Calistoga artist’s vision comes to life 

Models walk down the driveway-turned-runway of local designer Alexander Smirnoff’s home in front of 200 guests. Smirnoff recently hosted his second annual fashion show which featured his artwork and one-of-a-kind clothing designs. (Photo by Tim Carl)

A Calistoga driveway became a runway last month when Alexander Smirnoff hosted his second fashion show. Smirnoff created a space to express not just himself but also his 30 models – all from Calistoga and surrounding areas.

By day, Smirnoff is a tour guide at Castello di Amorosa. But at his home, it’s evident he is always creating, whether it is garments or sculptures. 

Smirnoff, who grew up in Arkansas and Missouri, had dreamed of moving to California as a kid. Eventually, he made his way to the West Coast and finished high school in Petaluma. He has lived in Calistoga for eight years. 

His vision for his fashion shows only came alive in recent years. His second show, “Metamorphosis,” took place earlier this fall and drew almost 200 people to his driveway, where the ticketed event was held. 

Smirnoff has always been inspired by fashion houses and runway shows. He recalled the first time he wanted to work in the industry was maybe 15 years ago. Four years ago, he started making clothing. 

“In my past work, I usually experiment with one medium for an extended collection, trying to push its boundaries and my own. But I’ve always jumped around to new mediums,” Smirnoff said. “My logic is, we are only on this planet for a short time. Might as well get your hands dirty and try it all.” 

The process of making 30 different looks by himself took approximately six months. There were many different methods of creation. Materials varied from silk, canvas and linen to plaster ceramics, organic matter, car crash wreckage and fake hair. 

A lot of the materials used were taken from things that were seen as “waste or a burden and given a second life,” he said. “Bringing them to life, worn and embodied by the people who inspired each of the pieces. It’s a way to say I see you, a love letter to myself and the people close to me.” 

The show was the product of community involvement. One model, Natalie Carpello, met Smirnoff at the Calistoga Art Center, where she is an instructor. 

Smirnoff said every outfit was specifically designed and tailored to each model, representing their personalities and the embodiment of his ideas. Carpello, for example, wore a piece called “Kintsugi.”

Kintsugi is a Japanese art technique for repairing broken objects, typically ceramic pottery or glass, by mending the breaks with gold, silver or platinum. Carpello’s outfit included a ceramic blade and corset. Both designer and model agreed it was a physical representation of how, even when something is broken, there is still beauty in it. 

“When you break a piece of pottery, you put it back together with the gold and the idea of it is you’re embracing the imperfections, the beauty is in the flaws,” Carpello said. “And so, I think that was one of my favorite parts about my costume. Not only was it so relevant to me and my work and what I do, but like the whole story of kintsugi, the idea of kintsugi, is something that more people need to bring out.” 

Carpello has modeled before, but she said this show was special. 

“For me it was the most unique fashion show I’ve ever been in because I knew almost everyone in the audience.” Carpello said. “It was probably the most fun fashion show I’ve ever done, probably because of the theatrical aspect of the costumes; and the community aspect too.”

The show opened with model Dante Marquez who wore an outfit called “The Hunger.” The music for the show was produced by some of Smirnoff’s friends, including Maya Panida, a Calistoga resident, who said the show demonstrated Smirnoff’s growth as an artist. 

Panida said she appreciated “our ability to communicate with one another in a way that is not only received and respected, but also highly understood. We’re very often on the same page or on completely different pages. And then we find a way to morph it into something that aligns with the vision. 

“I really do think that I am more of a support system and someone to bounce ideas to and from, and to just provide a different perspective that maybe Alexander hasn’t seen, in order to help create the best vision that he could imagine,” she added.

JoeJoe Clark, another model for “Metamorphosis,” donned a jumpsuit which imitated an oak leaf. Clark said he had never been in a fashion show before. Smirnoff had previously asked Clark to walk in his first show and made him an outfit, but it was not until this year that he finally agreed to participate.

“I could hear myself walking in that outfit. It almost sounded like leaves,” he said. When the music faltered, “people were rooting me on, but it was that moment where that imperfection gave me the energy, the juice to just give, give what I could give.” 

Smirnoff said it made him happy to see the collective synergy between the creative director and the models. 

“It was just sitting with the thought of that person for a week, just thinking about them and what they’ve been through and how I could be a part of their life in a way that would make them feel really good and seen and empowered and deeply heard,” he said. 

“I definitely had a vision, and I could see, not just the people that I wanted to be there, but I could see how I wanted them to feel while they were there,” Smirnoff added. 

Smirnoff will release a video of his show to his website www.zandersmirnoff.com/ on Sunday, Dec. 1 for people to view digitally.  

For Smirnoff, watching the show, he said, is “like seeing a tree bear fruit.” 

Now, with the show’s completion, he said he is looking forward to exploring new mediums. 

“New storytelling, new phases of my life are going to push me into new directions,” Smirnoff said. “And it’s cool to feel it having its momentum.”

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