"We will never destroy, but we will always create."
While bombs rain down on Kyiv, the second Ukrainian Fashion Week since the start of Russia’s war of aggression took place (February 14–17, 2025). We spoke with its founder and program director, Iryna Danylevska, about an unimaginable feat of strength, prosthetics on the runway, and camouflage nets for the front lines. We translated the interview into English using ChatGPT due to time constraints. We apologize for any resulting errors.
Nadya Dzyak (@nadyadzyak), a Ukrainian fashion designer who spends part of her time in Vienna, has made a name for herself with her experimental fashion. Her collections blend Ukrainian tradition with modern style—20 percent of the proceeds go directly to the Ukrainian army for medical supplies and food. At her latest collection showcase during Ukrainian Fashion Week in September 2024, female war veterans walked the runway in elegant prêt-à-porter dresses. War-wounded individuals with prosthetics also took part in Andreas Moskíns show. (@andreasmoskin_official)
Antje Mayer-Salvi, Elisa Promitzer: Was there a moment during the last Fashion Week that particularly moved you?
Iryna Danylevska: One of the most powerful moments was when war-wounded individuals with prosthetics walked down the runway in Andreas Moskin’s show—side by side with professional models. Or when female war veterans appeared in elegant prêt-à-porter dresses at the shows of Nadya Dzyak and Gasanova. These moments were more than fashion—they paid tribute to the courage and resilience of Ukrainians.
A provocative question to start: Isn't fashion secondary in times like these? What drives you to take on this immense challenge and organize Fashion Week for the second time amid daily air raid alarms?
Fashion can be much more than just a means of individual expression. Our designers are, in a way, performing an act of resistance – at a time that is the most difficult and challenging for us. Ukrainian Fashion Week is meant to show that we have not lost our courage. We are sending a signal to the world that we are not paralyzed by fear, that we remain creative, and that we still believe in a future. And yes, with this event, we want to urge the world to continue supporting us in the fight against Russian aggression!
Ukrainian designers are expressing the current situation in their collections in powerful and symbolic ways. Lilia Litkovska, who founded her eponymous label Litkovska (@litkovska_official) in 2009, drew inspiration from "Vesniankas," traditional Ukrainian spring songs, in her Spring&Summer 23 collection. She incorporated the poem "The Prayer of a Ukrainian Patriot" into her designs, a piece that became an anthem for Azov, the defenders of Mariupol. The poem is seen as a reminder and symbol of the pain her country is enduring, especially since the start of the war instigated by Russia, but also as a testament to hope.
Are Ukrainian designers using the runway as a platform for these appeals?
During London Fashion Week in September 2024, soldiers signed flags draped over the shoulders of Ukrainian designers Ksenia Schnaider, Nadya Dzyak, and Olena Reva at the finale of their show. Lilia Litkovska held up a handwritten sign that read “HELP MARIUPOL” during her show. Fashion and culture hold more power in times of war than many might think. These are messages that spread across social media and truly make an impact, in my opinion.
During London Fashion Week, the Ukrainian designers presented this message, written by Iryna Danylevska and Lisa Ushcheka (Head of International Communications Department)to the audience:
"We strive to create. Creating collections is our resistance to war. Today, more than ever, we need creativity for life. This fashion show on the London Fashion Week runway is our manifestation of will. This is the fulfillment of our strength and resilience. This is a reflection of the courage of all Ukrainians. To create despite everything. Despite working in the most unstable and difficult conditions, under the sounds of air sirens... Together with our teams, we continue to work on the collections. We know that all of this is for the sake of our common peaceful future. We will never destroy, but we will always create."
Have you faced criticism for holding Fashion Week? While people are dying at the front, models are walking down the runway in Kyiv.
Every show begins with a moment of silence for the fallen. This Fashion Week is not an act of distraction—it is an act of resistance. Our designers and their teams experience the war just like every other Ukrainian. They, too, must seek shelter when the air raid sirens sound. They, too, have family members, friends, and loved ones at the front. Even in Lviv or Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine—far from the Russian border—no one feels safe. Russia deliberately targets civilian infrastructure. We are all under threat. Many fashion brands continue to produce despite the war—in Sumy, Odesa, Dnipro, and Kharkiv. They provide jobs, pay taxes, and support the army.
How did you experience the first days of the Russian invasion?
It was simply unimaginable, seeing such horror become our reality. Just weeks before February 24, we had celebrated our 50th fashion season and were preparing to mark the 25th anniversary of Ukrainian Fashion Week in the fall of 2022 with major events and projects. And then, suddenly, I was sitting in my room near Kyiv, staring at my screen and listening to explosions. From that day on, survival became the top priority—for me and for all of us.
Was the production of military clothing more of a symbolic act, or was it truly essential for the Ukrainian armed forces?
At the beginning, it was absolutely essential. So many volunteers joined the Ukrainian army that the need for military clothing and boots was enormous. A few months later, the situation stabilized, and the government took over procurement.
"Survive, withstand, preserve" – these words were written by Iryna Danylevska on Facebook almost immediately after the start of the large-scale invasion. Just a few weeks before February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian Fashion Week celebrated its 50th season and announced plans to mark its 25th anniversary in the fall with groundbreaking projects. She wrote: "And now I sat in front of the monitor in my room near Kyiv, listening to explosions. Back then, physical survival was the most important task. Survive – and help."
What is the idea behind your project "Functional Clothing"?
The war has forced us to face a new reality. We live in a country where inclusion is no longer just a buzzword – it has become a necessity, also for younger generations. “Functional Clothing” is a new program within Fashion Week that includes panel discussions and lectures. Its aim is to raise awareness within the fashion industry about the growing number of people in Ukraine – both military personnel and civilians – who have suffered war-related injuries, wear prosthetics, or have mobility impairments. Our goal is to ensure that clothing is not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing and that brands begin incorporating these new needs into their collections.
How did you make that happen?
Ukrainian Fashion Week responded with the “Support Ukrainian Fashion” initiative, which helped Ukrainian labels enter new markets. For four seasons, Fashion Week took place on international runways before finally returning home. We organized 30 international events and enabled 69 designers to participate in 11 Fashion Weeks across Europe and the U.S., including London, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Los Angeles, Lisbon, and Budapest.
What does fashion mean to you in three words?
Courage. Creativity. Authenticity.
And what comes to mind when you think of your homeland?
Freedom, resistance, and a future!
We wish you peace soon. Thank you for the conversation.
In September 2024, the Ukrainian Fashion Week (@ukrainianfashionweek_offical) returned to Kyiv for the first time since the war began. IRYNA DANYLEVSKA (*1964) co-founded this event in 1997 as the first prêt-à-porter event in Eastern Europe.
