Fashion as cultural diplomacy: Ukrainian Fashion Week FW 25/26

How does one find beauty – and focus on it – amidst suffering? This is the question Ukrainian Fashion Week once again sought to answer. For the second time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the onset of the war in 2022, the event returned to Kyiv after it made its first comeback as a fashionable beacon of hope in September. Hope remains a central theme for the organisers of Ukrainian Fashion Week, as well as the 40 designers presenting their autumn/winter 2025 collections under the theme ‘Hope for the Future’.

For many designers in Ukraine, hope now takes the form of resilience and solidarity, particularly towards those still fighting on the frontlines for their country. Fashion, often dismissed as superficial, has been experimenting with the concept of adaptive clothing for some time – but in Kyiv, it has taken on a new significance.

Fashionable Solidarity with the Frontlines

This season saw the introduction of the ‘Clothing with a Function’ programme, which aims not only to include but actively integrate people with special needs – whether due to injuries to the hands, eyes, or legs, or the use of prosthetics and mobility aids – into the fashion world.

One designer who brought adaptive fashion to the runway – without making it the sole focus of his collection – was Andreas Moskin. His Autumn/Winter 2025 collection was heavily inspired by Ukraine’s cultural elite of the 1920s and 1930s, as well as the avant-garde novels of the experimental author Mike Johansen.

Within the collection, which prominently featured heavy tweeds, cashmere, and wool, this concept was expressed through elongated jackets with belts – reminiscent of workwear – and deconstructed suits with unexpected details, such as patch pockets. To make the designs adaptive, functional elements were integrated, such as removable sleeves with invisible zippers or trousers with zips along the inner side seams, allowing for the quick dressing and undressing of a prosthetic.

“The asymmetrical arrangement of the seams on the front of the jacket reminds of mutilation and destruction”, said brand founders Andrew Moskin and Andreas Bilous in a statement. “Actually, in this collection we tried to reflect the stages of the formation of our cultural elite, from black and red images, which refer to the times of censorship and wars, to light and open images, symbolizing the era of independence.”

Adaptive fashion for prosthetic users was not the only sign of a change at Ukrainian Fashion Week. The charity initiative “Faces of Heroes,” which supports people with facial injuries, was also introduced this season. This initiative gives designers the opportunity to directly contribute to the treatment and rehabilitation of affected individuals.

Preserving Identity and Supporting Young Voices

The impact of the war was not only felt in new initiatives and visual representations – it permeates the entire event. The Fashion Week took place just days after the announcement of the controversial plans involving Ukraine by US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, in which neither President Zelensky nor European officials were involved.

Nonetheless, Iryna Danylevska, founder and CEO of Ukrainian Fashion Week, remains resolute, emphasising the importance of fashion in these critical times: “For us, fashion is not just creativity; it has become a tool to protect our freedom, identity, and future.”

A piece of this cultural identity was also conveyed by Ivan Frolov, founder and creative director of Frolov. His collection ‘Dirty as an Angel’ initially appeared to be a homage to the emo and goth aesthetics of the early 2000s. However, it carried a deeper meaning. The show, staged as a rock concert, placed Ukrainian music at the forefront and focused on "freedom in every form it took at the time," as the designer explained in his show notes.

Visually, Frolov – one of the country’s most renowned designers, having outfitted stars like Sabrina Carpenter and Beyoncé – translated his youthful rock'n'roll fantasies into studded belts adorned with Swarovski crystals, elongated corset silhouettes, and his signature heart-shaped cut-outs in unexpected places.

Frolov has already gained international recognition. However, for many other designers, their careers are just beginning. Ukrainian Fashion Week is aware of this responsibility and is addressing it head-on.

“Many worldwide renowned Ukrainian fashion brands began their journey on the Ukrainian Fashion Week runway”, said Danylevska. “During these challenging times of full-scale war, we recognise how vital it is to support the younger generation of Ukrainian designers — the future of our fashion industry. Our nation is full of talent, and for 27 years, we have been working to ensure their voices are heard on the global stage.”

To specifically foster this new talent, the NewGen Lab platform was created – a stage for young designers who wish to qualify for the main runway of the Fashion Week. One of the labels debuting within NewGen Lab was Apsara. Founded by Yulia Psaryova, this "conceptual slow-fashion brand" seeks to reinterpret existing garments. Its designs are created using a rare, traditional technique – crochet with a fork – and are entirely handmade.

The brands motif for Autumn/Winter 2025/26 was Transformation – a process the designer describes as growth, adaptation, and development, but also, in a literal sense, as a change in form. This metamorphosis was reflected in recycled objects that were brought to new life, as well as in the transformation of a bridal-inspired look, with traditional white being replaced by a deep red.

Red, albeit a deeper burgundy tone, was also the central theme in the collection of Lviv-based label C.Icon. The brand began experimenting with down-filled garments in 2017 and has since moved away from the traditional perception of down jackets as merely sportswear or casual wear, integrating them into classic, playful, and experimental looks. In Kyiv, the brand showcased a collection that included quilted jackets, long coats, and a combination of an anorak and skirt, all in the aforementioned dark burgundy tone.

Fashion may seem insignificant in times of global crisis, yet Violett Fedorova, website editor-in-chief of Vogue Ukraine, underscores the power of fashion as a universal language: “With the beginning of the war in Ukraine, I realized even more that fashion is a powerful tool with which you can speak with a world. It does not need translation and can be understood by everyone. It is also part of cultural diplomacy, and local fashion weeks help accumulate young talents, demonstrate them, manifest and develop them.”