Despite any challenges, for 27 years Ukrainian Fashion Week has consistently focused on supporting young talent. This year, UFW SS25 showcased collections from specially selected young designers in the format of an Open Shooting.

The participants of New Names SS25 included finalists of the “LOOK into the Future” competition, who presented their collections during Berlin Fashion Week: VERONIKA DANYLIV, MARIIA DOBROVA, ANASTASIIA NAUMENKO, ALIONA PRODAN, YELYZAVETA KOSTENKO, the top graduates of the UFEG season ELISON DIEZ, OLGA RYBNYKOVA, INNA SEMENETS, finalist of the KNUTD “Pecherski Chestnuts” competition ALMAZ.WEAR, and the top graduate of the School of Art x Craft course SOLOMIIA HRYNKIV.

YELYZAVETA KOSTENKO

The “The World Tried to Catch Me” collection is born from personal experiences of war and loss, embodying the fragile essence of unfulfilled dreams. This collection pays tribute to the myriad hopes that never materialized, reflecting emotional highs and lows.

Materials play a crucial role in conveying the collection’s core theme. Tyvek, chosen for its unique properties, symbolizes the fragility and triviality of dreams. Despite its paper-like appearance, Tyvek is a strong material, reflecting the delicate yet resilient nature of human aspirations. This choice of material embodies the paradox of dreams: seemingly insubstantial yet profoundly significant.

Through each piece, the collection seeks to capture the intense emotional journey from the euphoric heights of imagination to the deep sorrow over lost dreams. The designs serve as poignant reminders of the dreams that live in our hearts, despite the challenges. This collection stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of hope, honoring the dreams that remain unfulfilled yet continue to inspire and shape our lives.

VERONIKA DANYLIV

“Garden of Clouds” is dedicated to the homeland, reviving Ukrainian traditions and culture through a world of escapism based on feelings, memories, and sensations.

Inspired by the memories of a Ukrainian garden and the first bloom of apple blossoms, reflected in the clouds of flowers. The sensation of layered quilted blankets and fields of embroidered flowers appears in every piece, with the purity of whites evoking the lightness of the skies while also being as deep and heavy as the clouds.

“Garden of Clouds” reveals the past, present, and future, revealing the wonderful heritage of culture, scenic landscapes, tough modernity, and bright inspiring future.

MARIIA DOBROVA

Колекція «Freedom Flow» є втіленням динамічної енергії, незламності духу української жінки, яка невпинно рухається вперед. Живописні блакитні мазки на чорному тлі – код енергії свободи. Стриманий та елегантний total black. Чорний колір символізує скорботу українського народу під час великої війни. Довгі шлейфи від банту, що спадають із плеча моделі, розвиваються ніби траурні прапори і нагадують про нескінченний потік сліз і втрат, які приносить війна. Чорний бант – як мовчазний протест проти жорстокості та заклик до миру. А сяючі обʼємні блакитні образи з шовкової тафти символізують віру у мирне небо над Україною.

ALMAZ.WEAR 

In her “Masquerade Ball After Party” collection the designer turned to fashion history and combined Rococo with denim. This unusual mix of Rococo and old jeans feels like the day after the ball, an after-party where everyone swaps luxurious gowns for more comfortable clothing. Each look in the collection has its character and story. At the same time, the designer didn’t forget about the environmental aspect, using upcycling techniques: over 70% of the collection is made from old jeans and shirts. “The most important thing is that the ‘Masquerade Ball After Party’ collection gave me the feeling that I am moving in the right direction, that fashion is my life!” said the designer.

ALIONA PRODAN

The designer presented a new generation of embroidered shirts collection titled “Depth in Eternity.” The “transformer” embroidered shirts, featuring detachable sleeves and hems in a sports-chic style, are made from natural fabrics such as boho linen, seersucker, and knitwear.

While studying sacred geometry, the designer discovered that the earliest embroideries featured geometric patterns: lines, rhombuses, triangles, crosses, and other shapes that fit into the flower of life as a fundamental element. Therefore, her designs incorporate geometric symbols. These include elements made of 6 hearts, as the number 6 symbolizes perfect balance, harmony, and equilibrium between the spiritual realm and the material world. The “Merkaba” symbol is created from triangles, representing the unity of the three worlds — earthly, underground, and heavenly — as well as the three elements — water, fire, and air. The rhombus symbolizes fertility and the material well-being of the family. The designer believes that her embroidered shirts will become family heirlooms.

ANASTASIIA NAUMENKO

The double. Le corps et au-delà 

The collection is partly driven by personal experience, and shows the time of rapid life change, the destruction of the ‘comfort zone’. Through the looks, I show the idea of constant metamorphosis, inner experiment, and exploration. There I use the play of tailoring elements of suit, trench coat, shirt, sculptural shapes, and metal details. With each look the changes are shown and the composition of more information, with exaggerated parts of the cut, and changed silhouettes The collection is partly inspired by the postmodern art of Rebecca Horn, Howardena Pindell, Ukrainian avant-garde theatre costumes and decorations.

SOLOMIIA HRYNKIV

“Don’t stand out! Be like everyone else!” — we were taught from childhood. This very fear of being “different” inspired the collection — it’s about embracing being interesting, and unusual, trying new silhouettes and textures, and playing with layering and tailoring. The collection showcases the beauty of modern recycling, where curtains transform into an almost bridal gown, and a couch throw becomes a striking skirt. It’s eco-friendly and functional, helping to find solutions in the most unexpected situations.

OLGA RYBNYKOVA

The collection is dedicated to the theme of nature manifesting in big cities — as a driving force that exists as an independent reality, overcoming any obstacles in its path. The elements of inspiration include New York’s architecture and the city’s park zones. The designer highlights the issue of anthropogenic impact, through which nature is almost entirely subordinated to humans. At the same time, the author draws attention to the therapeutic effects of nature on human well-being and health, a highly relevant topic amid the frantic pace of life in a metropolis.

INNA SEMENETS 

While creating her collection, the designer poured into it everything most dear and valuable to her: love for life, her family roots, a thirst for discovering the new and unknown, the transformation of the soul through time and space, and the depiction of heritage as a core value of life and existence.

ELISON DIEZ 

Time is like sand, Seneca believed. It is a dimension we cannot control. Time is relentless, unforgiving, and fleeting. The only thing that will remain of us as time passes is the sand. And if we are lucky enough not to be forgotten, what comes after will be our legacy.