Russian Fashion Icon Alla Verber Dead At 61 — What We Know
Rest in peace, Alla Verber.
Instagram Outside of the fashion world, she remained relatively unknown. Inside the fashion world, however, she was a legend. So when she recently died at the age of 61, the fashion world was — in a word — shook. How did Alla Verber die?
Here's what we know about the death of this icon.
1. She was responsible for bringing Russian pret a porter fashion to the forefront.
WWD reports that Alla Verber was single-handedly responsible for bringing Russian pret a porter fashion to the forefront of the fashion industry. Specifically, she modernized Tsum in Moscow, and she brought DLT in St. Petersburg into the modern era.
2. Alla Verber's cause of death was anaphylaxis.
According to the Russian website Gazeta, Alla Verber went into anaphylactic shock (that is, she had an extreme allergic reaction), which ultimately killed her. It's unclear, at least from initial reports, what she came into contact with that was so deadly.
3. Her immune system was compromised by pneumonia.
According to the Russian website UA, Alla Verber was on vacation in Italy when she passed away. The outlet also reported that her immune system had already been weakened, significantly, by a previous bout with pneumonia. So, when she went into anaphylactic shock, her body simply couldn't take it and gave way.
4. Alla Verber was well aware of her place in Russian fashion.
Alla Verber was not some wannabe fashionista — she was a power player, and dare we say, the power player in Russian fashion. And she was also someone who was well aware of her influence in Russian fashion, too. "When I first came here in 2002, Tsum was already famous. It was Russia’s first department store, opened in the 18th century, but it was not fashionable at all. It was nothing like this, just these very boring Soviet, or sometimes Chinese, products…All the big brands entered because of me," she told the South China Morning Post.
5. She developed her love of fashion in Rome.
According to The Business of Fashion, when Alla Verber's parents moved from the USSR (as it was then known) to Canada, Alla wasn't allowed to go with them. She was, however, permitted to study fashion in Rome, Italy, and that's where she developed her love of fashion. Even though she was sad to leave her parents behind, at the time, the decision to go to Italy ultimately paid off for her.
6. Alla Verber is survived by a daughter, Katia.
According to Heavy.com, Alla Verber leaves behind a daughter, Katia, who was once known as "The Paris Hilton of Russia." She bragged about her exploits on Instagram, including having her Bentley cars always breaking down, and spending $7,000 on a cell phone.
Our thoughts are with Alla Verber's family during this difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.