By James Kilner

MOSCOW, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The haute-couture dress designer reclothing the Russian army said he hoped new uniforms giving a modern twist to traditional styles would be a hit with a new generation of soldiers.

Russian generals turned to Valentin Yudashkin -- famed across the fashion world for his flamboyant, body-hugging dress designs -- when they decided to update their soldiers' uniforms.

Sitting in his Moscow showroom next to a collection of frilly, pastel-coloured evening gowns, Yudashkin told Reuters he had fused practical demands with a touch of style to create a uniform which makes soldiers both feel and look good.

"This is a modern uniform more understandable to a young man who goes into the army, and I hope it will be loved," he said.

In an adjacent marble-floored room a couple studied Yudashkin's glitzy necklaces and rings -- shaped as butterflies, crucifixes, hearts and snails -- which cost thousands of dollars to buy.

Yudashkin won a tender to design the new uniforms which he unveiled last week to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Television pictures showed models wearing the uniforms which included leather jackets for fighter pilots, slimmed-down caps for officers and overcoats trimmed with lamb-skin for women.

PULLING SOCKS UP

One of the biggest changes was to modernise the soldiers' footwear. Yudashkin swapped the pull-on boots for lace-up boots and ditched the centuries old tradition of soldiers wrapping cloth around their feet in favour of socks.

The finished look mixed a traditional Russian military style with a modern twist, Yudashkin explained.

"New technology, innovation, tradition, comfort and a historical association," Yudashkin said listing the different themes he aimed to incorporate into the uniform design.

"Of course under a good uniform, there is a good spirit and a good emotion, and that is always important."

The Russian military is one of the biggest in the world but its reputation over the last few years has been tarnished by its heavy reliance on conscription, underfunding and bullying -- all aspects the Kremlin is trying to change.

The 44-year-old Yudashkin is probably Russia's most famous and most successful fashion designer. His designs are a regular on fashion catwalks and also adorn museums in world capitals.

Yudashkin, dressed in a black roll-neck sweater and a black jacket, declined to say how much Russia's defence ministry paid.

But it had been one of his most demanding projects with 85 uniforms across the air force, navy and army, worn by different ranks and in varying weather conditions, Yudashkin said.

"The main difficulty was, I think, that the uniforms had to be functional and I spent a lot of time talking to the army to find out what was comfortable and what was not," he said.

He then had to liaise with the St Petersburg-based factory producing the uniforms.

"It took about nine months to produce, it was like having a baby," he said flicking back his long black hair.

An aide hovered, waiting for the end of the interview. He clutched sketches of a flowing dress to show Yudashkin.

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