UKRAINIAN FASHION DESIGNER JEAN GRITSFELDT SPEAKS ABOUT THE UKRAINIAN FASHION INDUSTRY. IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, GABRIEL WINTER GETS AN INSIDE GLIMPSE INTO EASTERN EUROPE'S APPROACH TO FASHION AMID DIFFICULT TIMES.
Can you name three Ukrainian fashion designers? What do you know about the country's textile industry? That's right... not much. As times become increasingly tense across Eastern Europe, the impact of the war on Ukrainian societies continues to grow, though one designer, Jean Gritsfeldt, is holding his head up high and pioneering a creative and quintessentially Ukrainian style. Jean Gritsfeldt is one of the fastest-growing and most popular Ukrainian brands. The Kyiv-based fashion designer’s, collection shown at Berlin Fashion Week featured motifs of liberation and perseverance, referencing events in his home country. He was also crowned Designer of the Year at Helsinki Fashion Week. Though why aren't we questioning why the Ukrainian fashion industry doesn’t receive more media attention?
Gritsfeldt’s innovative brand focuses on expanding the "awareness of Ukrainian fashion in the world" and incorporates materials like faux fur, denim, eco-leather, and cotton; to combine Slavic-contemporary style with ergonomics and variations of colour/texture.
Gritsfeldt’s innovative brand focuses on expanding the "awareness of Ukrainian fashion in the world" and incorporates materials like faux fur, denim, eco-leather, and cotton; to combine Slavic-contemporary style with ergonomics and variations of colour/texture.
"I started with a dream...”, he explained “I had a very big desire to say something to the world and the industry." No one could accuse Gritsfeldt of being too subtle; covering a model in red paint — last year when he unveiled his first collection in Berlin — (which appeared to resemble blood) and printing t-shirts with the Ukrainian and English translations of ‘Peace’, and other synonyms, left no one in doubt as to what his message was.
The Clean Clothes Campaign told WWD that there are roughly 6,000 garment/textile factories and 240,000 workers in Ukraine, making it one of the largest fashion industries in the world. But an estimated 90% of all textiles produced there are exported to neighbouring countries like Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland.
©️ MICHAEL WITTIG, BERLINE 2023
Karl Lagerfeld's prominent AW14 supermarket sweep received unprecedented media attention. However, Gritsfeldt was doing very similar things in his collections and being shown in locations like the Museum of Natural History, The Boxing Ring, the Boryspil International Airport, and the National Circus of Ukraine without garnering the same acclaim. This begs the question: Why are these up-and-coming designers being left behind to stand in the shadow of those ahead in the game? The time is now to show your support and invest in Ukrainian designers and their inspiring work.
Gritsfeldt fuels his work with intention, he mentioned "mixing different textures and styles, for me, style is all about freedom." Speaking on how self-expression is something he holds dear to the ethos of his brand, using what you wear and how you choose to present yourself to define your freedom, to live as you wish, not to be held back by social constraints, adhering back to Russia's views on liberation.
"People who have money prefer to buy Chanel or Louis Vuitton but not Ukrainian designers," says Gritsfeldt, painfully aware his country’s designers being largely ignored by the media and undervalued by the consumer, the true rise of a star in the fall of a nation's industry. Those buying from established corporates such as Kering or LVMH fail to see past glitzy storefronts, ignoring the Ukrainian market.
Ukraine’s unique designs are being produced with the intention to make a difference, with 50% of revenue from sales of supportive buyers being donated to charities like the Foundation for the restoration and construction of children's cultural and art institutions.
A sense of community is a strong feature of Slavic culture and this extends to fashion. Gritsfeldt’s work is based on this idea of connectedness and posits the view that Ukraine has the potential to be one of the leaders of fashion within the industry, enter the mainstream and support its growth as a nation.
Gritsfeldt concentrates on shared values more than strict national identity saying, "people who have an open heart and a clear mind, those who have the desire to spread this Ukrainian voice are also Ukrainians to us." He hopes this spirit of acceptance is infectious and attracts more foreign interest in the Ukrainian fashion market.
Gritsfeldt said, "I have the realisation to be this voice, trying to spread the trend," of purchasing from Ukrainian designers, to put Kyiv on the map as the newest fashion capital.
Gritsfeldt recently held his first Berlin fashion show, mentioning "it was the first protest and a very strong statement" about the current situation in Ukraine - through an industry that he describes as "ignorant about it [Ukraine]." He continues to illustrate a sense of support through his medium of fashion and spreading crucial awareness of the talent that this creative, Slavic nation has to offer.
The war has left Ukraine unable to continue producing garments and the industry is on its knees; as Gritsfeldt laments: "now there is no place for fashion in Ukraine." Likewise, he feels there isn't a place for Ukraine in the global fashion market either and it needs a boost to grow in popularity and create a market of its own, Gritsfeldt holds this as a primary focus of his brand.
Investments are key to the growth of the Ukrainian fashion industry, Gritsfeldt acknowledges that it is trendy to dive into this world of Ukrainian fashion because of ongoing happenings, yet stresses its essentiality to aid the reparation of this substantial industry. "We are not counting the days of the war; we are counting the days that we are closer to peace on our land."
So, now can you name one Ukrainian fashion designer? Of course, you can! That is how it should be. Gritsfeldt has built his brand around recognition, admiration and expression, creating a name for himself, though never once forgetting where he came from. "I believe in strong unities between artists," says Gritsfeldt, once again reminding the world of the crucial connections that must be forged to bind Ukraine to other leading nations in the fashion market. The idea makes up the foundations of the brand. His motto is his desire to grow his brand and representation ethically, sustainably and peacefully; representing the ones that fall under the radar of western social conventions, igniting the flame that will finally put up-and-coming Ukrainian creatives in the league, where they rightly belong.
We would love to thank the incredible Jean Gristfeldt for inviting us into the wonderful world of his brand and allowing us to feast our eyes upon such spectacular garments.
We hope to have shone a light on Ukrainian fashion and someone pioneering the movement of its industry as it approaches the anniversary of the invasion.
Make sure you check us out over on Instagram @asthetikmagazine and follow us on our journey as we bring you everything Asthetik and thank you to @jeangritsfeldt for collaborating with us and teaching us about the world of Ukrainian fashion.
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