Why does Alla Verber not drink tea. Alla Verber: biography, personal life, career. Your style has changed over the years
Alla Konstantinovna Verber was born on May 21, 1958 in Leningrad into an intelligent family of hereditary Petersburgers. Her maternal grandfather, Abram Iosifovich Fleisher, was the director of a large meat processing plant, was in charge of the children's department of the House of Leningrad Trade, and was a well-known collector of antiques.
He went through the Great Patriotic War, his wife and daughter (Alla's mother) survived the blockade. My paternal grandfather was repressed in the 1930s and returned to Leningrad from the camps and exile only in the 1970s, he soon emigrated to Israel.
Alla's father, Konstantin Verber, ended up in an orphanage as a teenager. In 1941, at the age of 17, he went to war and reached Berlin. Later, Konstantin became a successful dentist, then the head physician of the prosthetic department of the prestigious LOMO hospital (Three times the Order of Lenin Leningrad Optical and Mechanical Association named after V. I. Lenin).
The father did everything so that his beloved daughters (Alla's sister - Irina, lives in Canada) had a happy and prosperous childhood. Girls were pampered, dad bought them beautiful things, and grandmother, who was well versed in fashion, taught them to dress properly. Grandpa taught Alla to appreciate real painting, beautiful antiques. Mom, a dentist, after the birth of her daughters devoted herself to the family.
Irina professionally studied ballet and played the piano, Alla also graduated from the seven-year musical school in the violin class.
Alla Verber: “My sister Irina graduated from a ten-year music school in the piano class, she studied ballet from the age of five; I was not accepted into the ballet - the selection was very strict, but I could not avoid music lessons: I studied the violin for seven years. Be that as it may, but early childhood they took us in circles, drove, dragged, carried ... Our parents themselves adored music, art, and they wanted to instill all this in us.
future star with early years she adored outfits, noticed beautifully and unusually dressed people: foreigners who visited Leningrad in many, heroes and heroines of her favorite Italian films. However, her parents insisted that after graduation she enter a medical school, where Alla studied to be a doctor.
At the age of 18, Alla's life completely changed: her father's father sent the family an invitation to leave for Israel, and they were going to leave the USSR (later the family settled in Canada). She was the first to be released from the country, and in 1976 she ended up alone in Vienna, and then lived in Rome for a year: a Russian friend got her to work in a prestigious boutique on the famous Via Veneto (Via Veneto) and Werber for the first time found herself in the center of fashion, “among the most stylish things" (Gucci, Hermes).
In the late 1970s, Alla lived with her family in Montreal (Canada), studied management, worked in a large clothing store, and continued to be interested in fashion, painting and interior design. Then she became a buyer: she went to fashion shows in Paris, London, Rome and Milan, selected and purchased samples of clothing collections for the season and launched them into production in factories.
In the early 1980s, Alla Verber moved to live in New York. There she actively communicated with artists, successfully traded paintings, organized exhibitions, and promoted the work of young artists.
It was in New York, the world capital of the fashion industry, at this time that a colossal fashion boom began, which reached its peak in the 1990s. By this time, Alla Verber already knew for sure that she wanted to create a chain of stores.
Alla Verber: “Already in New York, I finally understood what I wanted to do, a dream appeared, which in Toronto I began to vigorously implement. Now I knew for sure that I wanted to be in the fashion business, I wanted to create a network of my own stores.”
The quote is taken from the magazine "Caravan of History", No. 5 (May 2012)
In 1984, she opened her first fashion boutique in Toronto, Katia of Italy, named after her favorite Italian clothing brands. Although professionals and business consultants considered her undertaking extremely risky, she successfully began selling clothes of the world's best brands in the then provincial Toronto, and then created a whole network of boutiques. One of her clients was a functionary of the world's largest discount trade company Keymart (K-mart), he invited her to cooperate.
In 1989, Alla was asked to become a representative of the company in Russia, she returned to her homeland and managed to organize the production of textile goods and clothing in idle Russian factories.
Since 1990, she was also the first in the country to create high fashion boutiques (Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Prada, Brioni, etc.) in the Moscow trading house on Kutuzovsky Prospekt in Moscow.
Since 1993, Verber has been cooperating with Mercury, currently he is its vice president, and since 2003 he has also been working as the fashion director of TSUM.
