How Russian luxury fashion retailer Babochka became style central in St Petersburg
- Founded by a former male ballet dancer in the 1980s, Babochka was never expected to last long, but became a trusted name for hard-core fashion fans
- The business now stocks around 130 luxury and lifestyle labels, from Gucci and Stella McCartney to upcoming local designers
There is a good reason Russian fashion boutique chain Babochka is named as it is. The word means butterfly in Russian and, with it being the first private business established in the then Soviet city of St Petersburg, its founder, a former ballet dancer, thought it might have a similarly short but beautiful life.
The daughter and son of founder Boris Avsadzhanashvili now run the business, still benefiting from the astute advice of their now-retired father, who spotted the potential market for upscale fashion 30 years ago.
Avsadzhanashvili was able to exploit an initiative by the then mayor of St Petersburg who, encouraged by the first signs of perestroika, or opening up, offered help to retired people to start their own businesses. Few retirees, however, took up the offer, preferring not to take such a gamble in their 60s.
The exception was Avsadzhanashvili who, as a ballet dancer with a limited career span, was allowed to retire from the Moiseyev Ballet in his 40s. This left him with the time, and energy, to become the city’s first entrepreneur, issued with the business licence 001.
