nss fashion guide: Ukraine

We find ourselves in a historic moment in which fashion doesn't have a specific identity anymore, it doesn't relate exclusively to fashionable Parisians, New York City catwalks have been progressively put aside, Korea, Japan and more generally the Eastern is gaining a predominant role in terms of trends, provocations and art, representing a particular identity: theirs. 

At this point we must talk about Kiev, Ukraine capital city, which, step by step, is making fashion its strenght, springboard and means to communicate its own personal view, in the so-called "Post-Soviet Cool" age represented by Gosha Rubchinskiy and Demna Gvasalia. Located in the North of the state, almost at the border with Belarus, Kiev is trying to set itself free from its soviet past and enter a future made of innovation and creativity. Visiting the city it's impossible not to remain astonished by the beautiful buildings, from Saint Sophie Cathedral to the Pecerska Lavra monastery, Unesco heritage site since 1990, artistic gems that reflect the natural inclination of the city for beauty. Kiev's aesthetic taste is spreading towards different areas, from design to fashion, and exactly for this reason for the last few years the city has taken part in in the Fashion Week tornado, ready to showcase tomorrow's biggest trends. 

Waiting for the Kiev Fashion Week (from February 1st to 5th), nss magazine has prepared for you a guide to the Ukrainian fashion world. Here's what's to know. 

 

 

Fashion Revolution

The patriotism of Ukrainian designers has always played a big role and, before 2000, their main target was the "close costumer" and their ideas and concepts were stuck in a kind of urban bubble, peculiar and inevitable, an identity that was and wanted to be only Ukrainian. How come? Foreign realities did not raise interest due to political and social influences. After February 2014 revolution and the following expulsion of Russia sympathizer president Viktor Fedorovyč Janukovyč, the country faced a serious crisis in the industrial sector. 

The situation has changed in the last 4 years, the need and will to communicate and the spreading of local taste and habits brought the designers to open to luxury and to the gaining of a more contemporary and experimental vision. All this gave life to a social and political movement supported by the younger generations, who, spokesman of a new sense of initiative and common plan, decided to move towards an international direction. Emerging talents in fashion did not hesitate to join this movement, because it wasn't only about making clothes, but starting a new era, taking a clear position. 

Even though the new Ukrainian fashion scene is still in its growing stage, the designers can already boast a recognition that is slowly spreading towards the bigger fashion cities. 

Keep an eye on these designers: 

 

Anton Belinskiy

Sasha Kanevski

Ksenia Schnaider 

 

Subrosa

 

To discover

International Festival of Vogue (5-7 September, 15, Brovarsky Avenue, Kyiv, Ukraine)

This expo, arrived to its 34th edition, welcomes every year twenty thousands people, fashion experts and not only, with the purpose of presenting and showcasing the different areas of the fashion system: from the leather hall to the underwear, discovering the finest fabrics and the new technologies. 

 

To visit

Kiev Fashion Park

In 2011 Alexander Sokolovsky, Ukrainian Fashion Week co-founder, decided to build a park never seen before. Inspired by fashion and with the desire to promote Ukrainian art and talents, Sokolovsky created the Kiev Fashion Park, a place where nature blends with fashion and sculptures inspired by the biggest designers of the country. From Costantino Skritutsky's mosaics to the sketches of Zinaida Likhachev, Sergey Smolin e Lily Litkovskaya. A must see. 

 

The point of view

"The most majority of people who are into fashion belong to a quite elevate social class. For this reason it is not so popular. University students, for example, prefer to buy second-hand clothes and accessories, in order to find unique items at a lower price." 

 

Instagram loves Kiev

Also on Instagram the Ukrainian capital is gaining the deserved attention. Its beauty and art captures the eye of the viewer, who, standing in front of the massive golden monuments has to take a pic.