Alla Verber: “Later Mercury was bought by TSUM. They invited me to work as a fashion director, then I didn’t know to what extent the business alliance with the Leonids would be successful, how we would fit together and work together. We have been together for 17 years and continue to cooperate successfully, respecting and appreciating each other. I am very grateful to them for the long joint work.
The quote is taken from the magazine "Caravan of History", No. 5 (May 2012)
The company was engaged in the supply and sale of luxury goods, exclusive furniture and services, Werber began to develop a fashion direction. At first, Alla Konstantinovna was engaged in contacts with fashion houses and the purchase of clothing collections, then began to create boutique lines fashion clothes in the largest metropolitan trading houses.
In the first 8 years of her work at TSUM alone, Verber presented one and a half thousand clothing brands from around the world and managed to accustom wealthy Russian fashionistas and fashionistas to shopping. the highest class in Russia. American fashion experts have repeatedly called her "the most powerful clothing buyer in the world."
For the outstanding promotion of Italian clothing brands in Russia, Verber was awarded the Order of Merit for the Italian Republic (cavalier, 2011).
Mercury's latest megaprojects include the reconstruction of the Leningrad Trade House (opened in September 2012).
Currently, Alla Verber is the most influential person in the domestic fashion industry, she actively participates in the formation of collections of world brands for Russia, supports the development of emerging domestic fashion designers and designers (Kira Plastinina, Inna Honor, Tegin, etc.).
The events of metropolitan life are also traditional fashion shows based on the Central Department Store (Fashion's Night Out). Alla Verber leads an active social life, appearing at all events related to the fashion world, modeling business, at presentations of leading fashion magazines.
The appearance of Alla Konstantinovna in the program “Let them talk” (05/23/2013, Channel One, host A. Malakhov) caused a great public outcry, where she frankly spoke about her struggle with cancer.
Alla Verber: “Of course, I also experienced hard times. Four years ago, I was diagnosed with blood cancer, and I had to mobilize all my strength to fight the disease. But I persevered and overcame this terrible disease. Having gone through such a test, you understand that God has given you another chance; all former values are carefully reassessed, and life is divided into "before" and "after". After going through this, it was like starting life from scratch.”
The quote is taken from the magazine "Caravan of History", No. 5 (May 2012)
Since June 2013, Alla Konstantinovna has been leading the popular Fashion column in the 7 Days magazine.
Awards
▪ Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2011)
▪ World Fashion Awards in the nomination "Person of the Year in the Fashion Industry" (2012)
▪ "Brand Awards" as the representative of the "best department store of the year" (2013)
The fashion director of TSUM and DLT, Alla Verber, unmistakably determines what things people really want to buy from the catwalk. In October, she celebrates her 40th anniversary as she works in the fashion industry. During this time, she managed to work as a sales assistant in Rome, open her own store in Montreal, move to New York and, finally, return back to Russia. Since 2004, it is Werber who decides what will be sold in the country's central department store.
I have known Alla Verber for a very long time, - she said in the editor's column of the new issue of HELLO! Svetlana Bondarchuk. - I remember how she returned to Russia, having lived abroad many years before. Her role in the fashion industry can hardly be overestimated - she is known, loved and respected by the world's leading designers with whom she collaborates. long years. She introduced us to many fashion brands, taught people how to dress. She turned her personal passion for fashion into a profession and succeeded in it. And it is impossible to achieve success in another way - we are best at doing only what we love and believe in. 
Alla Konstantinovna, you grew up in a family of doctors. When did you realize that you wanted to do fashion?
Wise dad really wanted me to become a doctor. No matter what - children's, dental, surgeon. The main thing is that the profession should be associated with a white coat. I was not even allowed to finish the 9th and 10th grades, I was immediately sent to a medical school at the hospital named after. Kuibyshev. Believe it or not, after the first course, I had an internship as a nurse.
Didn't want to go against the parental will?
Yeah, I didn't even know what I wanted. I couldn’t stand the smell of ether and the sound of the drill, so I definitely didn’t want to be a dentist. (Laughs.) At that time, there was no profession "bayer" as such. There were only tailors, but I didn't know how to sew. I could draw, design, shorten, but not to sew directly. I was 18 years old when I went to work as a salesperson in a small boutique in Rome. I did not know Italian, I did not even have permanent documents. But there was a great desire and love for fashion.
