The FINANCIAL -- According to RIA Novosti, Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli will visit Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya on October 6 for the opening of a local fashion boutique, a spokesman for the studio said.

The studio was established by sisters Laura and Medni Arzhiyeva, who trained under renowned Russian designer Vyacheslav Zaitsev, Alikhan Mezhidov said, adding that Zaitsev is also due to attend the ceremony.

The studio, called Laura and Medni, is expected to become the largest in the North Caucasus.

The Chechen-born sisters graduated from Slava Zaitsev's Fashion Laboratory in MOSCOW and after working in the Russian capital decided to return to home to open a design studio in Grozny.

Mezhidov said the Arzhiyevas' designs are inspired by Chechen national costumes, taking into consideration the Islamic dress code.

He added that Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov supported the project, calling it "a big step towards the development of high fashion in the republic."

Cavalli, 68, is famous for his wild animal prints and upscale printed denim jeans.

Zaitsev, more commonly known as Slava Zaitsev, is a Russian fashion designer, painter, graphic artist and theatrical costume designer. The 71-year-old remains at the top of Russian fashion, having been nicknamed Red Dior by the international media for creating glamorous collections during the Soviet era.

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