A day in the life of a patriotic cosmopolitan

Lilia Pustovit calls herself a deeply patriotic cosmopolitan. There is a great inner harmony hidden behind this paradoxical word-combination. The Ukrainian and global worlds are intertwined both in her atelier and collections. The formula “a deeply patriotic cosmopolitan,” as openness to the world, the ability to sense the most progressive tendencies, and at the same time love and respect everything national, aptly expresses that very standpoint which, under the present circumstances (or any other, for that matter) would be the best for our society. This standpoint is fully reflected not only in Pustovit’s works, but also in her manner of speaking.

Lilia, in your collections you do not merely use certain sources of inspiration. You are inspired by the environment you live in. Thus, in your spring/summer 2011 collection you have used the graphic works of the artist Pavlo Makov, your friend, some of whose paintings can be seen in your atelier. What is your present source of inspiration? What ideas surround you? What will influence your future collection?

“I have recently had a business meeting in Stockholm. I was lucky to have found time to visit the Swedish Royal Opera, to see the first night of Norma by the renowned Italian 19th century composer Vincenzo Bellini. There I saw some fantastic scenography.

“The first thing that struck me was the combination of colors: the turquoise scenery and the main heroine’s bright red dress in the final scene. I instantly felt an urge to use this combination in my collection: the dark, deep coral red and various shades of green.

“All in all, speaking of inspiration and how it is implemented in concrete collections, normally, when I have a certain idea, I look for plots which are woven around this idea. If the plot appears, I use it, if not, it has to wait till its time comes, somewhere in the background.

“In this case, the plot inspired by Norma proved to be very timely.”

You described yourself as a “deeply patriotic cosmopolitan.” A paradoxical combination, but it must be very appropriate for a modern Ukrainian. Which current events in the Ukrainian world inspire you? After all, you were the first Ukrainian designer to thoroughly explore and interpret the Ukrainian theme in your work.

“At present, they are the upcoming holidays. St. Nicholas’ Day, Christmas, and Malanka [St. Melany’s Day, a traditional Ukrainian carnival. – Ed.] They are so beautiful, so inspiring!

“Generally speaking, although I can very rarely attend the opening of exhibits in Pavlo Gudimov’s gallery, I am inspired by everything he does, and also by the painters he works with, in particular, Volodymyr Stetskovych and Oleh Hryshchenko.

“I recently saw the band Okean Elzy in concert and understood that they were inspiring me, too. Although I had often seen and heard Slavko Vakarchuk perform, and I have known him since 1996, when he was a budding musician from Lviv (by the way, we met in Paris). I would even put it like this: when I hear Okean Elzy, I want to be a good Ukrainian even more. Just like when I come to meet intelligent Ukrainians who are able to adequately appreciate my work, and Ukrainian fashion in general, and our artists, and everything going on in this country. Then you feel as if you were more important...”

By the way, speaking of being important... You once said that Gucci fashion house had created patterns similar to those that can be seen in Hutsul pysankas. The level of the interpretation of the Ukrainian theme can be both low and sublime. Where can one see and hear the “Ukrianian sublime?” What would you recommend to The Day’s readers?

“In music it’s Valentyn Sylvestrov, and of course, Myroslav Skoryk; there is the European violinist of Ukrainian descent Maksym Berezovsky (his profile decorates the facade of the Music Academy in Bologna, but he is totally unknown in Ukraine). Dmytro Tkachenko, who has a European education, and now has contracts all over the world. His concerts are scheduled a year ahead; he always includes the works of Ukrainian composers in his programs, among them some very complicated modern works which are hardly ever performed by anyone. That is how Tkachenko spreads their art.

“There is a string of names in the modern fine arts, in particular, the unbelievable colors of Oleksandr Bohomazov and Oleksa. I would also like to mention Anatolii Haidamaka here: his Ukrainian roots can be felt in all his works.

