Ukraine Fashion Week Returns

Ukraine donned a mask of resilience this September, when the 53rd season of Ukraine Fashion Week resumed in Kyiv, just five hours away from Russian bombardments along the border. The fashion week was a starkly idealistic fight for freedom against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which commenced on February 24, 2022, and has claimed an estimated one million lives as of September 2024. The fashion week is customarily prět-à-porter, or ready to wear, and it usually occurs twice a year in Kyiv. However, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the 51st and 52nd seasons of the Ukraine Fashion Week (UFW) were held internationally. This September marked the bold return of the shows to Kyiv, and they incorporated traditional Ukrainian motifs—like shades of red and elegant embroidery—and craftsmanship while also addressing modern issues. Bunkers and bomb shelters were designated nearby in the event of an emergency.

Yadviga Netyksha’s SS25 show “Chornoknyzhnyk” features a formal, melancholy atmosphere and desolate, intriguing garments. Through this tension, the show conveys both the brutality of war and its effects on the citizens of Ukraine. Look 2 illustrates a facade of elegance, with cream dress pants loosely drawn to the model’s legs. The focus of the look is a bleached, milky white button-up dress shirt, which subtly displays streaks of unpigmented, reflective polyester that covers the torso in horizontal stripes, about two inches wide. The collar is deliberately folded upward and unbuttoned such that a circular black and gold pendant is visible. On each side of the model’s chest, crimson patriotic Ukrainian ribbons hang over the length of the body, with strands of string swaying with each stride. Small vermillion roses are attached to jungle green stems, and leaves are embroidered on each sleeve from shoulder to cuff. A snowy white adhesive bandage enclasps the model’s forehead and right palm, damp with a substance that looks like blood. The casually unsettling, dusted New Balance 550s on foot tell the story of ordinary Ukrainian civilians with ordinary lives who fought for their country, suffering serious wounds, or worse—death.

Apsara’s show takes a different approach to spreading awareness by displaying vivid garments laden with crimson red. The focal point of the show occurs when a model strides briskly towards the camera. Her eyebrows and shoulder-brushing hair are jet black, contrasting the boisterous tulle jumpsuit, with sleeves that end promptly at each wrist with differentiating shades of crimson, burgundy, maroon, and rose string rope around the torso, accentuating the areas of plain, blushed tulle. The string is jumbled randomly, either looping around itself or dangling from the knees. The model wears tanned slippers enveloped in rope dripping from the baggy tulle pants that break off at the ankle. In a twisting turn of events, she unfolds and displays a thin blanket-like image of an unsettling figure over her head, which was previously folded between her right arm and hip. The figure has blood-red hair crafted from the same rope attached to the tulle, which is meticulously symmetrical. The figure’s eyes are painted dark gray with hints of red and contain no emotion, just under two scolding eyebrows that complement the hair. The skin is a faded clay, and malleable ears have occasional folds and creases. The model momentarily drops the figure to stare down the camera before lifting it back over her head and walking out of sight. 

Andreas Moskin’s SS25 uses a scarcity of color, especially embroidery on garments—both Ukrainian traditions—to reflect the siege on the Ukrainian identity as a result of the invasion. Moskin has focussed more on bringing awareness to the Ukrainian struggle than creating stunning clothes, which is why he has deliberately reinvented the style of his brand, transforming the vibrant, glistening, and innovative designs from previous shows into an icy wake-up call, portrayed by neutral clothes paired with dynamic visual performances presented by the models. The beginning of the show stuns viewers; a veteran from the Ukrainian war is sitting in a black chair. Both his legs are amputated, and wounds on his thighs are wrapped in tight bandages. The audience watches silently as he pushes down on each knee to fit them into prosthetics. He sports a jet-black robe with frayed cuffs and floral accents. The arms of the garment are hand-stitched to the torso in a zigzag pattern, which creates textural diamond accents. The robe slightly drapes over plain black shorts. The audience claps as the model makes his way towards the camera with a grim face as “Сину” by Ukrainian singer Jamala plays in the background, a blue yet patriotic tune.

Ukraine Fashion Week ruptured the typicality of most fashion shows, taking because it took place in the heart of a country at war. Although Ukrainian designers have used their garments to illustrate various symbols and niches of Ukrainian culture, the 53rd season of the Ukrainian Fashion Week remains a unified broadcast of strength and indomitability.