad, this recognition can be called a real victory!
Helen Yarmak brand does not stand still and is in constant development, surprising us with something new every year. In addition to exclusive fur products, which are made in a single copy, the collection now includes more affordable and affordable jackets trimmed with fur, knitted sheepskin coats, bags, and interior items. Recently, Elena also launched her jewelry collection with absolutely amazing energy. Products made from semi-precious and precious stones amaze the imagination with their elegance of shape and unique design. Her work suits both confident, successful women and sweet, eternal dreamers. “The main thing,” says the designer, “is that the magnetism of the stone matches the spirit of the girl who chose it. And then the thing will become not just another decoration, but a real talisman!”
Elena now speaks with particular tenderness about New York, in which she already has 2 stores: one on the corner of 5th avenue and 57 street , and the second in the famous Plaza Hotel.
“New York has a completely unique spirit and energy. Here everyone walks, and at the same time everyone has a blast. And such a phenomenon as the central park and the attitude of the townspeople towards it defies description.” “The famous American smile for the time being greatly irritated me and seemed completely unnatural. After all, the rule here is that the worse your mood, the wider you should smile. But when the Russians appeared in my office, and the day began with a discussion of domestic problems, I realized that there was a reason for the “smile.” After a while, our heroine learned to smile, despite difficulties and despite failures. But, perhaps, this is the secret of her success. “ I just do my thing and I really like it. Work on yourself and over time your dreams will come true.” Elena loves Moscow very much, where she has many friends and loyal clients. From her shows she organizes real theatrical shows with the participation of star performers. She is loved and appreciated in her homeland. And she, in turn, reciprocates by creating such beautiful and warm fur masterpieces that fashionistas on both sides of the ocean can happily appreciate!
“Fashion is a dictate, but we give you the right to choose”
Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Sharon Stone, Monica Bellucci... It would seem that a brand whose list of fans is entirely superstars does not need advertising. However, this year Helen Yarmak has an official face - and this is Arina Kuzmina, already familiar to us - debutante of the Tatler Ball 2015 and Yegor Creed’s unrequited love in the duet “I’ll Stay”. “She combines beauty and class,” explains my interlocutor. — Arina is hardworking, she has a rich inner world, a pure soul. And she’s brilliantly educated—that’s important to me.”
According to Elena Yarmak, even if the budget allows any whim, without intelligence and taste it is impossible to make the right choice. Money is not a panacea for bad taste. “It makes no sense to ask me about bad manners in furs, I am for quality,” says Elena Yarmak. “A good jacket is better than a poor-quality fur coat.”
“I think style and sophistication are more important than trends.”
Background [edit]
Elena Yarmak first studied mathematics at the Taras Shevchenko University of Kiev. Elena placed her first product order for her own design in Moscow, introducing herself as a representative of a Canadian company. These sketches were so good that when the lie became known, the factory decided to place an order. Vogue magazine called Ms. Yarmak “the mistress of the sable mountain” (Vogue, November 1998). Moreover, she was the first Russian designer whose collection appeared on the cover of Vogue. [ citation needed
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