“I cannot but mention Ivan Malkovych. My Russian friends from Moscow buy the books printed by his publishing house, A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA — they find it important to give their children a quality education. Another good thing is that my office is next to the Lavra. When I receive guests from abroad, I have a wonderful opportunity to show them the ‘Ukrainian sublime.’”

While it is more difficult to determine the general level of culture in society, style is more obvious, as a rule. Once you said that your friends from abroad defined the style, common in the Ukraine of the 1990s, as “Slavo vamp.” What has changed since then? And have Ukrainian designers somehow influenced this process?

“Hardly ever. Rather the arrival of boutiques which, besides Roberto Cavalli and Gucci, also brought such brands to Ukraine as Bottega Veneta, Marni, and Prada. Thus, they changed both our perception of fashion and our attitude to it. This is very important for the style which is being shaped in the depth of society. It is much more important than that example of style, a far cry from the best, demonstrated by our pseudo pop- and TV-stars. Thus we can say that a new image of Ukrainian woman has come into being.”

What else takes part in the shaping of the typically Ukrainian style?

“Of course it is not TV and the Internet alone. Thanks God, Ukrainians started traveling abroad. The opportunity to see the world is particularly telling on those who are still capable of changing, that is young people or children. The young who have always traveled abroad since they turned five, form a totally different style, and not only in their environment, but in society as a whole.

“Besides, children who have to study or live abroad for a long time, come home very patriotically-minded. They have a better idea of self-identification as Ukrainians and of what makes us special and different from the rest of the world; they have to send messages to this world about our country and what they are proud of: our heroes, language, and culture. Conversely, most of the young people who, sadly, have no opportunity to see the world (like those in the Crimea, who only can meet the wealthy Russian Siberians), have a completely different world outlook, values, and guidelines.”

When abroad, we can also tell that Ukrainians (as you will maintain) have always been conscious of what they wear...

“Yes, that’s true. Suffice it to take just a look at our national costumes. For Ukrainians, apparel, and their appearance in general, have always been very important. Of course, in each region this had its particular manifestations. For example, Galicia has always been known for its distinctive style. Austro-Hungary might have left its impact, but even today, Galicia has its peculiar perception of fashion. One might say that Galician style is a provincial interpretation of the French bourgeois style.

“You can see that Ukrainians have always been fashion-conscious if you compare our traditional costumes to the Swedish ones. Ukrainians liked to not just wear clothes, but dress up and adorn themselves... But with a lack of adequate upbringing, inner culture, and good taste in the 1990s, this desire was transformed into the wild, aggressive, and brutal style of the street girl, a good match to a ‘tough guy.’

“Those horrible years are in the past now, although you can see their repercussions in our night clubs and high society events. That is why I am convinced that fashion in Ukraine has very good prospects — but only if there is relevant financial support and adequate infrastructure. Fashion involves long-term investments. Unfortunately, we cannot expect the state to provide them.

“However, British fashion develops thanks to state support, in particular, the promoting of young talented designers. The same can be said of Belgian, Dutch, or Scandinavian fashion. It doesn’t matter if you are Belgian or Japanese. If a young designer studies in that country, or has registered their brand there, they receive support from the state. Thus, the state invests in the fashion industry.

“Meanwhile, we even don’t have such precedents. Yet, although all these complaints about the absence of state support are certainly justified, we should actually begin with a lack of faith. Ukrainians (the cream of society included) still believe that Turkish or Italian means better than Ukrainian. Therefore the priority is not even in investment, it is in changing the mentality.”

You have a very busy schedule, a dynamic lifestyle, and a wide range of interests. How do you manage to preserve your harmonious and integral personality?

“Thanks to meditation. I practice sahadja yoga. Daily exercises, 10 minutes at least, help me concentrate on the main things, feel the joy of being, relish every minute, and see the beauty of nature and of artists. Meditation has taught me to take hard moments in life as an opportunity to learn and gain experience. It helps me get rid of unnecessary thoughts, negativity, and I need a lot less rest than I used to. Of course, I realize that I have to work a lot on myself, and there is a long way to go, but it does not put me off — on the contrary, it strengthens and inspires me.”