Alla Verber and fashion director HELLO! Anastasia Korn during an interview at TSUM
You managed to live in Rome, Montreal, New York, Toronto. Why did you decide to return to Russia?
I was invited to work for Mercury. For three years I regularly came from New York, but I thought that all this was temporary, and in 1994 I finally settled in Moscow. It was hard times for our country. Everything fell apart, and it was not clear why I came here. Sometimes you think: what was that?! Probably fate.
At what point did you realize that you did everything right?
Today, when I give this interview. (Laughs.)
Not every woman is able to build a career without her husband's investment.
To do this, you need to have a very strong character. It now seems that TSUM has always been like this. I remember the first time I came here in 1990. Soviet furs hung in the spirit of my grandmother ... Solid, heavy. But even then I had an understanding of how everything should be in the future. All fashionable bestsellers are on sale at TSUM today famous brands. It no longer makes sense to fly to Milan or Paris for shopping, because TSUM presents best brands, and the choice is wider and more diverse! Moreover, some designers offer certain colors or even models exclusively for TSUM.
So, for example, Alexander McQueen created the famous crocodile leather clutch-bonfire especially for TSUM. In February we launched new policy"Milan prices", that is, they equalized our prices with Italian ones. For example, in London and Dubai, the same things are now more expensive. And this season we went even further and reduced the cost of thousands of items, now we have the best prices. For example, Sicily, Dolce & Gabbana, and College Bag, Saint Laurent bags, Tango, Valentino shoes, and many other classic items can be bought at TSUM cheaper than anywhere else in the world.
Alla Verber with Giorgio Armani. "His suits have an unusual cut, a soft line of the shoulder. No one else has such jackets: they are easy to wear, they fit perfectly on the figure," says Werber.
Describe the profession of a buyer.
Previously, these people were called merchandisers. But it was not prestigious. The word "bayer" appeared only in the 80s. flair and good taste- that's what is important for this profession. Financial education can't hurt. Although I know excellent buyers who previously worked as literature teachers. It takes courage. When I was young, I was not afraid to open my first store. In 1983, she took her last money, invested in a store in Toronto and named it after her daughter - Katia of Italy. She still asks me: "Mom, how did you manage to do this? There is no fashion business in Toronto."
And what do you answer her?
This is everyday work. It is important to keep up with the times. Over these 40 years, everything has changed: purchasing power, prices, understanding of what and where to wear. Today, everything can be bought online. World turned upside down!
Has your style changed over the years?
Absolutely not. I have always looked not like a Russian, but like an Italian. All my thinking, my way of life since childhood, the films that I grew up with, all come from Italy. On the second day of the wedding, I was wearing a lilac Dolce & Gabbana dress. Throughout my pregnancy, until the seventh month, I wore a loose Valentino dress. And now I wear the same brands.
Who was the first designer you met in person?
Tom Ford. I think he was born a superstar. He has a piercing gaze, he looks you straight in the eyes, not looking away. Of course, upbringing matters, but a lot of things are genetically inherent in people: charisma, strength of character. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are great guys. In 1994, I first came to their showroom in Piazza Monetaria. She asked if I could become a distributor and open a Dolce & Gabbana store in Moscow.
How is your typical day structured?
Most of the time I'm on the road. My friends are surprised how I manage to do everything ... One leg here, the other there! I need to know what's going on in New York on 57th Street, in London on Bond Street, in Milan on Via Montenapoleone, in Paris on St. Honore. I never say "no" or "tired". And this is not self-sacrifice, I just want it this way and only this way. Often I have to go to evening events, presentations, so I go to bed late. In my youth, I dreamed of sleeping 10-12 hours a day so that no one would wake me up, but now I don’t. I love water, I often go to the pool to swim to relax. You have to answer a million calls a day. Now still new topic- Instagram. If before it was just calls, now ...
Do you manage your own Instagram page?
She led up to 95 thousand subscribers herself, and now there are already assistants. Unfortunately, I have a problem: I can't relax even for a minute. I can’t just lie down and watch a movie or read a book, I have to run somewhere all the time. I have to look good, because they look at me, evaluate me.
