Oleksandr Hapchuk Knows How to Churn Sour Cream

The All-Ukrainian Black Gem Prize for Achievement in Fashion and Advertising awards ceremony took place recently at the Kyiv Expo Plaza. In the nine years that have passed since the first Black Gem, both the prize’s prestige and the advertising and fashion business in general have grown substantially. Thus, it is no wonder that the audience was packed, and many stars of Ukrainian pop music, sports, and fashion were present. The prizes, traditional statuettes, were presented by Volodymyr Klychko, Ruslana Pysanka, Iryna Danylevska, Iryna Diudenko, and others, popular not only in Ukraine but also abroad.

The L-Models Agency, organizers of the contest, which in recent years added to itself a number of new nominations and a new title, Ukrainian Fashions Awards, gives young models a good chance to find job corresponding to the level of their ambitions. Most girls, winners of the Black Gem: New Names contest, have or still work for the biggest model agencies in France (Next, Nathalie), Italy (Flash, Donna), Japan, and South Korea. The professional qualities of these girls, as well as winners of the male models contest, Mister of the Year, are beyond any doubt and allow them to take part in fashion show of the most eminent designers. Meanwhile, it is far from easy to win the title of the best. Over 800 models from most of Ukraine’s modeling agencies took part in the preliminary casting, only 15 of whom made it to the finals. Criteria for their being judged were professional skills and appearance. The winners were Yuliya Motaylenko of the Donetsk Dyvo [Wonder] Agency (evidence that the L- Models Agency is guided by the principle of equal opportunity) and Serhiy Cherniavsky of the Kyiv agency mentioned. They, along with some other participants, have a good chance to make a profitable deal with Western employers. Scouts from the biggest French and Italian modeling agencies came to the Black Gem New Names finals. Incidentally, now everybody willing to take part in the contest can register at its web site and send their photographs.

Viktoriya Zubenko was named as best fashion stylist, replacing Tetiana Rubliova of Natali magazine who won the Stylist of the Year debut nomination in 2002. Music for the video of the Roshen chocolates factory was recognized best audio advertisement. Incidentally, leader of the Okean Elzy [Elza’s Ocean] group can be named a professional advertiser. Last year he won in the Best Photo Advertisement nomination, where he urgently and consistently tried to persuade the younger generation to drink Pepsi. MacCoffee’s advertising campaign with Green Gray soloists Diesel and Murik as the main heroes was awarded the title of best video advertisement. It is unknown if the number of those who drink this product in Ukraine grew, but it is obvious that Green Gray is much better in singing and playing than speaking. Best photo advertisement was the LG campaign featuring Ruslana Pysanka, while the title of best television hostess went to Olha Bura. It is not the first time she is getting the Black Gem statuette: in 2001 her work for the Elite Fort coffee producers was named the best photo advertisement. The show’s hosts were Snizhana Yehorova, winner of the Most Stylish TV Hostess, and her colleague Yury Horbunov. Their video of the same MacCoffee with Marusia Yefrosynina was best at the last year’s contest. Valentyn Karminsky, whose works were recently published by The Day , won the title of best photographer.

The best fashion designer of Ukraine in 2003 is Oleksandr Hapchuk. This year the competition between designers was very tense. A super-stylish men’s wear collection at the spring Fashion Seasons, which had recently been demonstrated in Moscow, and joint works with Italian designer Antonio Berrardi (2002) and Cherrer Fashion House (2003) where Hapchuk for the first time in Ukraine’s history displayed a haute couture collection bringing him victory. Receiving the prize, Hapchuk said half jokingly that recalls the story about the frog drowning in a milk jar who whipped sour cream with its paws and was able to come out to freedom. It took 12 years after Oleksandr started his career in Ukraine’s light industry for him to win that honorable title.