Style Points is a weekly column about how fashion intersects with the wider world.
“It’s very emotional for us,” says Lisa Ushcheka. She’s talking about the preparations for Ukrainian Fashion Week, which will be returning to Kyiv on September 1—for the first time since the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Peering at me through oversized glasses, she takes a moment to sum up that array of emotions. “We feel the immense support, not only from those within the industry, but from people who are not even in the industry,” says Ushcheka, the head of international communications for Ukrainian Fashion Week. “And naturally, there is also anxiety, because we have a huge responsibility for how well we can handle the challenges that come with the war: technical issues, air raid alerts, and many other factors that are unpredictable.”
A look from Ruslan Baginskiy, who will be showing as part of Ukrainian Fashion Week.
But, she says, she also feels something else: a sense of duty. She and her fellow organizers are determined that the show must, so to speak, go on. Over its 27-year history, she points out, “Ukrainian Fashion Week has been held to a high standard. Even in these extreme circumstances, we don’t, and we can’t, allow ourselves to do anything less than we’ve always done.” The main venue will be a jewel of Kyiv: the Mystetskyi Arsenal, a historic building that is home to the country’s National Art and Culture Museum—and that is now equipped with bomb shelters and an air raid siren.
Iryna Danylevska, the event’s founder and CEO, notes that so many now-internationally-famous designers started their careers at Ukrainian Fashion Week. With Ushcheka translating, she tells me that “this young, talented generation, they see their future in Ukraine, and they want to develop their fashion brands in Ukraine.” Right after they shared the application form, she says, responses poured in. At the time of our conversation, about 50 homegrown brands had signed on to the official schedule, including notable names like Ksenia Schnaider and Delegan. At that point, Danylevska says, “We had no doubt that we made the right decision.” (All of the participating brands will be making donations to help a palliative care unit in Kyiv purchase medical equipment.)
A look from Grie.
Designer Ruslan Baginskiy is one of those young Ukrainian designers who went on to international acclaim. He has been showing his collections in Paris, but he’ll be making a return home this fall (though, for security reasons, his show location is being kept under wraps.) “For me, as a creative person, it’s such a big moment to share our values with young, talented kids who want to be designers,” he says. “All the time in Paris, they’re asking me, ‘Do you have designers on this level [in Ukraine]?’ This is important to build the bridge between Ukraine and the world and show that we’re on that level.”
“Every day we witness the destruction brought by the war. We hear the tragic news,” Ushcheka adds. “And our mission is to preserve, protect, and develop [Ukrainian designers’] work and their businesses. What we want to show is that the Ukrainian fashion industry is incredibly strong…We want to show the world that we are resilient, we are united, we are creative, and that is something that the world cannot lose.”
A look from Ksenia Schnaider.
Ukrainians are exhibiting “the same qualities you saw in 1991, in 2004, in 2014—our resilience and devotion to freedom,” Ushcheka says. “And right now, we are fighting for our freedom. We’re fighting for our right to live, our right to choose, our right to create, and our right to be Ukrainian. We are an integral part of the European community, and it is extremely important that they support us now. We want to demonstrate to the world that Ukrainians are talented, creative, and resilient.”
First Lady Olena Zelenska, who has made a notable effort to champion Ukrainian design talent, was among those who lent her time to a promotional video for the event. “Her support for the industry is immense, and it’s evident in her choice to wear Ukrainian designers,” Ushcheka says.
A look from Sayya.
The runway shows will not be live-streamed. As Ushcheka explains, “We had to adjust to the reality we have,” due to damage to the city’s infrastructure. But they will be broadcasting on social media and encourage international viewers to tune in and support.
“We are not stopping, and the war will not stop us.”
Véronique Hyland is ELLE’s Fashion Features Director and the author of the book Dress Code, which was selected as one of The New Yorker’s Best Books of the Year. Her writing has previously appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, W, New York magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Condé Nast Traveler.
