As Euro 2012 European football championship draws to an end, it seems the tournament could leave a lasting impression on Ukrainians’ everyday routine, including national cuisine, tourism services and even fashion.
Kyiv designer Alyona Poklonska has started her own
Euro 2012 line of clothes for female football fans. The collection was
presented at the annual ethnic-music festival the Land Of Dreams (Kraina Mriy)
that took place in Kyiv on June 22-23. It took her only three days to conceive the
idea and prepare the collection.
“I got a couple of tickets for Euro 2012 matches and
when going to the stadium I thought I wanted to look different, not like
everybody else,” Poklonska says. Back then, during Ukraine’s first match
against Sweden, she made herself a long yellow skirt and blue embroidered
T-shirt, her hair was decorated with a wreath and her hands with
blue-and-yellow bracelets.
Such a look attracted a lot of attention, in particular
from men of different nationalities. “I highly recommend
this for both those who want to make friends with foreigners and those who just
want to look different,” Poklonska says. “Men just go crazy. They take
pictures, joke, say compliments and even try to hit on you.”
There are over a dozen flag-color skirts and T-shirts
in Poklonska’s collection. You can easily turn into Spanish, German or Italian
fan for the Euro 2012 final on July 1, or still be faithful to Ukraine’s
national team.
Poklonska herself, a long-term football fan, is going
to cheer for Italy against Germany on June 28. “Last time I had Italian-flag
sandals and they did win. I hope this time my whole Italian look will help,”
Poklonska laughs.
