Ukrainians in the Fashion Industry Join Forces to Share Information, Resources, and More

To donate: CARE

Some who are close to the Ukrainian border are trying to help those who want to cross into another country. Consultant and founder of glove company Tender & Dangerous Luka Vynnychok, who was born in Ukraine and now lives in Poland, is bringing supplies, including medical materials and food, to points in Krakow. “We went to the refugee office because we had an Airbnb rented for our family, and they didn’t come because it was too long at the border,” says Vynnychok. “We wanted to give it to someone else in need.” Ukrainian model Tanya Ruban, who has lived in Barcelona for the past several months with her two children, is organizing drives at her children’s school to gather supplies, which will then be transported to the Ukrainian and Polish border for children and mothers who have crossed over. “I’ll start from one school, and hopefully others will join,” she says.

To donate: Doctors Without Borders

Thanks to the power of social media, anyone can share resources, fundraise, or offer a hopeful message. LVMH prize-nominated designer Anton Belinsky offered a message of peace with a picture of his hands in a peace sign as a plume of black smoke rose from a field next to his house. In London, Ukrainian founder Olya Kuryshchuk of 1Granary, an organization that promotes burgeoning talent, has been posting messages from Ukrainians around the world and directing the fashion community to charities, pro-bono legal services, or awareness posts for those attempting to leave Ukraine. Just today, she released a letter to the fashion industry titled “Fashion Unites Against War” asking for the community to use their platforms to raise awareness.

Others have used their platform to fundraise for specific charities. In New York, Ukraine-born Yelena Yemchuk has started an art sale to raise funds for a range of charities in her bio. (Buyers can choose which cause their proceeds go to). Designer Natalie Fedner of Los Angeles, who came to America over 30 years ago as a refugee from Kyiv, is fundraising for HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society).