This collection is an ode to my eclectic and very personal childhood memories from the Crimea.

I spent every summer of my life on the peninsula, until Crimea was annexed in 2014. The inability to visit this place evoked dozens of images in my sensorial memory. Images that disturbed me and influenced my idea of femininity, sexuality, and freedom of expression in the late 90’s and 00’s. FROLOV brands’ constant drivers are freedom and provocation. I borrowed this from Crimea as well. As a boy, I remembered the suffocatingly pleasant scents of salty water, pine needles and dust. That was a smell of mysticism and romance. It accompanied me in the formation of my sexuality and first love feelings that occurred in the Crimea in my youth. All these reminiscences I’ve translated in the language of clothes.

A special shade of burgundy in the dresses is borrowed from the color of the leather sofas on highly-anticipated journeys by Kyiv-Sevastopol trains. The green color in the looks, made in corduroy, a new material for the brand, reminds of pine needles in the rays of sun. The gradient on the FROLOV statement corsets reflects my admiration for the Crimean sunsets and the unevenness of the tan on naked bodies. The color scheme of the collection also displays the beach fashion of those times, which I studied from my archival photos and a series of photographs by Martin Parr from his voyage to Yalta.

Red laces, feather elements on gowns and accessories, leather shirts, transparent pieces – these are my memories of the first discotheques in Crimea and women in eclectic but yet chic looks. I also remember several women selling corn and ice cream on the beaches, who mixed and matched all possible animal prints. This souvenir inspired the creation of a leopard transformer dress, which consists of a corset, bra and puffy skirt.

This collection has a lot of oriental motifs that have fascinated me since I was a little kid on a tour of the Crimean Tatar Khan’s Palace in Bakhchisaray. And since watching the Ukrainian TV series Roksolana, about a legendary Ukrainian girl from the 16th century who was sold as a slave to the Turkish sultan. And then she became the ruler of the Ottoman Empire. Her image in the series, and especially the moment when her clothes are torn off while she is being sold at the slave market, became the prototype for the look, which consists of a black sheer dress and lace underwear. The mysterious musical accompaniment of the show also takes us to the world of Crimean Tatar culture. The composition is based on a once lost waltz called “Night in Alupka”.

FW24-25 is the third FROLOV collection, presented during London Fashion Week. This time the show takes place at the Orchard Place at The Broadway, a vibrant living and lifestyle destination developed by Northacre to build a sense of community and reinvigorate Westminster. We are happy to collaborate with 1664 Blanc, as the Principal Partner of London Fashion Week and partner to the FROLOV show. Make-up by Dominic Skinner for M·A·C Cosmetics. Hair team is led by Philipp Haug for Schwarzkopf, who sponsor the show. Production partner MAD BVL. Supported by Ukrainian Fashion Week.

Photo: Chris Yates