Litkovska spring 2023Photo: Courtesy of Yaroslav Bugaev
This past Tuesday, five Ukrainian designers, Frolov, Litkovska, Bobkova, Kovalska, and Gudu, had the opportunity to showcase their spring 2023 collections during New York Fashion Week at the Mastercard Tech Hub in Flatiron. The day after, the group was also celebrated at Donna Karan’s Urban Zen space in the West Village. “It’s very important to show solidarity with other creators in other regions of the world, particularly with Ukrainian designers right now to show what is happening,” said Keanan Duffty, the Director of Fashion Programs at the Parsons School of Design. “We want our friends in Kyiv to know that we have a symbiotic relationship and connection with them.” International support for Ukrainian designers has poured in since Russia invaded Ukraine this past February, a war that has uprooted millions of lives, including the people behind these labels.
One name to note was Ivan Frolov, whose label Frolov is based in Kyiv. The designer, known for his custom eveningwear, has remained in Kyiv since the invasion, and he and his team shifted from designing clothes to producing bulletproof vests for Ukrainian volunteers. Later, when he was able to resume production, he received donated deadstock fabrics from French houses, including a black mini dress made out of sparkly black sequins. “We worked on this collection through air alarms,” he says.
