London Fashion Week hosts Ukrainian Fashion Week event after festival cancelled due to Russian invasion

Three Ukrainian designers showcased their collections back to back at Ukrainian Fashion Week, hosted by Old Selfridges Hotel in London yesterday (February 21).

The autumn and winter 2023 collections of KseniaSchnaider, Paskal and Frolov stormed the runway to the applause of an audience that included British Fashion Council (BFC) CEO Caroline Rush.

On the fifth day of London Fashion Week, the BFC partnered with the designers after the annual Ukrainian Fashion Week had to be cancelled due to the Russian invasion.

As the lights went down and the catwalk illuminated, an audio message told attendees the designs they were about to see were made to the sounds of raid sirens. The message also announced: “These collections are and will continue to be a piece of history, symbolic of the resilience and courage of Ukraine and its people.”

Sitting in the front row were twin sisters Anna and Sonia Kuprienko, who form the pop duo Bloom Twins, along with other Ukrainian fashion and cultural figures.

The first collection to be shown was KseniaSchnaider, characterised by a variety of patchwork garments made using denim and ties.

The designers, married couple Ksenia and Anton Schnaider, founded their men’s and women’s ready-to-wear label in 2011 with a commitment to sustainability through reworking and upcycling.

Paskal was next up with butterflies appliquéd onto all her clothes.

In the context of the war, designer Julie Paskal called her collection “a metaphor of fragility, the beauty of life and death”.

Last to show was Frolov, by Ivan Frolov, a talent that has caught the attention of Beyoncé, Anna Wintour and Sam Smith.

Frolov put his heart on the catwalk – literally and figuratively.

His haute couture creations had heart cut outs worked into them or were accompanied by heart-shaped purses.

The show ended with the three designers walking down the runway together, holding a large Ukrainian flag to the audience’s cheers.