The annual charity fashion show staged by the International Women’s Club of Kiev on April 24 attracted not only the contributions of Ukrainian designers but a French one as well.
Guests of the House of Fashion Development were treated to presentations by Ukrainians Liliya Putovit from the Rito fashion house, Lyudmyla Kislenko and a number of student designers. Kislenko’s haute‑couture collection of evening dresses went over well, featuring soft fabrics like silk and muslin combined with light, gauzy materials and plenty of bright colors, sparkles and beads.
Hats also made an appearance at the charity show, courtesy of a newcomer to the world of Ukrainian fashion, IWC member Florence Chardigny of France. She presented her collection of women’s hats and accessories – all handmade, all unique and all received with enthusiasm by the club members and guests in attendance. Working in Kyiv only since November, Chardigny said Ukraine played a big role in her designs.
“When I came to Ukraine and saw the elegance and femininity of Ukrainian women, I got inspired,” she said.
South Africa celebrates
It may not be common know‑ledge, but Ukraine played a part in ending apartheid in South Africa. So said Ambassador Delarey van Tonder at a reception marking South African Freedom Day on April 26.
“During the struggle against apartheid many South African students, including members of the current leadership, studied in Ukraine,” he said, “and Ukraine also played a constructive role in issues of health and agriculture.”
Freedom Day marked the eighth anniversary of the end of apartheid, and the ambassador hosted a reception at his Kyiv residence in celebration. Diplomats, business people and artists mingled in a hall decked out with African art and exotic flowers, enjoying a South African banquet and fresh fruit cocktails
Ukrainian couturier Oleksandr Hapchuk also played a part in the festivities, presenting his “Mama Africa” collection. Inspired by his travels in South Africa, the collection featured a mixture of ethnic themes and modern designs. And the reigning Miss Ukraine, Oleksandra Nikolayenko, modeled Hapchuk’s piece de resistance: a flowing winged dress he said reminded him of the view from South Africa’s Cape Agulhas, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet.
Mad Heads step up
Kyiv‑based rockabilly trio Mad Heads staged one of their biggest concerts to date on April 27, giving fans a generous helping of music from their latest CD, “Naked Flame.” Moreover the choice of venue gave guests a look at the new Step By Step nightspot at 14 Khreshchatyk – which, while it won’t win any awards for krutoy club name – proved to be an easy‑going, refreshingly non‑flashy place. Tucked in behind Mak Smak pizzeria, the club is spacious on the inside, the entrance opening onto a billiard room, followed by a lounge and dance floor, with the concert hall proper set off to one side. And though Mad Head singer/guitarist Vadym Krasnuky said the echo in the high‑ceilinged hall made him feel that at times he was “playing inside a church,” the hundreds of guests on hand didn’t seem to mind. Rather they picked up on the energy produced by Krasnuky, his brother, Maksym, on double bass and drummer Bohdan Ocheretyany and their fast‑paced style of rockabilly. Krasnuky said “Naked Flame” represents a departure from the band’s first two albums, rendered in English, with new songs sung in Russian and Ukrainian as well. That’s made for a progressive spin on what Krasnuky describes as Mad Heads “pshye‑billy” (psychedelic rockabilly) style of music.
