See How Russia is changing the face of fashion

In search of distinctive Russian faces, the biggest names in fashion have started turning to one modeling agency in particular -- Lumpen. Less than two years after launching, the Moscow-based company has already cast models in major fashion shows for the likes of Kanye West, Vetements, Lanvin and Comme des Garçons.

But Lumpen's rapidly growing influence stands in contrast to its name. The word "lumpenproletariat" was first used by Karl Marx to describe a low-achieving underclass that was useless to the revolutionary struggle -- including criminals, vagabonds and other outcasts. But the agency's founder, Avdotja Alexandrova, has embraced the term's historical connotations.