In Kyiv, Ukrainian Fashion Week Signals a Bold Cultural Comeback with a Message of Hope and Defiance

Backstage at Ukrainian Fashion Week last week is a familiar scene—a swarm of designers, hair stylists, and makeup artists working under extreme pressure to get the models in their outfits and on the runway in time. Stageside, there is a sense of relief and optimism that a promising industry can regain some momentum lost by Russia's full-scale invasion.

Throughout the event, there were reminders of the cost of war and that “normal life” is still a distant reality in Ukraine. Before each runway show and announcement starts, fashion bloggers, influencers, and fashion reporters all rise for a moment of silence for those who have lost their lives.

Breaking the silence is an announcement providing information about the nearest bomb shelters in case of another Russian strike on Kyiv. The shows begin, and the music starts to play as Ukrainian models go down the runway wearing the best the country offers.

Ukrainian Fashion Week (UFW) has long been a showcase for the country’s most innovative designers. Since its founding in 1997, it has offered a platform for both emerging talents and established brands. As the first fashion week in Eastern Europe, UFW quickly gained international attention for its unique blend of tradition and modernity.

However, the Russian invasion in 2022 forced a two-year pause on the event. This absence gave UFW new meaning when it returned, reflecting the resilience of Ukraine’s creative industry amid ongoing conflict. Designers now use the runway not only to showcase their collections but also to express solidarity, national pride, and a defiant commitment to creativity despite the challenges of war. 

Tamriko Keburia, the designer for her label Tamar Keburia, aptly describes the moment, “We are strong Ukrainian people, showing the world that despite everything that's happening, we continue to create, and we believe that all creativity helps to preserve the culture.” At a time when Russia not only destroys homes, cities, and infrastructure but also aims to erase Ukrainian identity, the preservation of culture is an essential goal for many Ukrainians. 

But how hard is it to be creative with the backdrop of war? “Personally, it's difficult,” Tamriko tells me.

It's difficult because I have to inspire models. But at the same time, I read about the attacks happening. So, this duality is a little bit surreal.

Tamriko Keburia

But she is optimistic, “It was essential for us to support Ukrainian Fashion Week this time. And we are here to show the world that we are amazing.”

Julia Paskal, a Ukrainian designer from Odesa, tells me that “being creative and creating while Russia tries to destroy is an act of resilience.” Like many other Ukrainian designers who had to create new collections amid the war in Ukraine, she says that “it was quite common to make collections during air alerts and go to the bomb shelter.” And yet it seems like this did not stop her, or others, from continuing their work. Particularly as show after show, Ukrainian Fashion Week showcases more talented designers and brands. Julia says that she didn’t feel like herself until she came home to Odesa,

I understood what it means to have this Ukrainian DNA, to be made of this air from where I come from. It gives me much more creative and life energy when I'm here.

Julia Pascal

“People want to live normal lives,” the designer of Ukrainian brand II, Maria Pavluk, tells me. “The most important right now is to be adaptive; it doesn't matter if it's war or you’re just entering into your adulthood.” It really feels like the Ukrainian fashion industry has been able to achieve that. “If you are adaptive, you will be happy, and I think Ukrainian people deserve to be happy.”

In the past two years of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian brands have managed to achieve previously unprecedented recognition. From Beyonce wearing Ruslan Baginskiy’s custom-made hats at her concerts to Sabrina Carpenter choosing Ivan Frolov’s corset mini-dresses with heart cut-outs, Ukrainian fashion has never been this loud and proud. It is evident that despite war and daily attacks, Ukrainians have kept their creativity flowing. That is why this Ukrainian Fashion Week really does feel like a celebration of their resilience. But reminders of the price paid, are seen everywhere too. This year’s fashion week paid special tribute to Ukrainian veterans and those within the fashion community who took up arms to fight for their country. Soldiers with prosthetics took center stage as they walked down the runway of the Andreas Moskin show to the applause of the audience. For everyone at the event it is evident that without those protecting Ukraine on the frontlines, none of this would have been possible.