Behind the Scenes

Getting ready for the upcoming Ukrainian Fashion Week SS25, which will take place in Kyiv from September 1 to 4, the UFW team reached out to the participating brands with a question: How is your brand coping with the full-scale invasion? Olena Vorozhbyt and Tetiana Zemskova, the designer duo behind Vorozhbyt&Zemskova, shared their thoughts and future plans with the editors.

The start of a full-scale war was a shock for us, as well as for all Ukrainians. For the first three days, we were stunned, sitting in front of the TV, unable to believe our eyes. Eventually, we snapped out of it and realized we should help those in need. Our driver, who joined the local territorial defense, was the first to reach out. At that time, the men lacked warm clothing as the beginning of spring was cold.

Our production team started sewing balaclavas from high-quality Italian knit. We gave some to the driver and distributed the rest at checkpoints. It was fairly easy for us because in the previous collections of the Vorozhbyt&Zemskova brand, there once were women’s balaclavas (collection AW/23).

Thanks to suppliers who provided us with materials, we could shift to producing such equipment as plate carriers and unloading vests according to NATO standards. We are grateful to all the employees who worked without payment in the first days and even brought their family members to help. All this significantly improved the speed and quality of our production processes.

Even in the midst of severe material shortages, it has been difficult to accept that the fabric color could not always match the thread color. We learned to regard such conditions as “designer decisions,” as everyone understood that it’s better to use reinforced threads than not to sew at all.

When the country’s production of military equipment expanded, we returned to our calling of creating collections of women’s clothing. Inspired by events in peaceful cities, we designed a collection of jackets and sweatshirts with reflective elements, aptly named “Blackout.”

Under the motto “we won’t give up,” our team members dedicated themselves to work and created a seasonal collection. We continue operating and are planning our third trip for the Fashion Week in Vienna. But before that, at the beginning of autumn, we will present the collection as part of the beloved Ukrainian Fashion Week.