▁Kaz akh stan ▁and ▁then ▁graduated ▁the ▁Fac ulty ▁of ▁Phil ology ▁at ▁the ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁State ▁University . ▁ ▁Being ▁always ▁interested ▁in ▁fashion , ▁Serge en ko ▁put ▁her ▁interest ▁to ▁a ▁next ▁level ▁when ▁she ▁decided ▁to ▁collect ▁it , ▁since ▁then ▁building ▁an ▁ec lect ic ▁collection ▁of ▁ant ique ▁and ▁v int age ▁clothes ▁and ▁access ories ▁r anging ▁from ▁the ▁rare ▁ancient ▁j ew el ry ▁to ▁Soviet ▁school ▁uniform . ▁Hun ting ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁r ar ities ▁she ▁frequently ▁vis its ▁fle a - mark ets ▁and ▁v int age ▁bout iques ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁b ids ▁on ▁a ▁major ▁fashion ▁au ctions . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁First ▁Ste ps ▁Serge en ko ▁became ▁a ▁client ▁of ▁Valent ino , ▁Given chy , ▁Jean ▁Paul ▁G ault ier , ▁Ch anel , ▁and ▁D ior . ▁Not ed ▁for ▁her ▁style , ▁she ▁was ▁dub bed ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁M af ia ▁by ▁fashion ▁blog gers ▁alongside ▁fellow ▁Rus si ans ▁Mi ros lava ▁D uma , ▁El ena ▁Perm in ova ▁and ▁V ika ▁Gaz in sk aya . ▁However ▁Serge en ko ▁grew ▁fr ustr ated ▁when ▁pieces ▁she ▁had ▁collabor ated ▁with ▁design ers ▁on ▁showed ▁up ▁in ▁their ▁collections ▁with ▁no ▁credit ▁given ▁to ▁her ▁contributions . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Serge en ko ▁launched ▁her ▁e pon ym ous ▁fashion ▁label ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁in ▁Russia . ▁ ▁O wn ▁Label ▁The ▁U ly