canada-ukraine.org

[oresta]

This was my first time attending a professional fashion show and it was an remarkable display of Ukrainian top designers. Top sponsor like BMW, Cart Noir, and Avon were among the top supporters. A friend of mine was doing a story for the Kyiv Post and I had the opportunity to keep him company and to make sure he understood the importance of Ukraine’s designers who are becoming one of the leaders in fashion.
Like many other fashion weeks worldwide, Ukraine’s Fashion Week was filled with celebrities and a swarm of paparazzi and media. It was a rush to be sitting in the media pit with top photographers and cinematographers while watching the models take to the cat walk.
Oksana Karavanska, one of the leading Ukrainian designers, presented an imaginative and creative anthology for the fall/winter collection 2008. She was one of the only, if not the only, designer that spoke exclusively in Ukrainian to the press and public. Although I found the theme of the show dark and shadowy, her collections construction was more than just clothing. It told the story that you can enter the world and overcome obstacles and rise above them. Her models walked on a typical catwalk, yet the lights were dim and the models entered by walking down stairs and exited by climbing up a ladder.
Another top designer was Oleksi Zalevskiy, who brought a string orchestra to stage and cute dogs to accent his collection. His metaphor of –“the beast tames the music”- was a very witty way to present his collection for the upcoming fall season.
The week was full of different designer’s, celebrities and personalities making sure they showed their face at this years “Ukrainian Fashion Week”. My only complaint to this glamorous and well planned event was the washrooms. Yes I said it, the washrooms. They where Turkish squatters….yup… squatters. I was in disbelief once I entered the washroom, where I waited in line for. It seems Ukraine still has many things to learn about glamorous, highly publicized events; that every detail counts. Besides the horrid washrooms and the casual approach to certain shows this was a fabulous event. Each year Ukrainian Fashion Week introduces great collections by marvellous designers. I am glad to see Ukraine’s fashion industry catching up to Paris’ or Milan’s presentations of haut couture and prêt-a-porte.