Ukrainian Fashion Week

9 Ukrainian Fashion Brands at BCEFW

9 Ukrainian Fashion Brands at BCEFW

This is the third event of Ukrainian Fashion Week International Season SS23.

On September 3-4, during the 10th BCEFW, the fashion shows of Ukrainian brands GUDU and DARJA DONEZZ took place, as well as the Ukrainian Collective Show, within were presented collections of: KIR KHARTLEY, SIDLETSKIY, STARCHAK, YADVIGA NETYKSHA and LISABO.

Ukrainian brands POUSTOVIT and AISENBERG DENIM were presented in the BCEFW showroom.

GUDU

Global changes are the best time to return to your basics and the foundation on which everything is built. Lasha Mdinaradze, creative director of the brand, created the Spring-Summer collection with these thoughts about eternal values. In the new season, he returned to the jackets around which he built the entire collection.

The ideal companions for GUDU jackets, according to Mdinaradze, will be a variety of crop tops and dresses with bold necklines, midi-length skirts and flowy pants.

In the new season, the designer does not betray his other passions – black colour, vintage denim and patchwork technique. In the latest collection, for example, there are not only jeans sewn from scraps, but also a dress made of vintage ties.

“The last six months have shown that being honest with yourself is the most important thing,” adds the designer. “This collection is exactly about that.”

DARJA DONEZZ

The new Darja Donezz SS23 collection is inspired by ancient legends and outstanding female images from ancient Greek mythology. Her deep interest in ancient aesthetics is not accidental, because the world is cyclical and history always repeats itself. Each era has its own goddesses, wars, transformations and victories.

“The greatest fear has come true – war. We have to learn to live in this new reality. For me, this story repeats itself twice, my family already had to flee from the war and make a new life. And like then, in 2014, I’m making a collection again when my team is away. Connections, roots, broken fragments are more important to me than ever,” comments Darya Donets.

Embroidery and artistic prints are again present in the collection. The palette of the SS23 collection: black, shades of sand and pearls, dusty blue and inky. Key items: feminine dresses, sets of matching silk tops and skirts and signature suits.

KIR KHARTLEY

The collection “Freedom” is a collection about shots in the back of the freedom and independence of the people of Ukraine. True freedom should not be intimidated, shot, or trampled on because it lives in the heart of each Ukrainian. In this collection, the designer addresses the power of the female spirit and how incredibly it can transform, acquiring the powerful weapon of inner courage and commitment. The delicate wings of femininity turn into a metal shield and weapon.

SIDLETSKIY

The “Talk to me” capsule collection includes laconic dresses and trench coats with an architectural cut. This collection preserves the idea of femininity in the sophistication of silhouettes and clarity of forms, expressed through the prism of deconstructivism.

“This collection is my creative reflection on what is happening in the country. Life was uncompromisingly divided into black and white. The central image is a vest (body armour), which symbolizes the blossoming of the soul. It is a symbol of a woman’s strength and indomitability,” comments Ihor Sidletskyi.

STARCHAK

Each garment of the “Ukrainian winter-summer 2022” collection tells about a Ukrainian city that suffered destruction and is suffering from the fullscale Russian invasion. The designer tells the story of tragedies through stylized handmade embroidery, which is applied to garments deformed by nails, cartridge cases and glass.

The most painful reference to the tragedy in Ukraine is sewn onto an oversized jacket – the Mariupol Drama Theater with the inscription “CHILDREN”.

YADVIGA NETYKSHA

At the heart of the SS23 “RED IS LOVE” collection are embroidery motifs in a modern interpretation, as a talisman of the Ukrainian people and the code of the nation. An artist cannot remain aloof from the events happening around her. The combination of masculine and tender, masculinity and femininity in one image, is an attempt to reconcile the lifelong opposition and struggle. The combination of military elements with flowers is a characteristic style of the brand – a metaphor for the ruined flowering steppes of Ukraine.

LISABO

Collections of the LISABO brand are always connected with nature. The new collection “Flower” is dedicated to the tradition of celebrating Ivana Kupala by our ancestors. The holiday of Ivana Kupala symbolizes the connection between man and nature, it is an ancient and colourful holiday. The emphasis of the collection is on fitted silhouettes. Collection materials: silk, viscose, merino wool. The designer uses handmade decor from natural feathers and decorative flowers.