You live on Tverskoy Boulevard. Do you walk to work?
Yes, I have 20 minutes to go. I get out, turn left, cross the road, walk past the Ritz-Carlton hotel, go downstairs and go. If the weather is good, why not take a walk?
What are the must-haves for this fall?
High-waisted blue jeans and oversized pullover. Get this look in the style of the 80s. I can’t imagine a young girl’s wardrobe without a leather jacket. If I were 25 now... I would definitely wear it! Classic Givenchy pipe trousers plus a blouse are an indispensable set for work. I love evening pajamas. I even have a photo of my grandfather and grandmother, where they are both in silk pajamas, grandfather is still in a skullcap - very in the spirit of the latest trends. I always want to be different. Today, for example, there was a presentation of a new fragrance by Alexander McQueen. The night before, I lay and thought about how he was, at what time he lived. I mentally chose what to wear to the presentation, and remembered that he once sewed a skirt for me. I thought it would be nice if I got into it. (Laughs.)
Leaving work shopping?
Often. I can't stop, I always want to buy everything. (Laughs) For my profession, this is rather a plus, because I never get tired of things, I love to look at them, feel, buy. At TSUM, you can always find something special and it's easy to spend the whole day: visit the beauty salons in the cosmetics department, get a manicure, buy new gadgets in the Apple shop, or go to Sunday brunch with family or friends.
Alla Verber is a buyer and fashion director of TSUM, vice-president of the jewelry company Mercury. She bought goods for prestigious stores in Russia and formed new collections. Alla was one of the most successful business women in the country and had an extraordinary flair for everything related to style and trends.
Her professional biography in the fashion industry began at the age of 18, and she herself claimed that she became interested in stylish clothes as a child, when she looked out of the window at foreign tourists - guests of the city.
Childhood and youth
Alla Konstantinovna Verber was born on May 21, 1958 in Leningrad (according to the sign of the Zodiac she is Gemini). parental home stood on the street not far from the Conservatory, Theater Square and the Kirov Theatre. Alla's father worked as a dentist and headed the denture department, and her mother was also a health worker.
Alla Konstantinovna Verber was born on May 21, 1958 in Leningrad into an intelligent family of hereditary Petersburgers. Her maternal grandfather, Abram Iosifovich Fleisher, was the director of a large meat processing plant, was in charge of the children's department of the House of Leningrad Trade, and was a well-known collector of antiques.View this post on Instagram
Alla Verber
Together with her sister Irina, the girl often attended classical music concerts and performances. In an interview, Alla recalled how she did not like the clothes that her parents forced her to wear “on the way out”: the scarce crimplene suit had a strange cut, and the fur coat, although expensive, was uncomfortable and heavy. In the absence of mother and father, the sisters took things out of the closet and dressed up. Alla often chose turtlenecks and short skirts in combination with boots or shoes with heels.
Read also 7 Muses of Karl LagerfeldShe developed a taste for beautiful clothes early, and even those childhood fantasy images came out successful.
Career
Parents wanted their daughter to follow in their footsteps and become a doctor. After the 8th grade, the girl obediently went to medical school, but even then she knew that she would not work in her specialty: her soul strove for elegant images, stylish things and accessories. Alla's dream was to work in a fashion store, but then there were few of them in the USSR, and her father and mother believed that a trade worker was a non-prestigious and unworthy profession.
View this post on Instagram
Alla Verber with her mother
In 1976, the Werber family immigrated to Austria. They went almost at random, with a meager sum of money in their pockets, hoping to find personal freedom and growth opportunities abroad. Parents with grown-up daughters changed several countries: after Austria they moved to their historical homeland in Israel (they were Jews by nationality), then settled in Canada. During a brief tourist visit to Italy, Alla fell in love with Rome - a true paradise for fashion lovers - and soon went there without her parents.
According to Alla, before leaving, her father and mother gave her 4 fox skins with them - “You will sell them later and you will live on it,” but they never came in handy. “So these skins hung with me for 40 years,” she said in an interview.
Read also 6 stars who died shortly after giving birthAfter 3 months, the girl found a job. Despite the fact that then Verber hardly spoke English and did not know Italian, she was still hired in a boutique on Via Vetto. The manager appreciated the attractive appearance of the Russian emigrant, deciding that this would attract customers, and he turned out to be right. There, however, Alla did not work long: her father ordered her to prepare for moving to Canada.
