Vegan Fashion Week and Ukrainian Fashion Week join forces

With Vegan Fashion Week (VFW) and Ukrainian Fashion Week (UFW), two fashion weeks have joined forces to unite their global audience and amplify their message, which this year is all about the importance of compassion as a key pillar of global peace. It also aims to strengthen interpersonal relationships and highlight the connections between people, biodiversity and the urgent need to stop the negative impact on the planet.

A collective runway will showcase the best of Ukrainian and vegan fashion, featuring the creations of 30 designers and brands, among them Chereshnivska, Dzhus, Gorohova, Ochis, Oversized, RCR Khomenko, Roussin and Sheezen from Ukraine. There will also be a showroom of designers who create sustainable fashion and beauty products. The event will take place from 10th to 12th October at the newly renovated California Market Center in downtown Los Angeles.

“For 25 years, we have worked hard to become the unifying force of the fashion industry and its most influential player. In 1997 designers received a call from the Ukrainian Fashion Week to unite in the industry, and today UFW is developing in key areas – sustainability, digitalization, inclusion and diversity,” commented Iryna Danylevska, co-founder and CEO of Ukrainian Fashion Week, in a statement.

“Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, all of us are living in a state of incredible stress and survival that everyone feels in every corner of our country. However, Ukrainian designers found the strength during the war to create new collections to tell the whole world about Ukrainian resilience and courage, as well as to show Ukrainian national identity through fashion,” added Danylevska.

“As we continue to focus on the responsibility of our movement to incubate and strengthen the future of vegan fashion, we are incredibly humbled and proud to welcome Ukrainian Fashion Week as this year’s guest and take the opportunity to introduce their exceptional vision to our international audience. I look forward to activating our partnership and parallel dedication to celebrating creativity in meaningful design,” said Emmanuelle Rienda, Founder of Vegan Fashion Week.

Vegan Fashion Week debuted in 2019 and although it is not one of the big four fashion weeks, it has become a springboard for vegan fashion in recent years, sparking discussions around ethical and sustainable lifestyles and promoting emerging and established designers alike. It also pioneers collaboration between plant-based textiles, brands and industry leaders to end the use of animal-derived materials in the fashion industry.