Ukrainian Designers Honored At LA Fashion Week
The LA Fashion community showed out on Friday night to honor eight Ukrainian designers displaying work in Art Hearts Fashion’s 2024 LA Fashion Week shows. The event, held at The New Mart in Downtown LA, partnered with the Ukrainian Fashion Forward initiative from Startup Ukraine to showcase Ukrainian designers. The initiative aims to train and mentor designers to market Ukrainian brands in the US.
Ukrainians are not just fighters, we are also creators.
Anna Petrova, founder of Startup Ukraine
Friday’s event was the second of three from Art Hearts Fashion, a platform founded in 2010 to produce events for up-and-coming designers in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. The show opened with remarks from Anna Petrova, founder of Startup Ukraine, who expressed gratitude for the designers and reminded attendees that the country is so much more than their war effort, saying “Thank you so much [for] supporting us. That’s why we can do this together…not just because of fashion, it’s all about [the] mission to say that Ukrainians are not just fighters, but we are also creators and we want to be a part of the global community.” A representative from event partner Global LA extended a welcome from Mayor Karen Bass and affirmed that Los Angeles stands in solidarity with Ukraine.
The runways kicked off with lines from RDNT, Total White, and OVERTHESEA which featured resort wear and water-inspired summer looks. Eco-conscious brand RDNT, based in Kyiv, showed athleisure with bold cutouts and light-up accessories made from recycled plastics. Total White, also based in Kyiv, stayed close to their roots as a bridal house with a collection of chic, structured and, yes, all white looks. OVERTHESEA took a more bohemian approach with soft, romantic chiffon designs in elegant neutrals.
The second block of the evening featured bold, sleek designs from ROÁR, L’eskizzo, and Vivons. ROÁR presented high cut swimwear and sheer overlays with sparkling silver accents. L’eskizzo, known for structured basics, delivered a line of workwear and menswear-inspired pieces with a tendency toward long lines and sharp angles. Vivons, founded in Odesa in 2019, showed a mix of workwear and casual designs featuring Ukrainian-inspired embroidery and red flower accents.
Friday’s show closed with 2KOLYORY, Must Have, and the only non-Ukrainian designer of the night, M. Julcahuanca. 2KOLYORY aims to preserve Ukrainian culture with modern embroidered pieces and silhouettes resembling the country’s traditional costume. Must Have opted for simple, well-tailored basics and workwear. M. Julcahuanca, a Peruvian designer, ended the night with a line of splashy, glittering formal wear which featured hoods, feather accents, and eye-catching draping.