Raisa Gorbachyova wore Zaitsev creations when she made what "The New York Times" described as a "perestroika splash" in the 1980s. Due to the patronage of the Soviet First Lady, he gained a reputation as one of the world's hottest fashion designers, and became an international celebrity in his own right and a household name in Russia. Zaitsev fashions were displayed at Expo '85 in Tsukuba, Japan, although it wasn't until 1986 when he was able to visit a "capitalist" country when he displayed some of his works in the Soviet pavilion at Expo 86 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.