The best thing that happened on fashion weeks in Kiev
Text:Olga Dyachuk
After the world fashion weeksin London, New York, Milan and Paris, it was the turn of local. Two fashion weeks took place in Kiev at once: Ukrainian Fashion Week and Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days are events that are different in many respects and to some extent compete with each other. It is important to note that one of the main differences of the weeks is the recruitment of designers. UFW collaborates with renowned, mature fashion designers. MBKFD opens and develops new faces. Due to the existence of these two weeks of fashion, you can create a more or less holistic picture of the Ukrainian fashion industry. We talk about the best shows of both weeks and explain how important they are.
Poustovit
The Ukrainian Fashion Week was opened with the show of Lilia Pustovit, the most famous ordinary Ukrainian designer. In Kiev, it is considered that “Pustovit for Ukraine is akin to Taras Shevchenko - this is our everything and it is impossible to criticize it”. Criticize, really, not at all. Dress shirts, flawless work with light fabrics, intelligent and feminine things - something that has been associated with Poustovit for years. The overall picture was brightened by patch pockets, dresses that resemble working aprons, and overalls in the spirit of workwear. Pustovit always succeed prints, which are somehow connected with Ukrainian history and culture. In the new collection, patriotism has replaced the current cell, flowers and leaves. However, chestnut leaves - a symbol of Kiev, and still to the place in a post-revolutionary country.
LAKE
The brand, known to us earlier as KamenskayaKononova, has recently been experiencing not only rebranding. The new collection was created by Olesya Kononova alone, which most viewers learned only when she took the bow. Behind the scenes there were rumors that the designer duet had broken up. In fact, Natalya Kamenskaya was physically unable to prepare the collection, she spent the last few months in the United States. Nevertheless, the aesthetics of the brand Olesya did not change. Hyper volume, solid materials, a lot of black, sculptural silhouette - all this appears in the shows of LAKE with enviable constancy. In the new collection, attention is riveted on bags of carrot color, fringe on sandals, weaving strips of patent leather, with which Olesya adorns dresses and tops. Dressing gowns and wide belts, thrown over the shoulder, resemble elements of a national Japanese costume, although the similarity is rather relative. In general, the collection turned out calm and even cautious.
Litkovskaya
Lilia Litkovskaya is considered to be a master of minimalism and complex design solutions. However, in the new collection she didn’t repeat, although the show had the usual monochrome for the brand, trouser suits on the verge of "masculin-féminin" and architectural silhouettes. The collection itself is difficult to call even - some things frankly win against the rest. But it can definitely be called more commercial: slim jackets, high-waisted trousers made of checkered fabric and a leather dress with rose appliqué appeared on the catwalk. The brand is considered one of the most promising in the Ukrainian market and continues to evolve: slowly being sold at Opening Ceremony, Moscow TSUM, and showing its collections in the new season in St. Petersburg.
BEVZA
Svetlana Bevza went on the right path of many European brands and instead of showing her, she arranged a chamber presentation in one of the concept stores of Kiev. In the new season, the designer went on a more commercial way and showed wearable things inspired by the 70s. However, the place for a white minimalist dress - characteristic of the brand - still left. By the way, a rare Kiev designer is able to work with the 70s. Bevza cited this epoch not only in the collection, but also in the entourage of the presentation: John Lennon as a soundtrack, old armchairs for the interior, plus hairstyles of models to match Jane Birkin. Things in the spring-summer collection are literally charged for profit: the designer shows denim with torn edges, bustier dresses, sexy shorts and tops. Bevze was particularly successful in white summer coats with large collars and dresses that resemble Mark Jacobs' chess collection for spring 2013 Louis Vuitton from afar.
Frolov
The most discussed and controversial in the season was the show of the brand Frolov, which some scold, while others praise. Its creator, twenty-year-old Ivan Frolov, this year was named “The Discovery of the Year” at the main fashion award of Ukraine, Best Fashion Awards, so his UFW debut was interesting to many. In his first works, Frolov addressed the delicate subject of BDSM, transparency and unisex. In the new season, Ivan didn’t really change himself much: there were both a pole, a stripper, and gold sparkles on the show. As the designer himself explained: "It is not known who is the victim: a stripper or a spectator who looks at her." In this case, the things themselves turned out to be more modest. Basically, the designer focused on trouser suits, working with velvet and transparent fabrics. The appearance of a dress in the form of an American flag was unexpected. The designer worked on a collection inspired by travel to Amsterdam and watching the film "Tour" Mathieu Amalric. The show Frolov for obvious reasons stood out against the background of other neat shows, which for a start is very good.
