Natalia Potkina

• Name — Natalia Potkina • Born — 14 March 1982 • Birthplace — Minsk • Education — Institute of Modern Knowledge named after M.Shirokov • Label Name — Natasha Potkina • Occupation — Fashion designer • Parents — Valery Potkin, Elvira Potkina • Website — http: potkina.com/

Natasha created her first collection of clothes under the name «Birdies of Paradise» when she was a student of the 10th form. The collection was shown to her schoolmates at her graduation party. In 2001, she participated at the festival of vanguard fashion designers, «Mamont», where she won a juried prize. The same year, at the International contest of fashion designers «White Amphora» in Vitebsk, her collection «Safari Maiden Voyage» won the first award in the nomination «Tatiana Day». An outfit from her first collection, «Safari», was purchased by the singer Natalia Podolskaya. Podolskaya wore this outfit when she performed at the Belarusian song contest «At Intersections of Europe». In 2003, she graduated from the Minsk Institute of Modern Knowledge named after A.M. Shirokov (her specialty being design and garment construction). In 2009, Natasha Potkina arranged a display of her collection «Gravitation» at the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in Minsk. This was one of the first large-scale fashion shows in Minsk. In 2012, Natasha Potkina opened her own design agency, which designs clothing that is produced in factories in Belarus and other CIS countries. In April 2016, Natasha Potkina and her Turkish partners opened a drapery, skins, furs and accessories store called «House of Fashion Textiles». In October of the same year Natasha opened a school of cutting and sewing fabric with Karatova Oksana Nikolaevna (a design teacher and author of the book «Designing and Modelling of Clothes»). Here they teach people how to create clothes. As of 2016, her clients include Natalia Podolskaya, Angelica Agurbash, Polina Smolova, Vera Karetnikova, Gyunesh, Hera, Iskui Abalyan and many others. Natasha also helps curate the images of both youth and adult Eurovision performers.

Natalia Potkina was born to a family of builders. Natalia's father, Potkin Valery Aleksandrovich, is a construction figure in Belarus, founding and serving as director of his company, Elvira. Natasha Potkina's children, her son Lev and her daughter Evelina, are winners of the contest Little Miss Universe and Little Mr. of the World in Turkey (Little Miss of the Universe World 2014 & Little Mister of the World 2014).