For me, this is a very important aspect of the activity. I do not know why, but even when I was just creating my brand, I was thinking not only about personal development and influence but also about Ukrainian fashion as a phenomenon, in general. Therefore, even on the Poustovit page, there was never a lot of information about me personally, and in all interviews, I spoke on behalf of the team, using the pronoun ‘we’, not ‘I’.
Over time, we all started to work together on the Support by Poustovit project because this, on the one hand, makes it possible to attract a new audience, and on the other hand, the fact that the same team is engaged in such different projects is both difficult and interesting, and it really expands the opportunities and skills of all of us. Of course, I’m personally more focused on the main brand and give autonomy and trust to the team in Support.

This diversity seems very important and actual to me. The team approach of decision-making seems even more relevant to me now. We are all very different and we have different strengths. And together, we make a really strong product. Since each time we attract different artists, stylists, video directors, and photographers for a new drop, it gives us the opportunity to not focus on one image and stylistics. This is enriching in all senses.

At some point, I realized that the Poustovit framework is somewhat narrow or it can’t possibly catch the audience that has grown over the past ten years, and with which I would like to communicate in a language that it understands. Also, I was interested in taking part in something new and fresh, to do the challenge for the team and for myself. However, I can’t say that Support is completely unrelated to the main line; it inherits some of its core values, such as quality and relevance, and of course, they can complement each other.

For Ukraine, the Dnipro River is very important, historically and even metaphysically. And when we write left or right bank, we also mean that geographically, the right bank of any river is always steeper/cooler/higher – and, historically, fortresses were built on the right banks. The left banks were usually populated much later. For us, the chestnut really is like a sign of the city and its symbol. In the Soviet times, it was used a lot in very beautiful aesthetic forms and manifestations. Perhaps we will help it become as famous as the Adidas lotus, why not?

A positive view of the world is very important for us. There are a lot of not-very-happy people in the world – they may have not been loved in childhood, I don’t know. If we can add a few positive emotions and make this world a little brighter, we want to do it and do it consciously. In some ways, our whole life is a reaction to the world around us. Today, this reaction looks like this. It seems to me that now it is necessary. Me, people around me, my team – we all need it and we want to influence the changes for the better.

When I was in Europe and worked in Paris, I saw a lot of people around who were enjoying life, a lot of them on the streets: old men singing, lovers kissing, bartenders smiling. And this was a striking contrast to post-Soviet gloomy faces and clothes. Probably, subconsciously, I always wanted the streets of my beloved city to change. This is something that’s moved me all these years. My daughter is growing up. She is very positive and it would be great if she didn’t change this aspect. When she grows up, I hope she doesn’t feel uncomfortable neither on the streets of Kiev nor London.
When I worked on a project with Atelier 1 ten years ago, we were produced by David Foley, and I had to meet with the great guru Adrian Joffe. Somehow, during breakfast, he asked me, “Do you want to do something artisanal, small but truly yours, and not depend on the opinions of other people? Or vice versa?” Neither then nor now can I give an exact answer because, for my whole life, Joffe himself has been an example of the genius of marketing, collaborations, and the attraction of various cool people to commercially successful projects. I like it – to do what people are interested in.

To me, Ukranian fashion is very creative. I mean, few designers are focused on commercial goals; instead, everyone is interested in realising creative ideas. In this sense, Ukrainian design is closer to French and English design than to Italian. Ukrainian fashion is influenced by our openness and sensitivity to what is happening in the world. It is very emotional and dynamic. It is quick to perceive all the new ideas and global trends.

We work with Ukrainian (and in particular, Kiev symbols) because we feel their great strength and energy, and we want to share them. We are not limited locally; for Poustovit, we often look for inspiration in travels, to Kenya or Morocco, for example. There are a lot of places full of energy in the world, and we have a lot of time ahead for a huge field of work and sharing of symbols for a great big audience.