Despite the ongoing war in their homeland, nine Ukrainian brands will be showcased during New York Fashion Week.
From Monday through Sept. 15, The Standard East Village will host “Ukrainian Fashion: Shaping Style. Empowering Change.” Like its sister property in the Meatpacking District, the Cooper Square hotel has been cultivating a fashion following through special events that emphasize different types of design. The by-appointment presentation in the East Village hotel is beig organized for a mix of buyers, press, celebrities and influencers.
The participating Ukrainian fashion brands are A.M.G., Gudu, Gunia Project, J’Amemme, Kachorovska, My Sleeping Gypsy, Omelia, Samokish and T.Mosca. Their designs include an assortment of fashion, jewelry and footwear. Their road to New York started two years ago — before the Russian invasion, in September 2021, when the USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine first collaborated with the fashion consultant Jen Sidary. At that time, four of the country’s leading fashion brands landed the first fashion trade show grants to showcase their collections during New York Fashion Week with the goal to export into international markets.
The Ukrainian brand Kachorovska is among the participants.
Photo Courtesy Jen Sidary
More recent developments include the launch of a wholesale program for 10 Ukrainian designers affiliated with the Angel for Fashion site through the wholesale showroom platform NuOrder, according to Sidary. Another established Ukrainian fashion source, Bevza, will be staging a runway show on Friday at Spring Studios.
In addition to the multiday designer showcase, there will be an opening private presentation featuring models wearing designs from the Ukrainian brands on Sunday at the hotel for 75 guests.
On another front, a Ukrainian mural by the artist Vladimir Manzhos who is known professionally as “Waone,” is on full display downtown. Meant as a sign of solidarity for the Ukrainian people that embodies Ukrainian futurism and artistic expression, the mural can be seen at the entrance of The Standard, East Village.
The artist started his career in 1999 by tagging corners in the country’s capital of Kyiv. Before the pandemic and the current war, he traveled all over the world to paint large mural works that were inspired by the local culture. The New York location needed no such inspiration, since the location is near the heart of the Ukrainian American culture in the East Village, according to the artist.