How Pitti Uomo Showed up for Ukraine
Back in February as guests took their seats to the MaxMara runway show in Milan, news began to break that Russia had invaded Ukraine. The fashion industry slowly, but surely, began to rally in support of Ukrainians and the fashion businesses which were brought to an abrupt standstill. Giorgio Armani, Marine Serre, Isabel Marant, Coperni and others used fashion as a subtle form of protest on the runway, before luxury conglomerates including LVMH and Kering put economic pressure on Russia by pausing trade in the country. Ukrainian designers such as Lili Litkovskaya, who had made it to safety, refused to stay quiet, erecting a pop-up event during Paris Fashion Week. ‘Our roots, our culture, can’t be killed’, Litkovskaya told SHOWstudio in Paris at the time. As fashion week rolled round again this June, the men's trade show Pitti Uomo took concrete steps towards giving meaningful support to the Ukrainian fashion industry, presenting the Ukrainian Fashion Now! project.
11 designers took up space during the four day long event as part of the Pitti Discovery Foundation. Fashion, ceramics and jewellery stands presented the work of Bobkova, Gudu, Gunia Project, Guzema, Katerina Kvit, Litkovskaya, Manufacture De Lin, Oberig, Poustovit, Viktor Anisimov and Yulia Yefimtchuk, together with a photographic exhibition by Synchrodogs.
The bi-annual menswear fair draws in international buyers and press, and the Ukrainian Fashion Now! special now project represented a continued solidarity with Ukraine, whilst offering real support for the creative community's future there.