Not Thanks to but Despite
26th Ukrainian Fashion Week to take place on March 11-16
Not thanks to wise and moderate state policies (which are blind to the legal needs of Ukrainian fashion and stubbornly wears Brioni), and despite political and economical turmoil, as well as a “gap” in the general sponsors’ line, did the Ukrainian Fashion Week (UFW) create a schedule of fashion events. Indeed, the amount of events proposed exceeded the slots available with the framework of the UFW.
March Ukrainian Fashion Week will take place in the capital on March 11-16. During those seven days 48 designers will show their pret-a-porter collections. A great deal will also be happening offstage: press conferences, roundtables, and also… some secrets.
In particular, the 26th Fashion Week closing show will present haute couture by a world-known designer, the name of whom the organizational committee does not disclose. But the name of the guest of honor is already known – Mauro Cagnoni, Logos Publishing president. The largest and one of the most famous editions of the publishing house is the Collezioni magazine, which issues over 50 volumes about world fashion weeks for a year. Five years ago Ukrainian designers were registered in this global fashion encyclopedia.
New projects, New Names and Fresh Fashion, will continue their work in UFW. Every season they infuse a new portion of “young blood” into the Ukrainian fashion world. The organizers assure that the March Fashion Week’s biggest intrigue will be the shows of those young talents. This strengthening at the foundation level by the cementing its best achievements within the framework of the global world catwalk is also noteworthy.
After a temporary break the cooperation of the UFW with the Olena Franchuk Fund “ANTIAIDS” has been re-launched. The concept of the forthcoming charity show is one more secret of the UFW organization committee. It is only known that each designer-participant of the project is preparing one image for the special defile, which will be presented by a model or a celebrity.
And, finally, the real pride of the organizers became the establishment of the First Ukrainian award in the fashion field Best Fashion Awards (BFA). As The Day reported earlier, its main aim is to define the leaders of Ukrainian fashion and introduce their names to the national and international public. Clearly, the need for such an award was growing for a long time.
“Since the Ukrainian Fashion Week was first launched the designers made it known as an important cultural phenomenon, whose strategic target is to claim loudly and firmly that Ukrainian fashion has a unique collection of national products, which we can and should take pride in,” emphasized Volodymyr Nechyporuk, UFW general producer.
At the same time, while Ukrainian fashion is being recognized in the world, its own legislature does not notice it at all. It should promote development of fashion like in the countries of Western Europe. The fashion field is not only an aesthetic attraction but also an important sector of the economy. Apparently it has began to cooperate with the state, though the latter still constricts its development. The UFW organizers reproach that, according to our legislation, Ukrainian fashion does not have a “cultural product” or “heritage of the nation” status, which other arts have. Why is the country blind to the fashion field, with all its perspectives? That is the question Iryna Danylevska, head of the organization committee and UFW cofounder, advised the journalists to ask the authorities, who would not neglect an opportunity to show up in the first rows around the catwalk. There is still hope in fashion circles that they will be able to make political “celebrities” not only to “ride a horse” but also “feed it.” Brioni does not suit each Ukrainian breed.
