Spring Fashion Podium Without Byzov
Ukraine’s eighth Pret-a-Porter Week featuring fourteen Ukrainian designers with their Spring- Summer 2001 collection, will traditionally take place as Seasons at the Lavra Gallery, March 2-8, but without Liliya Poustovit, who has chosen the Shelter Club for her show.
For obvious reasons information about what exactly the designers will show is scarce, and the best we can do is recall what they did between the seasons. Of course, they worked hard and some of the results are obvious even now.
Oleksiy Zalevsky went into making videos, acting as director and stylist together with pop singer Kostiantyn Marchenkov.
The less flamboyant designers Inna Korchak and Alla Prokopchuk, better known as the Cortege Group, are in the process of opening the New Cortege Fashion Studio cultivating an individual approach to every style.
Hromova Design is negotiating a deal with buyers to set up an industrial collection for sales across Ukraine.
Roksolana Bohutska is to soon open her own salon selling clothes in Kyiv. The project became possible after she expanded her production base, opening four new workshops.
NB Poustovit remains stable, much to contenders’ envy. Liliya Poustovit’s collections have been displayed during Russia’s ready-to- wear week for the third year running and her garments sell quite well in Kyiv and Moscow boutiques.
Oleksandr Moniak and Odesa’s Shustov Fashion House have decided to expand their range, adding shoes to this year’s Seasons collection. Jointly with the Volstan Salon, Oleksandr Moniak has used vinyl, leather, furs, and other fashion materials. Shustov designed the shoe collection in association with Kyiv’s Andriy Diachenko.
So much then for the most conspicuous attainments. Of course, it can transpire that there have been others. Thus, Kyivstar JSM, one of the Seasons’ sponsors, decided to have the staff of all its information centers wear a corporate uniform. The tender will be held among the Ukrainian designers starring in the Pret-a-Porter Week (the project is quite attractive financially, considering that over 400 garments will be on display, as well as creatively). The successful bidder will be announced at the Seasons and perhaps a contract will also be signed there. Very likely all domestic designers will be interested. Actually, the impression is that most prefer to enjoy complete creative freedom, content with a narrow clientele and not burdening themselves with production. This must have its advantages, although sooner or later their business will turn into a hobby for the chosen few, having no effect on the Ukrainian fashion industry (despite all the efforts of the Seasons’ organizers: Yeva, Serhiy Byzov Fashion House, and the Yanko Co.).
Finally, when the Seasons start we will not see a new collection from Serhiy Byzov, one of the fete’s founding fathers and invariable participants. This is very unusual, even strange, considering his last year’s Cocktail collection featuring 2001 spring-summer designs. Later, he augmented it and sent it to Italy (he admits that this was anything but easy) where it interested important people and ended at a tony (Serhiy prefers the adjective conceptual) store in Milan. Indeed, for a Ukrainian designer accessing one of the world’s fashion capital is an accomplishment verging on the fantastic, especially considering that his garments are not just displayed but also sold (in fact, Byzov has received additional commissions for some of his designs). He makes no secret that his next collection will also be oriented toward the Italian market. And the Seasons? He is not quitting, of course, and he will show his new collection, but on April 21, at a young fashion designers’ contest held within the Seasons framework (he will head the jury). It appears that Mr. Byzov is getting to be a real maestro and enjoying it. And what the Seasons will offer remains to be seen.
