Frolov’s Spring Summer 2024 collection is a love letter to Ukrainian femininity
For his first standalone show, Ivan Frolov pays homage to the freedom of youth and the joy of growing up.
All first times are hard. The first time we live on our own, the first time we move away from home, the first time we fall in love… Facing the world on our own can be scary. Yet, Ivan Frolov makes it look easy. The Ukrainian designer who has dressed the likes of Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter just had his first standalone show during London Fashion Week. As if to draw parallels to the maturing of his label, the young designer grounds his Spring Summer 2024 collection on the metamorphosis of a blossoming flower.
The flower is established as a metaphor for young Ukrainian women. Titled "MOLODA", the collection reinvents some of the brand’s most identifiable elements. The heart, the signature of Frolov’s design, is featured in new ways. If in the past they could be seen in cut-outs in the chest area, they are now featured as ultrasound prints in black and white silk dresses. The symbol also imbues the accessories for the collection in heart-shaped mirrored pendants. But these aren’t just regular mirrors, they’re produced through a polishing technique that makes them resistant as if to symbolize the unbreakable love the designer has for his homeland.
It’s not just through the heart that the brand’s evolution can be understood, new silhouettes and styles are featured in the Spring Summer 2024 collection. Relaxed silhouettes like maxi dresses and oversized shirts complement the familiar Swarovski embellished corset dresses. As "Chestnuts Are Falling" by Yulia Pashkovska plays, sheer dresses and tights embellished with golden lace chestnut leaves appear, an undeniable reference to Frolov’s home city, Kyiv.
But, most of all, the show is an ode to Ukrainian women, represented by flowers, an undeniable homage to the legacy of the artist Zhanna Kadyrova. Flowers are scattered throughout the collection, both in lace detailing and as sculptural creations that sit on top of dresses. The last look of the collection in particular stands out for its message, when white flowers of different sizes delicately form a top and a miniskirt.
Text: Pedro Vasconcelos
