As befits the lord of the forces of darkness, Woland appears in a variety of guises, the contrast between which is often comical. All of his outings are distinguished by frankly theatrical effects: we see Woland either like Goethe's Mephistopheles - in a black dress with a sword, - then, suddenly, dressed in a dirty nightgown with a patch on his shoulder. His first appearance on the pages of the novel under the guise of a foreigner strolling on the Patriarch's Ponds turns out to be especially memorable. “He was in an expensive gray suit, in foreign shoes the same color as the suit. He famously twisted his gray beret over his ear, under his arm he carried a cane with a black knob in the shape of a poodle's head …”. It was not difficult to calculate a foreigner in a well-dressed gentleman: in the young Soviet state, where shoes and clothing of local production, like food, were obtained mainly by cards,only those who could afford individual tailoring, or the nomenklatura elite, who could bring things from abroad, could dress like that.
"German," thought Berlioz.
"An Englishman," thought Bezdomny, "hey, it’s not hot for him in gloves."
Suit, shirt, tie, Reiss | Shoes, Officine Creative | Beret, Gucci | Tie pin Lanvin | Gloves, Dents | Walking stick, Comoy's of London | Antique gold cigarette case (1stdibs.com) © Press service
Apparently, this circle belonged to Margarita Nikolaevna, the beloved of the Master, whom Bulgakov describes as "a well-dressed woman." She knew how to sew and was married to a certain "very prominent specialist" who made a discovery of national importance. “Margarita Nikolaevna did not need money. Margarita Nikolaevna could buy whatever she liked,”wrote Bulgakov. In the novel, we find her "in a black spring coat", we see "a hand in a black glove with a bell", "shoes with black suede bows tied with steel buckles", "eyebrows plucked along the edges in a thread with tweezers" and "hairdresser curling" …
We decided to fantasize what today's Margarita could choose for the ball at Woland's. We know something for sure about the old one: she was naked, she wore shoes made of pale rose petals decorated with gold buckles on her feet, a royal diamond crown in her hair, and a heavy chain with a black poodle on her chest. When it was over, she was wearing a black silk cloak.
Dress, Haider Ackermann | Sandals by Sophia Webster | Diadem, Graff | Earrings by Chaumet | Antique medallion in gold, diamonds and enamel (1stdibs.com) | Bracelet, Cartier | Cape dress, Valentino
Gella, the eternally naked red-haired beauty with an ugly scar on her neck, was Woland's witch and servant. Dressed she appears only once (except for the "flirty lace apron and white head tattoo", as well as gold shoes) during a session of black magic in a variety show. “A red-haired girl in a black evening dress”, who suddenly appeared on the stage with a “master's smile,” acted as a live advertisement for those items of women's wardrobe that seduced hundreds of spectators.
“The floor of the stage was covered with Persian carpets, huge mirrors appeared, illuminated from the sides by greenish tubes, and between the mirrors there were showcases, and in them the spectators saw in a cheerful stunned Parisian women's dresses of different colors and styles. This is in some showcases, while in others hundreds of ladies' hats appeared, and with feathers, and without feathers, and with buckles, and without them, hundreds of shoes - black, white, yellow, leather, satin, suede, and with straps, and with pebbles. Cases appeared between the shoes, and in them the brilliant edges of crystal bottles sparkled with light. Mountains of handbags made of antelope skin, suede, silk, and between them - whole heaps of chased gold oblong cases, in which there is lipstick.
Dress, Balmain | Shoes, Valentino | Clutch, Chanel | Bracelet, Chanel | Headband, Chaumet
Throughout the entire work, we see the master, the author of the novel about Pontius Pilate, only in a psychiatric hospital, where he dies. All descriptions of what he was wearing are repeated: "He was in his hospital gown - in a dressing gown, shoes and a black cap, which he did not part with …" Bulgakov especially emphasizes "a black cap with the letter" M "embroidered on it in yellow silk, which Margarita sewed to the hero with her own hands. We decided to conjecture the image of the Master in the context of the trend, which is not the first season, to wear home clothes or pajamas as part of a weekend wardrobe.
Robe, Pajama Pants, La Perla | T-shirt Kenzo | Sandals Saint Laurent | Hat, Press to MECO
