During VALORANT Champions Tour Stage 3 Masters, all eyes were on the teams and their performances. But at times, in between the action, eyes also shifted to the desk and its talent. The hosts and analysts caught the attention of the audience for their outstanding outfits — and that’s all thanks to the stylists on-site: Mina Ekatarina Muraschkin and Christina Greiner.
A lot of you have been super nice about my outfits at #VALORANTMasters.
But what you don’t know is that most of my pieces are custom made by the amazing stylist @MinaMuraschkin (Instagram: minakaterina) she’s so talented, I’m blessed to be able to show off her clothes! 🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/arW2tksmlB
— Yinsu (@YinsuCollins) September 13, 2021
Muraschkin and Greiner are professional stylists and fashion designers who often work together. However, working on an esports production is a first for both of them, and it required a different approach from their usual clients.
“It’s very different because usually, we work with people where fashion is their brand, they know exactly what they want, they have a specific style you have to follow,” Greiner said “And here it’s working more with what people are comfortable with, pushing comfort zones but also making sure they can move in the outfits. It’s just trying out different things. It’s really fun.”
At just the halfway point of working on the Masters Berlin production, both stylists were already enthusiastic about coming back for another event. However, with just two days to prepare before the event, and no opportunity to scout Instagram to “creep up and see what their style is and get a sense of the people,” the two hope to get a bit more time in the future.
“We just had to be super spontaneous and meet the talent and go from there,” Greiner said.
Coming up with ideas
Through fitting, the stylists got an idea of what worked and what didn’t. They specifically did not tell the talent they had made some of the outfits in order to get an honest reaction. Through body language, they found out how comfortable the talent was in the outfits, as well. Seeing the stage and the setting in person, according to Greiner, also really helped.
Muraschkin and Greiner call the styles seen on the broadcast ‘elevated streetwear.’ But where their heads are full of ideas, they can’t always do what they had in mind.
“Sometimes we are not able to do everything because, of course, the camera and lighting have limits,” Muraschkin said. “So we are limited.”
At the same time, comfort was a factor for them. While Greiner said desk host Yinsu Collins (who works at Upcomer) was easier to put in more modern, fashion-oriented outfits, others weren’t ready to push their boundaries yet.
Backstage life @PlayVALORANT pic.twitter.com/ARJkvXcbOS
— MINA in Berlin (@MinaMuraschkin) September 14, 2021
An enthusiastic audience response
As Masters: Berlin went on, the audience continued to notice the outstanding outfits. From DMs on Twitter to Twitch chat praising the styles, the talent on the desk were overwhelmed with positive messages on their attire. Muraschkin and Greiner said they are happy with the response.
“That’s the best part of the job, when people are happy,” Greiner said. “That means we’re doing a good job and that makes us happy, because most importantly, people need to feel comfortable.”
Greiner added that while they’re used to getting feedback and always appreciate it, they rarely hear such nice comments. It also helps when the people wearing the clothes get excited, too.
Okay but which outfit wins?
📸 @colinyoungwolff pic.twitter.com/jH888Acyqo
— Geo (@geometric) September 14, 2021
“When the talent comes here with a very good mood because they see what they’re wearing that day, we are always like ‘Oh my god, it’s so nice for us,’” Muraschkin added.
Seeing their own ideas come to life on the show adds an extra layer of pride for the stylists, too. They take screenshots and pictures to send to their friends. But as for the future, should they return for a VALORANT LAN, they both have some ideas of what they could improve on.
“I’d do more of a concept,” Greiner said. “More themes, work with details.”
Meanwhile, Muraschkin said, “I’d love to make at least one piece or one outfit for everyone so everyone gets to wear a custom one.”
