Russia’s war against Ukraine is also altering the nation’s fashion. As people become more patriotic, they want to wear symbols of that feeling. Designers offer a wide choice. Pro-Ukraine patterns are being printed on T-shirts, sweatshirts and even socks. Some of these emblems are funny; others have a serious, deeper meaning connected with Ukrainian roots. Here are six examples that the Kyiv Post has come across.
Shalena Mayka
Shalena Mayka design studio, founded by Dnipropetrovsk designer Maryna Grushko, makes T-shirts for biker clubs and music festivals, but now patriotism is in vogue. The Ukrainian trident and a heart with a Ukrainian flag in the background are the two bestsellers.
www.shalena-maika.ua / Hr 150-290
Guma
Guma produces mostly black clothes with trident patterns. That would be nothing unique on the market today, but Guma clothing are completely handmade. The name of the organization is the Ukrainian word for rubber, which is what the tridents on the T-shirts are made of.
+380938021584
Proskurovskaya showroom (26 Reytarska St.) / Hr 800
Newkraine
Newkraine studio designers aim high, their chief goal is to create a completely new product for people who truly love their homeland. All Newkraine T-shirts are themed with a patriotic idea. One of the main company’s authors, Kyiv designer, Illya Strongovsky became famous during EuroMaidan Revolution with his image of the Maidan Christmas tree decorated with revolutionary flags and posters. Strongosvskyi’s image of a pianist playing in front of riot police is another famous one offered on the clothes.
www.nukrein.ua / Hr 300-450
Braty Graphic Design
Ivan and Vasyl Kostenko’s T-shirt initiative started from making postcards. “One day we noticed that it is very difficult to find Ukrainian postcards in Ukraine,” they say. So they designed their own postcards and after spreading those on the Internet started getting request to print the patterns on clothes. Ukraine themed surrealistic images of the brothers gain more and more popularity. A T-shirt with printed picture of a woman with nimbus that is made of poppies and Carpathian Mountains on her skirt tops the sales so far.
www.facebook.com/5x23shop / Hr 330
Heyday
Heyday project was launched by Roman Zory, Andry Pavlikivsky, Serhiy Tsyupko, the three friends from Lviv and inspired by EuroMaidan Revolution. The T-shirts and sweatshirts with Ukrainian coat of arms are supposed to encourage young Ukrainians to spread the idea of love for their country. Unique prints and textile make these clothes a real brand.
www.facebook.com/heydaybrand / Hr 150-370
Hako
Internet shop Hako, founded in 2011 by Tetyana Tsykalenko and Evgeny Tytarenko, has been supplied by X’U brand with sweatshirts and T-shirts with a printed trident. This brand is a pioneer in representing clothes with the Ukrainian coat of arms. The main idea of Hako is to let customers buy goods which are made by Ukrainian designers but for the European Union market. Hako clothes are popular among Ukrainian celebrities. Ukrainian singer Vova Zi Lvova, the members of Ukrainian alternative band Boombox and even TV host Katya Osadcha have appeared in public wearing X’U.
www.hakoline.com / Hr 280-700
