A return to folk traditions has recently become a new trend in the Ukrainian fashion industry. Find out how modern brands are rethinking cultural heritage and preserving Ukrainian traditions in their collections

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BUY

The events of recent years have pushed Ukrainian brands to rethink ethnic themes and traditions. And today we can observe how the folk and cultural heritage of Ukraine is being reborn in modern collections of clothing and accessories. 

We are going to tell you about eco-friendly and responsible Ukrainian brands that organically integrate ethnic themes into the everyday image of Ukrainians, make traditions interesting for contemporaries and popularize Ukrainian culture in the global fashion industry.

We wrote more about Ukrainian designers who have achieved global recognition here.

ByMe

The founders of the Ukrainian brand byMe are a married couple whose main goal is to make Ukrainians fall in love with Ukrainian. Thus, in collaboration with the National Museum of Taras Shevchenko, Dmytro and Alina Serdiuk created the project "Who We Are". 

The collection includes T-shirts and scarves with paintings by the famous Ukrainian artist. The central painting of the project is a self-portrait of Taras Shevchenko, which was presented by the artist to Varvara Repnina. It is very symbolic that this is the only painting that does not have official permission to be used, as its owner left for moscow, where the self-portrait remained. According to the founders of the brand, they deliberately did not ask for permission to use the painting in their collection, because the aggressor country is not worthy of any requests. 

Photo from the byMe website 

In addition, the brand produces collections related to traveling around Ukraine, as well as plants and animals listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. A special place is occupied by the "I am Ukrainian" clothing capsule, which has made thousands of girls fall in love with it.

The brand's production facility, which is located near Chernihiv, suffered from russian aggression, but this did not stop Alina and Dmytro. They continue to make collections, help the army, and popularize Ukrainian culture, harmoniously incorporating traditions into the everyday image of Ukrainians.

SVARGA

The Svarga brand specializes in embroidery of ancient Ukrainian ornaments. It organically combines Ukrainian folk traditions with modern life, reminding Ukrainians of their origins and inner strength. The brand studies and researches authentic Ukrainian ornaments in different regions of Ukraine, and reproduces the embroidery that our ancestors considered to be amulets in modern clothing collections.

Photo from the Svarga website 

The 2022 collection "Embroidered Ukraine" was symbolic of the brand's goal to popularize the embroidery of the regions affected by the russian invasion. In addition, as a token of gratitude for the unprecedented support and assistance, the collection includes embroidery typical of Poland. Today, the brand continues to work on the collection, expanding the line with embroidery from other regions of Ukraine.

Svarga also cooperates with the Ivan Franko Literary and Memorial Museum in Lviv and reproduces embroideries from its collections in modern clothing.

We wrote more about Ukrainian writers who are read all over the world here.

CHICHKA

The Ukrainian brand Chichka specializes not only in clothing but also in accessories, jewelry, and traditional Ukrainian household items. The main goal of the brand is to popularize Hutsul identity. Almost the entire range of the brand's products is handmade and preserves ancient traditions. 

Photo from IG Chichka

In addition, the brand features traditional Kosiv painted ceramics, which were inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. All ceramics are made to order by craftsmen who carefully and carefully reproduce the ancient manufacturing technology and three-color ornamentation.

The brand also creates traditional Ukrainian beaded jewelry, various products made from wool of Carpathian sheep and scarves.

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ETNODIM

The Kyiv-based brand Ethnodim specializes in creating traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts. However, Ethnodim's collections are not just embroidered shirts; the brand reinterprets folk traditions and cultural heritage of Ukraine and creates modern clothes that harmoniously fit into everyday life while preserving the authenticity of the craft. 

The most famous work of the brand is the "Slovo" shirt, which was dedicated to the artists of the Executed Renaissance. Today, the embroidered shirt is kept in the archive of the Ivan Honchar Museum, which is an official confirmation of the cultural and historical value of the embroidered shirt.

Photo from the Etnodim website

In addition, Etnodim is actively involved in volunteer activities and supports Ukrainian soldiers.

GUNIA PROJECT

The brand creates exclusive handmade items based on the traditional folk crafts of Ukraine. Each collection of the brand is unique, as it combines a design approach with a thorough research of ethnography and ancient art.

The Gunia Project assortment includes both modernized traditional accessories and clothing, as well as household items with unique ornaments and patterns.

MEDECINE

Our selection is rounded off by a Polish brand that was inspired by Ukrainian traditions and created its own collection of clothes based on the mythical motifs of Ukrainian national artist Maria Prymachenko.

Photo from the Medecine website

Part of the proceeds from the sale of the collection will be donated to support Maria Prymachenko's residence.

Rethinking and representing folk traditions is a way to foster an even more conscious and independent nation. That is why we are proud of Ukrainian brands that popularize the historical and cultural heritage of Ukraine. 

We remind you! Every year brings new achievements for the cultural heritage of Ukraine. Prominent Ukrainian artists actively sell their works at international auctions such as Phillips and Sotheby's. They participate in the Venice Biennale, and their paintings can be seen in leading galleries in Europe. Read about popular Ukrainian artists whose works are known all over the world in our previous article.

Main photo: Bohdan Poshyvailo

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