Historical locations, unusual formats, and a new perspective on inclusivity in fashion. 

The 55-th season of Ukrainian Fashion Week: all the things to remember

From September 1 to 4, for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukrainian Fashion Week was held in Kyiv – to support the Ukrainian fashion industry and strengthen Ukraine’s voice worldwide.

“A series of explosions, rather than a welcome party, marked the start of Ukrainian Fashion Week,” wrote British Vogue about the beginning of the historic season.

On September 1, more than 50 of the most influential representatives of the Ukrainian fashion industry united on the steps of the Ukrainian House on European Square in a joint statement to the international community – OPENING MANIFEST. Under signs like “Brave to create the future” and “We design hope despite the war,” this event marked the symbolic opening of the 55th season of Ukrainian Fashion Week SS25.

“We are fighting for our right to remain Ukrainians. We are fighting for our right to live in an independent state. Either with weapons in our hands, in factories or creative workshops – we are fighting for freedom,” comments Iryna Danylevska, co-founder and CEO of Ukrainian Fashion Week.

Ukrainian Fashion Week SS25 in numbers:

The total number of participating brands is 61.

The total number of events is 42.

The events were attended by international journalists and media representatives from ELLE France, British Vogue, The Guardian, Metal Magazine, Fucking Young!, and Service 95.

40+ publications appeared in global media outlets, such as BOF, WWD, Vogue Business, ELLE USA, Harper’s Bazaar UK, British Vogue, Vanity Fair Italia, CNN, BBC, The Washington Post, etc.

A new perspective on inclusivity in fashion

The 55th season of Ukrainian Fashion Week showcased the current reality in Ukraine. Fashion shows made a powerful statement by featuring war veterans — men and women with prosthetic limbs — on the catwalks of ANDREAS MOSKIN, GASANOVA, and NADYA DZYAK.

PUMB and UFW collaborated on a quiet performance accompanied only by the sound of Serhiy Zhadan’s poetic lyrics on a dimly lit stage. PUMB’s project “We are of one blood” donates 50% of its profit to the purchase of tactical medicine and the delivery of blood components to hot-spot areas. This initiative has already saved more than 126 thousand lives.

The involvement of war veterans on the catwalks conveyed a powerful symbol of the resilience and unwavering spirit of Ukrainians. It demonstrated that fashion can and should be a tool for social change.

Social initiative

The joint charitable initiative of all participants of Ukrainian Fashion Week SS25 was to collect funds for equipment for the palliative care department for veterans at the Svyatenko Rehabilitation Clinic in Tsybli village, Kyiv region. This social initiative underscored the collective responsibility of the fashion industry.

Unique locations

• Ivan Frolov and theater director Ivan Uryvsky arranged a secret show performance of the SS25 collection at the K41 club in Podil.
• The GUNIA Project brand opened the doors of the thousand-year-old architectural monument – the Golden Gate.
• the COAT by Katya Silchenko celebrated the brand’s tenth anniversary with a show in the square near the National Opera House.
• BOBKOVA presented the collection in the Metropolitan cellars of St. Sophia Cathedral.
• The J’AMEMME show took place on the 30th floor of a skyscraper with a view of the center of Kyiv.
• KSENIASCHNAIDER presented the collection in a street fashion show format near the Hotel Sofia.
• The sustainable fashion brand TG Botanical held a presentation in the halls of the National Museum of Taras Shevchenko.
• RUSLAN BAGINSKIY opened curated art space “Artisanal Journey” at The Naked Room gallery.
• VOZIANOV presented the performance “in apocalypse” in the courtyard of his studio on Lysenko Street.

Beyond the usual formats

The Ukrainian Fashion Week SS25 season is remembered for its unusual formats. For instance, within the NEW NAMES framework, the works of young Ukrainian designers were presented in the Open Shooting format.

LITKOVSKA presented a unique project that combined the past and the present in the symbolic “Harvest” (“Zhnyva”). The season, which began in Kyiv and will continue in Paris, embodies the harvest of the brand’s efforts for almost twenty years of history, rethinking the letter-writing traditions in a new light, as well as the brand’s DNA and its Kyiv-Paris dichotomy.

We are grateful to our partners for their creative cooperation.

PUMB presented the social project “Not Just Things: Clothes That Save Lives.” The lecture day of Ukrainian Fashion Week and School of Art x Craft was supported by the LENOVO brand. Perwoll held a lecture on “How not to lose style under the pressure of fast fashion.” MINI Fashion Drive: conceptual fashion on the roads of Ukraine presented the all-electric MINI Cooper and demonstrated the brand’s commitment to sustainability. Kronenbourg, a global partner of fashion weeks around the world, such as London Fashion Week, Copenhagen Fashion Week, and Ukrainian Fashion Week, designed uniforms for UFW volunteers.

Another new format has appeared in the program of Ukrainian Fashion Week SS25 – a trade show uniting 17 Ukrainian clothing and accessories brands this season.

Supporting the young generation

For the past 27 years, Ukrainian Fashion Week has been discovering and supporting young talents.

Iryna Adonina’s charity fund “United For Freedom” presented a grant of 50,000 hryvnias to a designer participating in the New Names project, the winner of which was a graduate of the School of Art x Craft, Solomiya Hrynkiv.

The Ukrainian shoe brand Kachorovska launched an award for young brands — participants of the Ukrainian Fashion Week. The first winner of the 100,000 hryvnias prize was the TONiA brand.

This season has convincingly demonstrated how fashion as a social phenomenon responds to the challenges of the times. The war changed our perception of life, and fashion became a tool to express courage, resilience, and belief in victory.

Ukrainian Fashion Week SS25 proved that even in the darkest times — fashion can change the world. It unites people, gives hope, supports culture, and helps Ukraine to be heard worldwide in another way. It wasn’t just a fashion week but a joint demonstration of the power of resistance.