Irina Shaposhnikova
Irina Shaposhnikova is an artist and costume designer who works internationally for theatre, opera, dance, film and special projects. She has a long-standing and fruitful collaboration with Nanine Linning, with whom she has worked eight times. Her vision and aesthetic focus on highly innovative designs, using the latest, groundbreaking materials and techniques in a wide range of costume and art projects. She finds inspiration in craftsmanship and enjoys experimenting with unconventional patterns and assembly techniques.
Shaposhnikova graduated from the fashion department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, after previously studying at the University of Arts in London. Her graduation collection, which bears her signature, quickly received praise from international media and industry professionals. Her work has been published in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Interview and Wallpaper, among others, and has been exhibited at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (NL) and the MOMU Fashion Museum (BE), among others.
Although she began her career in the fashion industry, Shaposhnikova soon discovered her interest and passion for theatre and costume design for opera and contemporary dance. She has collaborated with and designed costumes for the Stuttgart Ballet, the Bavarian State Opera, Opera Ballet Flanders, Theater Heidelberg, the Greek National Opera, Theater Bielefeld, Oper Graz, Royal Theatre Carré and, most recently, Bern Ballet.
In addition to her work as a designer, Shaposhnikova has taught at various universities. She headed the fashion programme at the British Higher School of Art and Design for several years and was a guest lecturer at the renowned Institut Français de la Mode in Paris and the Raffles Istituto Moda e Design in Milan.