Kira Plastinina, 15-Year-Old Fashion Mogul

If you think Russian fashion is nothing more than polyester, rhinestones and excess, you're not far off the mark—at least not if the country's latest US import, Kira Plastinina, is a faithful ambassador. Following the launch of a Soho flagship several weeks ago, the prodigal 15-year-old designer is in the thick of six consecutive shop openings in Los Angeles, leaving no corner untouched by her iridescent firestorm of unicorns and silver lamé.

Three shops have already opened in the city, with the final three set to arrive in Glendale, Santa Monica and Topanga over the coming weeks. This LA push isn't just an excuse for Plastinina to spend her summer in Malibu, though, it's a shrewd business move. After all, LA is the city that launched a thousand "Who Wore It Better" snaps to the Midwest masses, and these are clothes made for flashbulb chasers.

So far, the brand's strategy seems to be working. Not only are oft-photographed ones Paris Hilton and The Hills' Audrina Patridge already fans, but, according to the Robertson Boulevard boutique's management, a deluge of celebrity stylists have flooded the shop in recent days. Not to say that Plastinina's sequined mini-dresses only appeal to the In Touch crowd, however—the store reports that her relatively low-priced garb has found favor with everyday customers from 8 to 85, who have apparently discovered that adding a bit of neon and lace to one's life is actually quite good for the soul.

Kira Plastinina is already big news in Russia, amassing $20 million in sales in its first year alone. And with the combination of her multi-millionaire father Sergei Plastinin's resources and a bit of well-strategized celebrity endorsement buzz, there's no reason why Plastinina's empire shouldn't reach its aggressive goal of 60 US shops over the next three years.

While the arrival of couture labels like Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen has put LA's Serious Fashion credentials in the spotlight of late, we shouldn't forget that the city still breeds a certain kind of girl with a penchant for patent-effect puffy vests and yellow chain-detail jeans. Like it or not, as long as there's a Hollywood—and a nation of teenage girls who look up to its tabloid queens—Kira Plastinina's exuberant interpretation of fashion is sure to have a solid place in the American style lexicon.

—Erin Magner