Among the Russian emigration, there were many rare beauties, and one of the most attractive was Countess Alexandra (Asya) Olshufieva. She became famous not only for her beauty but also for her talent as a portrait artist. Alexandra Vasilyevna was born in 1906 into the family of Count Vasily Alexeyevich Olshufiev and Olga Pavlovna, née Shuvalova. She lived in Russia for just over ten years, and after the revolution, she emigrated with her parents, where she received a good education and married architect Andrea Buziri Vichi at the age of 22.

For her wedding, Alexandra Vasilyevna approached with responsibility, deciding to emphasize her heritage by creating a sketch of a dress with a kokoshnik. The bride amazed everyone with her charm, and her wedding photograph with her husband is still popular among lovers of vintage photos. It is believed that the idea for such an outfit came to her after viewing photographs from the famous costume ball of 1903.

Italy quickly became a second homeland for Alexandra Vasilyevna. She found herself in painting, especially gaining fame for her works in the Roman style. In addition, she participated in the decoration of churches and was well-liked in Italian society. Alexandra did not forget her distant Russia, creating themed works.

After the war, which interrupted her creativity, Alexandra Vasilyevna returned to work. Until her death in 1989, she was engaged in creating historical costumes, participating in fashion shows and major exhibitions. Her life became an example of how Russian emigrants found themselves abroad and achieved success.