Anton Belinskiy
Young Ukrainian designer Anton Belinsky won the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Prize, which was first presented at the opening of the second MBKFD fashion show in Kiev. His new spring-summer collection already saw the light in September in London at the fashion show of Kiev designers on the Fashion Scout London platform and in the Paris showroom of Darya Shapovalova More Dash. Hopefully, the collection of the designer will soon appear on the show VFILES.
Belinsky grew up in front of his eyes: in the new collection there are many original design solutions, as well as things with strong prints and applications in the form of deaf-and-dumb gestures. At the same time, the designer continues to move in his direction and, obviously, knows what they are wearing now. The drawings with gestures created by illustrator Polina Moroz under the impression of the film "Country of the Deaf" by Valeria Todorovsky. The collection found a place for simple dresses, made in the technique of patchwork, as well as balloon skirts, crop tops, wide trousers, boxing shorts and cloaks. All this Anton, again not changing himself, combined with golf and New Balance sneakers and sandals. Particular attention should be paid to the details: the numerous ties on dresses and blouses and the raw edges of denim items, which, though not without reason, refer to Marques'Almeida, retain Belinsky’s strong handwriting.
Ksenia schnaider
Anton and Ksenia Schneider continue to work with simple silhouettes and experiment with digital prints, this time laying out national patterns in pixels and “glitch roses”. That's exactly what Ksenia calls a pixel pattern, which looks like a monitor with a picture of a traditional pattern is frozen. Print Schneiders put on dresses, shirts of different lengths, T-shirts, sweatshirts and skirts, sun. This time-tested basic set of things allows designers to roam around with regard to prints and how to apply them. Instead of the show, Schneiders gave a presentation with a concert by Sophie Villy. Dresses from the collection of Xenia handed out friends, and they just hung out with the guests. In addition to shirts and dresses, Schneiders put a print on the Smart car, which was presented at the main location of the Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days. The brand is actively developing and is already being sold in Russia, America and China.
Anna K
Anna Kolomoets, it seems, the most successful and youngest designer from Ukraine, is already known in the world as the creator of the Fashion Circus series of T-shirts and clutches with the words "I'm not a blogger" (hello Godfrey Dini and Miroslav Dume) and "I don't give interviews. " Things immediately flashed on Anna Dello Russo's instagram and were purchased by Colette Paris. On things from the new collection, slogans appear again, but now these are quotes from fashion films. The collection is also rich in prints: road signs, fencing tape, biker helmets, weather forecast images on smartphones and cute cat eyes. All of them remind us of the still youthful, and maybe even the children's perception of Ani, who just turned 18 this year. The irony and humor in the Anna K collection indicate that the designer is not trying to appear older, and that pleases. On the other hand, Kolomoyets things will look more organic in the wardrobe of a 20-year-old girl than her mothers.
Maria hitcher
Another designer who used ironic prints and stripes was Maria Hitcher. Tweety chicken, Bambi deer and other cartoon characters, as well as embroidered quotes from Zemfira's songs lit up on her things. Unlike other designers who resorted to cheerful prints, Hitcher managed to keep a light sadness and nostalgia for his youth and at the same time convey the irony over the fact of growing up. The hall was touched. The collection itself turned out to be solid, and the denim dresses and skirts successfully coexisted with transparent blouses. Maria pays attention to details: striped things are decorated with transparent patch pockets, denim with embroidery with quotes of songs, transparent things with colored fluff. Separately, it is possible to note the voluminous coat of the final image showing with the inscription on the back "Today was not a good day. Tomorrow will be good!". Maria Khitcher won the Design It competition this year and became a debutant of Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days. But, frankly, her collection was head and shoulders above many no longer newcomers of the week.
Marianna senchina
Another young designer with a quite mature collection is Marianna Senchina. The girl, who began her fashion career as a stylist, showed topical and wearable things. Midi skirts with ragged edges, cropped jackets, sleeves with volumetric sleeves, ties on blouses and bright prints based on pop art. Senchina had pleated skirts, large peas on dresses, voluminous bombers and feminine silhouettes with an emphasis on the waist. It is felt that the girl is close to what Massimo Giorgetti creates. So, the final bow, like Maria Khitcher, was the coat. In the same way, this thing can be called the most remarkable: the sky color of the coat harmoniously combined with the sewn red pop-art-lips and dusty-pink trousers.
IDLE IDOL
The young brand IDLE IDOL was founded in Moscow, but is now based in Kiev. Its creator, a former stylist and photographer Pavel Tikhomirov, began with the design of caps, which could be seen at the new show, held as part of the Fashion Scout Kiev platform. At first glance, it seems that Tikhomirov turned out to be an entirely streetwear-collection, but then you notice a complex cut, geometric techniques, minimalism and color blocking. All things are very youth. Among them - cropped tops, skirts with a high waist and oversize-coat. The designer himself describes the IDLE IDOL style as a smart punk. In this collection of rebellious mood is almost invisible. That, in principle, and for the better.