Given the most recent developments between Ukraine and Russia, it seems like a good comment to know more about the Ukrainian culture, and seek different ways to support them.
Vogue magazine created a list of Ukrainian fashion brands that are supported by the USAID Competitive Economy Program, and that have been able to show their work in February’s edition of New York during Fashion Week. They are:
Chereshnivska
Chereshnivska’s items are made by a small group of craftsmen in Lviv, Ukraine, that specialize in the creation of unisex clothing. It’s made for lovers of comfort and things with meaning, with each collection being driven by a strong core idea, yet still open for interpretation.
Every item is made to order by a single tailer and with most items featuring the unique hand-drawn prints by an artist and creative director from Belarus Anastasiya Rozava.
The company aims to have half of its products made using recycled materials by 2024 and become sustainable.
Currently, all orders are being fulfilled from their limited stock in the UK, and all proceeds will be used to supply food and essentials to their employees in Lviv, Ukraine.
Elena Burenina
Created by Elena Burenina, who was working as a designer for several years before she enrolled at Central Saint Martins in 2009. She is considered an inexhaustible source of fresh and innovative ideas in each season.
She tends to design towards the clean-lined and minimal, where she often adds unexpected details.
Her designs are mainly manufactured in Ukraine, with concept stores presented in Ukraine, Italy, China (Taiwan), and Canada.
Frolov
Founded in 2015 by Ivan Frolov in the heart of Kyiv. The brand defines itself as “couture-to-wear”, where it combines flawlessness and comfort, intelligence and provocation, social responsibility and serenity.
Through clothes, Frolov looks to explore and communicate messages the brand feels are important to raise. It talks about trans culture, BDSM ethics, aesthetics, fetishism, LGBTQ+ movement. Currently, the brand is using its social media to publish information and ways to help Ukraine.
Kachorovska
Kachorovska comes from Kacho Group, it was founded in 1957 as an accessories manufacturer and is now run by third-generation co-owner and CEO, Alina Kachorovska. She created Kachorovska in 2015 as their own line of shoes and handbags.
Their products seek to be a comfortable, temperate design, with self-sufficient classic and unexpected accents and natural materials. They’re known for their straightforward yet bold designs that play with color and texture.
They’re currently looking to raise funds for the Ukrainian army.
Paskal
Paskal was founded in 2010 by Julie Paskal, with designs that are known for its airy, feminine aesthetic, generally achieved through a laser cutting technique that is at the core of the brand’s DNA.
This is because the brand’s creator graduated from Kyiv Institute of Architecture and Engineering in 2010, which gives a different notion of work with shapes, lines, and structure in comparison with other designers.
Julie was one of the first Ukrainian designers to start exporting her clothes to the international market, which has allowed the brand to reach over 50 stores globally with different partners.
91LAB
91LAB comes from RITO, a company with over 30 years of knitwear experience, and was founded in 2018 as a womenswear knitwear brand.
All of their pieces are hand-made and done with carefully selected fine yarns. The result is a collection with unique jacquards, creating sophisticated knitwear that embodies ultimate quality, feminine silhouettes, and grown-up sensuality.
The brand seeks to design a new kind of knitwear essentials and redefine modern classics and contemporary luxury.
What other types of Ukrainian things would you like to know about?
