Russian Fashion Designer Known In The West As The 'Red Dior' Dies At 85

Russian fashion designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev has died, according to media reports confirmed by the Russian Academy of Arts. Zaitsev, 85, died in a hospital in the city of Shchelkovo near Moscow. He rose to fame in the 1960s and was one of the first Soviet fashion designers to gain recognition in the West, especially in France, where he was known as the "Red Dior." He designed the sportswear for Soviet athletes at the Moscow Olympics in 1980 and in 1991 created a new look for the uniforms of the Russian police. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.