This year’s venue of the competition was the European Town Platform near the People’s Friendship Arch. According to the results of the previous stage of competition, collections created by 18 young designers from nine cities of Ukraine were selected for the semifinal.
Geometry of figures, nature, the city with its uncontrollable movement, balance between the reality and virtuality, merging of the traditions of the past and the future, synthesis of European and Ukrainian things, as well as human feelings and harsh urbanization were the source of inspiration for the newly-fledged designers. Ukrainian ethnic motifs were another trend of the show. Pastel with specks of bright and dark colors prevailed.
The head of the competition’s jury and chairperson of the expert committee of the Ukrainian Fashion Council, Lilia Pustovit noted that she cannot see any dramatic progress with each competition. But according to her, every competition shows at least five good designers, and even if they don’t win, the competition is a good opportunity for them to make themselves known. “For many designers this is a first-time experience: they learn to create things not only for themselves, but for the broad audience, in particular, they can see the reaction of people to their work,” Ms. Pustovit said.
All the participants of the competition received finalist diplomas, a traditional award. The winners of the third and second places received exclusively professional prizes. The main award, the competition’s grand prix was shared between two designers: Khrystyna Rachytska from Lviv and Olena Fersman from Kyiv. The Lvivite showed her collection “Women of My Family,” where she applied the original embroidery of Podil of the 19th century. The Kyivite, as a megalopolis’s resident, could not avoid the influence of urbanization: her collection “All Road Lines Lead to the Future” intended to evoke an association with unstoppable movement.
The girls are going to conquer the Ukrainian Fashion Week in different ways. “I am going to work with ethnic style in the future,” Khrystyna says. In her opinion, Ukrainian national culture is an inexhaustible source of creative work. “A lifetime won’t be enough to recreate the Ukrainian culture,” the winner added. Her colleague Olena plans to merge two directions: industrial-production and fashion. The girl plans to master the fundamentals of theater for more effective direction of the show.
