Russian Federation

Russian Federation

Anna Harvey, Mario Testino, and Aliona Doletskaya   
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Never-ending blankets of snow delayed the start of Russian Vogue's tenth anniversary banquet on Thursday night by more than two and a half hours. "I knew the traffic here is awful, so I ate before I came," said Mario Testino. "I had 250 grams of caviar—I feel like a potato." OK, so Russia's infrastructure may not be in the best of health. But all that talk about the country's economy collapsing? Forget about it. Billed as a "recession chic" meal, dinner came without the delicacies that one expects in Moscow like quail and fish eggs. However, the bottles of Veuve Clicquot on every table didn't exactly say "budget." And neither did the live auction that followed. When 30 dolls designed by fashion designers hit the block, some fetched as much as 100,000 euros, with proceeds going to local orphanages. Billionaire businessman Vladislav Doronin dropped 30K on a doll designed by YSL's Stefano Pilati. It was a present for his girlfriend, Naomi Campbell, the current face of the fashion house. "We've seen crises, we've seen currencies come and go. Only strong, talented, beautiful people survive," said the magazine's editor in chief, Aliona Doletskaya. "And that's who's here tonight."