“A Platform To Express Our Resilience & Cultural Identity” – Inside The Return Of Ukrainian Fashion Week
This week, Ukrainian Fashion Week made its in-person return after a two-year hiatus, marking a pivotal moment for the country’s creative industries. This event, which last took place in early 2022 before the Russian invasion, is much more than just a showcase of fashion; it’s a powerful statement of defiance and cultural pride. For the first time in three seasons, designers can once again present their work on home soil, a significant shift after being forced to relocate their shows to other cities including Paris, Milan and London.
“Participating in Ukrainian Fashion Week this year – especially as it is the first since the full-scale invasion – is incredibly significant for me,” says designer Nadya Dzyak. “It is not just a fashion event; it is a platform to express our resilience, our fight, and our cultural identity. This collection is a way to show that despite the hardships and the ongoing war, our spirit remains unbreakable.”
The event schedule featured over 40 brands – a mix of well-known names and emerging talent – and drew the attention of editors from leading Ukrainian fashion magazines. First Lady Olena Zelenska even helped to promote the event. From 1-4 September, the industry gathered around the Mystetskyi Arsenal National Art & Culture Museum in Kyiv, where most of the shows took place.
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This season, the collections were deeply rooted in the history and spirit of Ukrainian culture. For instance, designer Ivan Frolov of his internationally acclaimed label FROLOV, opted to go beyond a traditional runway show, instead creating a performance reimagining the Ukrainian folk tale ‘Ivasyk-Telesyk’ in collaboration with prominent theatre director Ivan Uryvskyi.
“The choice to stage this folktale stemmed from a desire to reconnect with Ukrainian folklore and use a mystical story to reflect our present, where good ultimately prevails,” says Frolov. “For me, this tale holds special significance not only because it was one of my childhood favourites, but also due to a personal connection – my grandfather was a carpenter, and I dedicate this show-performance to him.”
Despite the ongoing conflict and threat to their safety, the decision to bring back Ukrainian Fashion Week is a powerful symbol of hope for Ukrainian creatives, who have spent the past two years persevering through unimaginable challenges.
For Iryna Danylevska, CEO and founder of the event, the mission is clear: “To amplify Ukraine’s voice on a global stage.” “We’ve learned [over the past two years] that Ukrainian designers have an unbreakable spirit,” she adds. “Despite air raid sirens and missile attacks, they continue to create, embodying what we call ‘creative resistance’.”
For Elvira Gasanova’s eponymous label GASANOVA, this creative resistance comes in the form of a foretaste of life without war: “Our response to everything is to create a counterwave rather than conform to the circumstances,” she says. “So, we make our new collection lighter, brighter and carefree.” For Gasanova, it’s all about freedom of expression, as, in her words: “The worse you feel – the better you should look.” Gasanova is known for high-glamour pieces such as rhinestone-studded minis and thigh-high-split maxis, but this season she’s doing that, while also “manifesting life without fear”.
As we’ve seen with the recent Russian missile attack on Poltava and the bombardment of Kyiv, the harsh reality of war continues to cast a long shadow. Yet, the return of Ukrainian Fashion Week stands as a powerful reminder to the world of the spirit of resistance and strength of creativity that define the Ukrainian people.
Pia Brynteson is Content Editor at Service95
