LVIV, Ukraine – Lviv’s seventh annual fashion week kicked off on March 28 with two memorable statements made by its guest of honor, Donald Potard, founder and former president of the Jean-Paul Gaultier Group: “Fashion can be very, very, very boring sometimes,” and “Fashion takes time to develop.”
Speaking to journalists on the eve of the show, Potard said he jumped at the chance to see what Ukraine’s fashion world had to offer when he received the invitation to attend the Lviv show.
“Ukraine is known in France for their women,” he said. “Now we want to see the creativity that is behind the beauty.”
Lviv’s fashion week is expected to draw 12,000 guests and will highlight the creations of such designers as Christophe Guillarme, Roksolana Bogutska, Ksenia Serbin, Golda Vynogradska, Zinaida Likhachova, Oksana Mukha and KAMENSKAYAKONONOVA.
This year’s show also has some special surprises in store. It is the first year haute couture will be displayed on the runway as renowned designer Christophe Josse shows his collection. And, in an effort to promote young designers, on March 30 organizers kicked off a showing of designs dedicated to the Euro 2012 soccer championship. Twelve finalists from Ukraine and Poland, where the championship will be held, have been selected to show clothing dedicated to football. The winner will receive an Hr 10,000 award.
Potard, who is highly regarded in the fashion world and now runs his own consulting company, Agent de Luxe SARL, said fashion itself is changing. It is no longer about the length of a hem, but about “lifestyle.” Increasingly, people are looking to fashion as a means of expression, whether it be through clothing, perfume, glasses or the places they live.
“Fashion is not what is interesting. What is the most interesting is creation and how people change the world,” said Potard. “I love to work with designers that change the world.”
The world’s fashion capitals still remain Paris, London, New York and Milan and designers still need to show there if they want to be internationally recognized, he said.
Increasingly, however, people like Potard are looking internationally for new talent and ideas. For instance, Potard said he recently returned from Tbilisi, Georgia and found three designers he hopes to promote internationally. One of them is 16 years old.
Because Potard won’t be able to stay for the entire week – business in Paris beckons – he will get a special showing of some collections to be displayed during Lviv’s fashion week.
The full schedule of events, locations and designer showings can be accessed at www.lvivfashionweek.com/en.
Kyiv Post staff writer Natalia A. Feduschak can be reached at [email protected].
