Returning Home: how we remember the historical season of Ukrainian Fashion Week
The 55th season of Ukrainian Fashion Week concluded in Kyiv, marking a historic moment for the country's fashion industry. After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, the Fashion Week team, displaying remarkable resilience, decided to return to their hometown with physical shows. For four days, every member and guest of the UFW seemed to live a double life, with large-scale displays and atmospheric presentations by day and air raids, shelters and constant shelling by night. Despite these challenges, Ukrainian Fashion Week took place and showcased the remarkable growth of local designers, many of whom announced themselves to the world even more loudly during this time.
The season commenced with a powerful joint statement from 50 representatives of the Ukrainian fashion industry to the international community – the Opening Manifest. World-famous Ukrainian designers, participants of the NEW NAMES program and editors of the Ukrainian glossary gathered on the steps of the Ukrainian House on European Square. This event served as a symbol of the unity of Ukrainians, the unity of the industry, and devotion to the ideals of freedom and faith in the future of our country. Representatives of the fashion industry held slogans: "Brave to create the future" and "We design hope despite the war" – some of them. This action set the tone for the entire season, highlighting the industry's dedication to using fashion as a platform to address complex social issues and showcase the beauty and diversity of Kyiv.
So, the most discussed was the show of designer Ivan Frolov, who the world knows thanks to the stage outfits of Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter. And the native of Kyiv loves to hold shows in unusual, often inaccessible places for everyone. He showed the new collection in a cult location for Kyiv, the K41 nightclub, combining the world of fashion with the worlds of theatre and techno music. On this production, Frolov collaborated with theatre director Ivan Uryvsky, with whom they rethought the Ukrainian folk tale about Ivasyk-Telesyk. FROLOV shows are always strong emotional expressions, where things are only part of the story. Unfortunately, filming in the K41 premises was strictly forbidden – all guests had their smartphone cameras taped at the entrance, so you have to take their word for it – the show was a success. The collection combined FROLOV's signature looks – signature stone-embellished corsets, sweetheart neckline dresses, sheer blouses, mesh tops and ultra-low-rise pants. Frolov did not betray himself – neither in his feelings nor in his actions.
Two other large local brands – the COAT and GASANOVA – bet on scale and maximum publicity. They were the first to choose a landmark place for Kyivans in the very heart of the city – the garden near the National Opera of Ukraine. This scale is due to another important reason – the COAT brand of designer Kateryna Silchenko is celebrating its 10th anniversary this fall. This brand is loved in Ukraine for its ability to emphasise femininity. In private conversations, clients admit they feel lovely in bustier dresses or the COAT signature corsets, even in these difficult times for everyone. This can also explain the enthusiastic views of the show's audience on a series of translucent dresses decorated with feathers or sequins.
The GASANOVA brand, in turn, made the largest show in terms of the number of guests, gathering about 600 people. Elvira Gasanova used this attention to remind those present about the importance of living here and today – her collection was inspired by the concept of the transience of a soap bubble. The best reminder that you should appreciate every moment was the podium of the 21-year-old Ukrainian defender Ruslana Danilkina, who lost her leg and now lives with a prosthesis. The men's brand Andreas Moskin also decided to show the zest for the life of Ukrainian defenders with prosthetics. Each appearance of these people on the podium manifested invincibility because a prosthesis is not just a medical device but a part of the country's new identity and life.
Promoting Ukrainian culture to the world is another critical mission of the Ukrainian fashion industry. Many brands approached it from different sides, once again emphasising its depth and diversity. The GUNIA Project brand, which integrates traditional techniques into modern functional objects, showed a collection dedicated to Ukrainian weddings as part of Ukrainian Fashion Week. "With this work, we wanted to demonstrate that a real Ukrainian wedding is a solemn and even sacred event with a lot of meaning, and not cheap sharovarshchyna, as Russian propaganda portrayed Ukrainian folk culture," – say the founders of the brand, Maria Gavrilyuk and Nataliya Kamenska. The location also helped this immersion – the main gate of ancient Kyiv called "Golden Gate" in 1024. It is one of the oldest dated buildings in Eastern Europe.
Designer Khrystyna Bobkova also chose the historical location. It was shown in a sacred place – the Bishop's Caves of St. Sophia Cathedral, one of the few surviving buildings from the time of Rus and a monument of the Ukrainian Baroque. The external context gave special symbolism to this choice. Art went underground and into the basements during the war but continued to live. Kristina Bobkova dedicated this collection to the image of the Ukrainian mavka, the heroine of Carpathian mythology, glorified in the works of the classics. On the podium, the audience saw images where external fragility and sensuality are combined with complex forms and play of textures.
In turn, Ruslan Baginsky opened a curated Artisanal Journey space dedicated to artisanal techniques, which are an important component of all the brand's collections — from headwear to interior candles. With the help of this project, Baginsky presents his own vision of combining the traditional with the modern, thanks to which ancient crafts become relevant and interesting for the younger generation.
Another interesting reading of the folk theme was shown by Julia Paskal, who in different years showed collections at the Fashion Week in Paris. She dedicated her gentle and delicate handmade dresses to the flowers of the Ukrainian wreath. Each product represents a certain flower — a delicate creature and a powerful symbol of life and rebirth.
Among the designers who returned to Ukraine this season, who are already known and loved worldwide, are TG Botanical, J'amemme and KSENIASCHNAIDER. For example, the team of the sustainable brand TG Botanical arranged a kinetic installation that reflects the movement of nature in one of the Kyiv museums. Winches installed on location smoothly raised and lowered the collection pieces, simulating wind movements and natural changes. Juliya Yarmoliuk, who has been showing collections in Copenhagen for the past two seasons, returned to Kyiv with signature pleating and invited guests to look at the city from the height of the 31st floor. Ksenia Schnaider, in turn, took the models out into the street, emphasising the brand's strong connection with Kyiv street culture.
The symbolic conclusion of the fashion marathon was the presentation of Lilia Litkovska – she had no clothes at all, but there were essential meanings. The designer, who lives in two cities – Kyiv and Paris, arranged a natural correspondence between the two capitals. It began in March of this year in Paris. Guests of the LITKOVSKA presentation from around the world wrote on white ribbons wishing Ukrainians victory, peace, and harmony. The brand brought these messages to Kyiv, creating an art installation to share warm words with the event's guests and all those willing. During the last day of UFW, invited representatives of the Ukrainian fashion community, customers and friends of the brand wrote letters and postcards with thanks, which will later be sent to Paris. This event became the highlight of the historic 55th season of Ukrainian Fashion Week.
