Ukraine Designer Evokes the Pain of War at NY Fashion Show

The flag of Ukraine is projected on a wall at a showcase of designs by Svitlana Bevza in New York on September 13, 2002 Yuki IWAMURA AFP
The flag of Ukraine is projected on a wall at a showcase of designs by Svitlana Bevza in New York on September 13, 2002 Yuki IWAMURA AFP
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Ukraine Designer Evokes the Pain of War at NY Fashion Show

The flag of Ukraine is projected on a wall at a showcase of designs by Svitlana Bevza in New York on September 13, 2002 Yuki IWAMURA AFP
The flag of Ukraine is projected on a wall at a showcase of designs by Svitlana Bevza in New York on September 13, 2002 Yuki IWAMURA AFP

Fashion shows rarely begin with a moment of silence, but that is what Ukrainian designer Svitlana Bevza did Tuesday night for her country to decry the Russian invasion.

She went on to present a collection rich in patriotic symbols.

Bevza is an old hand at New York's Fashion Week, where she has appeared since 2017. She is based in Kyiv and has her workshops there but was forced to leave after the invasion in late February, and its endless explosions and sirens, to protect her two children.

Her husband Volodymyr Omelyan, a politician who was a government minister from 2016 to 2019, stayed home to fight. You can see him on her Instagram account, dressed in military garb and carrying a gun, AFP reported.

Bevza's spring-summer collection, entitled 'Fragile motherland" and unveiled at a building on Wall Street, was highly political. The blue and yellow Ukrainian flag was projected onto a wall.

"Some people maybe do not understand that this is going for real. And today is the 202nd day of war in Ukraine. And there's thousands of people dead," she told AFP.

"I was forced to leave the country with my kids. And my husband is at war," she added.

She presented tops that are sensual when worn with skirts or pants but still recall bullet-proof vests. Some look like shields that expose the shoulders and navel.

Grains of wheat -- symbols of fertile Ukraine as a bread basket to the world -- have a narrative stream through the collection. A Bevza necklace depicts them, charred black because "a lot of wheat was burned by Russians," she said.

The ample cut of some of her skirts also recalls the fit of Ukrainian farm women harvesting wheat.

"There is a deep sacred meaning of the bread itself and the wheat that came through centuries," she said, pointing to famine in the 1930s that was blamed on Stalin.

"What we protect now, we protect the fertile lands. And what we are basically fighting for is to live free, to live in peace in our land," the designer said.



Istituto Marangoni, Fashion Commission Partner on Fashion Education in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Fashion Commission logo
The Saudi Fashion Commission logo
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Istituto Marangoni, Fashion Commission Partner on Fashion Education in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Fashion Commission logo
The Saudi Fashion Commission logo

Istituto Marangoni is set to launch its Riyadh campus in August 2025, following in-depth market analysis and assessments conducted in synergy with the Saudi Fashion Commission.

The new Higher Training Institute will offer specialized programs designed to align with the needs of the Saudi fashion and luxury market and contribute to the Kingdom’s economic diversification goals.
The new campus of Istituto Marangoni will be based at King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), at the Riyadh Creative District (RCD), the new initiative managed and overseen by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC).

As the incubator for RCD, RCRC successfully attracted a series of prestigious companies and institutions from the creative industry as tenants for the district.

Instituto Marangoni chose Riyadh as the location of its new campus in the Kingdom because of its dynamic creative ecosystem, growing demand for high-level fashion education, and the city’s strategic role in shaping the future of the industry in the region.

Combining a rich cultural and historic heritage with ongoing technological development and rapid urban transformation, Riyadh is becoming the new hotspot for fashion and innovation, confirming Saudi Arabia’s growing influence on the global fashion industry.

As part of a strategic initiative to support the next generation of Saudi fashion professionals, the Ministry of Culture’s Fashion Commission is supporting Istituto Marangoni in the launch of its new three-year undergraduate Advanced Training Diploma. Istituto Marangoni will therefore provide 50 scholarships for Saudi students enrolling in the program. This opportunity is open to Saudi nationals holding a high school certificate or an equivalent qualification.

On March 17, the scholarship initiative was officially launched on the Istituto Marangoni website through a competitive selection process, giving aspiring Saudi fashion students the chance to receive partial funding for their three-year diploma programs, which will commence in late August 2025.

Istituto Marangoni group managing director Stefania Valenti expressed her gratitude. "A sincere thank you to the Fashion Commission, the Ministry of Culture, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, and to Ministry of Investment for their invaluable support in establishing this Higher Training Institute,” she said.

“Our mission is to nurture local creative talent by combining global expertise with Saudi heritage, shaping the future leaders of the fashion and luxury industries in Saudi Arabia. This initiative will lay the foundation for developing a new generation of Saudi talents and managers, equipping them with the skills to connect with international markets while embracing the vision of the Fashion Commission and Saudi Vision 2030,” Valenti said.

According to Fashion Commission Chief Executive Burak Cakmak, the partnership “marks a pivotal moment for the Saudi fashion industry.”

“By investing in our local talent and providing them with world-class education, we are not only empowering the next generation of Saudi designers and leaders but also enriching the global fashion landscape with our unique cultural heritage. Together, we are building a sustainable and thriving fashion ecosystem that reflects the ambition of Saudi Vision 2030,” he said.

Strategically located in Riyadh, the institute will offer a diverse range of specialized programs that integrate Saudi heritage with advanced technical and managerial expertise. The three-year undergraduate courses will prepare students for careers in the fashion industry, with programs including "Fashion Design & Accessories,Fashion Communication & Image,Fashion Management,Digital Communication & Media,Fashion Product," and "Fragrances & Cosmetics Management."

The courses will be accredited by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), the government agency overseeing technical and vocational education in Saudi Arabia.

In addition to undergraduate programs, the institute will provide upskilling and reskilling courses for industry professionals in both full-time and part-time formats. All programs will be delivered by a distinguished faculty composed of both international and local experts, ensuring a high-quality educational experience that meets global industry standards.

To mark this significant partnership, a special Suhoor was held at the prestigious La Petite Maison in Riyadh, bringing together key stakeholders from the Fashion Commission, Istituto Marangoni, and the Saudi creative community.