From February 14 to 17, the first FW season and the second since the start of the full-scale Russian war, the Ukrainian Fashion Week took place in Kyiv under the inspiring slogan “Hope for the Future.”

This season, Ukrainian Fashion Week, a longstanding supporter of emerging designers, launched the NewGen Lab—a platform dedicated to showcasing young talent in fashion and providing an educational cluster.

The Kachorovska brand awarded the sustainable brand UPSLOWUSE a prize of 100,000 hryvnias. Philips gifted the Steam&Go steamer to Tetyana Metelko from the ATLAN.TYDA brand (New Names). Additionally, Liliya Oliynyk from the GENDERLESS brand, who won the joint competition for young designers called The Culture of Design by UFW and INTERTOP, received a prize of 150,000 hryvnias and an opportunity to develop a collection that will be showcased in the INTERTOP store chain this fall.

This season, several brands showcased emotional and impactful shows.

FROLOV presented the collection “Dirty as an Angel,” drawing inspiration from the aesthetics of the 1990s and 2000s. The event featured a rock concert with legends from the Ukrainian underground music scene, held at the Central Department Store.

J’AMEMME presented the Noir collection in a theatrical immersive performance at the Suzirya Theater, combining fashion, actors, cinematic storytelling, and live music.

GASANOVA showcased a collection inspired by the strength, endurance, and courage of Ukrainian women through a dynamic performance featuring twenty models. This production revealed the story of female strength, grace, and determination.

VOROZHBYT&ZEMSKOVA and VIKTORANISIMOV, having participated in Ukrainian Fashion Week since 1997, have strengthened their legacies with powerful narratives and strong collections.

Presentations of the season:

KSENIASCHNAIDER presented the non-profit collection “Think Inside the Box,” transforming digital aesthetics into reality with rigid, cubic silhouettes inspired by pixel art.

The new TG Botanical collection merged the natural world with personal expression, transforming clothing into wearable art that embodies timeless imagery celebrating nature’s transformative power.

Drawing from the sustainable fashion philosophy and emphasizing its values, OMELIA and PLNGNS showcased their collections for the first time at Ukrainian Fashion Week.

KARAVAY, TONiA, KHRYSTYNA RACHYTSKA reinterpreted Ukrainian traditions.

Given the realities of full-scale war, Ukrainian Fashion Week highlights the importance of inclusivity in fashion, emphasizing that clothing should never be a limitation. This season, the team launched the “Clothing with Function” program, which aims to provide a diverse selection of comfortable, stylish, and functional garments for veterans and civilians with disabilities affected by the war.

Inclusivity was also showcased on the catwalk, with 15 veterans and models with disabilities participating in the fashion shows by JULIYA KROS, SIDLETSKIY, ANDREAS MOSKIN, and NADYA DZYAK.

The charitable aspect has become an essential part of Ukrainian Fashion Week. This season, through the “Faces of Heroes” Initiative, Ukrainian brands raised over one million hryvnias to fund rehabilitation surgeries for veterans who have sustained facial injuries from mines and blasts.

Ukrainian Fashion Week FW25-26 Highlights:

Total number of events: 56

Over 20 publications featured in international media outlets, including Vogue.com, Business of Fashion, Women’s Wear Daily, Vogue Czechoslovakia, Marie Claire France, Marie Claire Belgium, The Times, BBC, Service95, SHOWstudio, METAL Magazine, Fucking Young!, and more.

The official Ukrainian Fashion Week Instagram account has reached over 3 million users.

Once again, Ukrainian Fashion Week delivers powerful messages: creativity triumphs over destruction, our work serves as resistance to the brutal war unleashed by Russia, and the future belongs to those who dare to create it.

Credits: Andrii Sokolov, Volodymyr Bosak, Kateryna Hahosova