Arriving in Montreal, the 19-year-old girl also got a job in the store. Everything was arranged much faster and more successfully than the first time: by that time she had learned the language and at the interview she was able to show off her accumulated knowledge about the fashion world. Alla not only performed the duties of a salesperson excellently, but also decorated the windows in such an original way, choosing clothes for the mannequins, that the buyers asked to create the same image for them and took things in sets.
The owners noticed her talent, and soon the novice buyer was already negotiating with famous designers and organizing the supply of new collections.
He went through the Great Patriotic War, his wife and daughter (Alla's mother) survived the blockade. My paternal grandfather was repressed in the 1930s and returned to Leningrad from the camps and exile only in the 1970s, he soon emigrated to Israel.
Alla's father, Konstantin Verber, ended up in an orphanage as a teenager. In 1941, at the age of 17, he went to war and reached Berlin. Later, Konstantin became a successful dentist, then the head physician of the prosthetic department of the prestigious LOMO hospital (Three times the Order of Lenin Leningrad Optical and Mechanical Association named after V. I. Lenin).
The father did everything so that his beloved daughters (Alla's sister - Irina, lives in Canada) had a happy and prosperous childhood. Girls were pampered, dad bought them beautiful things, and grandmother, who was well versed in fashion, taught them to dress properly. Grandpa taught Alla to appreciate real painting, beautiful antiques. Mom, a dentist, after the birth of her daughters devoted herself to the family.
Irina professionally studied ballet and played the piano, Alla also graduated from the seven-year musical school in the violin class.
Alla Verber: “My sister Irina graduated from the musical
Alla Verber was born on May 21, 1958 in St. Petersburg. As a little girl, twice a week with her parents, she went to the opera house, to the ballet, or to the conservatory for a classical music concert. In 1976 the family immigrated to Austria. Parents wanted to see their daughter as a doctor. Therefore, after the eighth grade, the girl entered a medical school in order to continue her studies at the institute. However, Verber understood that it was more to her liking to sort out clothes, combine different elements of the wardrobe with each other, and also with pleasure pick up various accessories.
During a brief tourist visit to Italy, Alla fell in love with Rome: a real paradise for fashion lovers, and soon went there without her parents. Three months later, the girl found a job. Despite the fact that then Verber hardly spoke English and did not know Italian, she was still hired in a boutique on Via Vetto. The manager appreciated the attractive appearance of the Russian emigrant, deciding that this would attract customers, and he turned out to be right. There, however, Alla did not work long: her father ordered her to prepare for moving to Canada.
Arriving in Montreal, the nineteen-year-old girl also got a job in the store. Everything was arranged much faster and more successfully than the first time: by that time I had learned the language and at the interview I was able to show off my accumulated knowledge about the fashion world. Alla not only performed the duties of a salesperson excellently, but also decorated the windows in such an original way, choosing clothes for the mannequins, that the buyers asked to create the same image for them and took things in sets. The owners took notice of her talent, and soon Werber went to talks with famous designers and organized the supply of new collections.
Having acquired acquaintances and connections and borrowed money from her parents, Werber opened her own store in Montreal. By that time, she had behind her bad marriage and one year old daughter. Alla received a specialized education, having studied for two years at the Faculty of Management at McGuill University of Montreal, and organized a business in accordance with all the rules.
After reaching three stores, Werber was noticed at Kmart, a large Canadian company that owned a chain of 124 boutiques. Having learned that Alla is a Russian woman, the owners suggested that the business woman go home to develop the brand of the Moscow garment factory. From there, she was invited by the leadership of the Mercury company, appointing her to the post of vice president of the company. Almost simultaneously, she became a fashion director at the Moscow Central Department Store.
Working in such positions, Werber paid little attention to her health. For five years, the woman fought blood cancer. Only thanks to an incredible faith in the best, a strong character and self-discipline, she was able to defeat a serious illness.
Alla Konstantinovna Verber passed away August 6, 2019 while on holiday in Italy. The woman became ill after dinner with seafood dishes. After hospitalization, doctors recorded a Russian woman anaphylactic shock, which provoked organ failure and a massive heart attack, which caused death.