Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Ukraine war: Designing oufits for Beyoncé and Smith Smith from Kyiv

Ukraine war: Designing oufits for Beyoncé and Smith Smith from Kyiv

For most designers, London Fashion Week was a chance to debut new collections.

But for Ukrainian designer Ivan Frolov, it was about so much more.

Ivan chose to wear a Ukrainian flag T-shirt for his show and saw it as an opportunity to "keep the conversation about war going".

"It's still going on and we need the attention we got at the beginning," he says.

Ivan, 29, founded his fashion brand in 2015


The 29-year-old chatted to BBC Newsbeat following his show, saying this past week has been a good one in a difficult year.

From corsets to bulletproof vests


Ivan recalls the morning war broke out. He gave his employees the opportunity to stop working.

But to his surprise, within two weeks they all text the designer saying they wanted to continue as normal.

Ivan works with a team of 35 at a studio in central Kyiv


In the early days of war, fashion was far from their minds - they donated sewing machines to make bulletproof vests and turned their skills elsewhere.

"We were sewing rocket carriers and making uniforms for guys who needed special sizes, like very tall guys for example," he says.

"Our sewing machines are suited for making corsets and evening gowns, but we did the best we could."

As you might imagine, Ivan says working from a war zone is anything but predictable.

He explains they still have daily air-raid sirens, adding "you never know what will happen next".

"When Russia started bombing power stations, we had a lot of problems with electricity and blackouts."

But Ivan and his team haven't only been helping the war effort, they also returned to designing clothes.

There was one occasion, when 'normal' business had resumed and Ivan was finishing an order of outfits for Sam Smith's music video.

"We had a very short deadline because we needed to send the outfits to Poland by train and suddenly there was a blackout."

Ivan's team were tasked with designing the outfits for Sam Smith's I'm Not Here to Make Friends video


Instead of cancelling the order, Ivan's team found a way to do it by hand.

"Our embroidery masters taped their phones to lamps and used the torch light to embroider with a thread and needle," he says.

"After that I understood there's no task that's impossible for Ukrainian people."

The war makes sending out clothes more difficult though - and it now takes garments over 17 hours to leave the country.

"Unlike before where we would fly clothes straight from Kyiv, each order now has to be taken by a team member by train to Poland, before flying elsewhere," Ivan says.


Fans in high places


Sam Smith isn't the only artist Ivan has designed for in the last year. If you're a fan of Doja Cat, Rita Ora or Dua Lipa you might have spotted his work.

Oh, and then there's Beyoncé.

In January, Ivan got the call up to design one of the outfits for the star's Dubai concert.

"It's always good when something like that happens, because nowadays we only have sad news.

"When something supportive happens it helps us believe continue everything will be better."

Ivan calls this Beyoncé dress 'The Firework'


Beyoncé's decision to wear a Ukrainian brand at such an "important performance" meant a lot to Ivan.

But, he reflects, it didn't mean as much as it would have done pre-war.

"It was always my dream to dress Beyoncé, but now those dreams have changed.

"Right now, I have only one dream and it's a victory of Ukraine."

Looking towards the future though Ivan still feels hopeful that one day his fashion show will return to Kyiv instead of London.

"I want it to be in beautiful Ukraine. independent and free as it was before."

And as for a front row of A-listers, including Beyoncé?

"Oh for sure," he laughs, "she will always get the invite."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and Hungarian Officials Talk About Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
Technology Giants Activate Lobbying Campaigns Against Strict EU Regulations
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Increasing Speculation on Succession
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace as Tensions Rise with Trump
UK Leader Keir Starmer Calls for US Security Guarantee in Ukraine Peace Deal
NATO Chief Urges Higher Defense Expenditure in Europe
The negotiation teams of Trump and Putin meet directly, establishing the groundwork for a significant advancement.
Rubio Touches Down in Riyadh Before Key U.S.-Russia Discussions
Students in Serbian universities Unite to Hold Coordinated Protests for Accountability.
US State Department Removes Taiwan Independence Statement from Website
Abolishing opposition won't protect Germany from Nazism—this is precisely what led Germany to become Nazi!
Transatlantic Gold Rush: Traders Shift Bullion in Response to Tariff Anxieties and Market Instability
Bill Ackman Backs Uber as the Company Shifts Towards Profitability
AI Titans Challenge Nvidia's Supremacy in Light of New Chip Innovations
US and Russian Officials to Meet in Saudi Arabia Over Ending Ukraine Conflict. Ukraine and European leaders – who profit from this war – excluded from the negotiations.
Macron Calls for Urgent Summit as Ukraine Conflict Business Model is Threatened
Trump’s Defense Secretary: Ukraine Won’t Join NATO or Regain Lost Territories
Zelensky Urges Europe to Bolster Its Military in Light of Uncertain US Backing
Chinese Zoo Confesses to Dyeing Donkeys to Look Like Zebras
Elon Musk is Sherlock Holmes - Movie Trailer Parody featuring Donald Trump's Detective
Trump's Greenland Suggestion Sparks Sovereignty Discussions Amid Historical Grievances
OpenAI Board Dismisses Elon Musk's Offer to Acquire the Company.
USAID Uncovered: American Taxpayer Funds Leveraged to Erode Democracy in Europe Until Trump Put a Stop to It.
JD Vance and Scholz Did Not Come Together at the Munich Security Conference.
EU Official Participates in Discussions in Washington Amid Trade Strains
Qatar Contemplates Reducing French Investments Due to PSG Chief Investigation
Germany's Green Agenda Encounters Ambiguity Before Elections
Trump Did Not Notify Germany's Scholz About His Ukraine Peace Proposal.
Munich Car Attack Escalates Migration Discourse Before German Elections
NATO Allies Split on Trump's Proposal for 5% Defense Spending Increase
European Parliament Advocates for Encrypted Messaging to Ensure Secure Communications
Trump's Defense Spending Goal Creates Division Among NATO Partners
French Prime Minister Bayrou Navigates a Challenging Path Amid Budget Preservation and Immigration Discourse
Steering Through the Updated Hierarchy at the European Commission
Parliamentarian Calls for Preservation of AI Liability Directive
Mark Rutte Calls on NATO Allies to Increase Defence Expenditures
Dresden Marks the 80th Anniversary of the World War II Bombing.
Global Community Pledges to Aid Syria's Political Transition
EU Allocates €200 Billion for AI Investments, Introduces €20 Billion Fund for Gigafactories
EU Recognizes Its Inability to Close the USAID Funding Shortfall Due to Stalled US Aid
Commission President von der Leyen Missing from Notre Dame Reopening Due to Last-Minute Cancellation
EU Officializes Disinformation Code for Online Platforms, Omitting X
EU Fails to Fully Implement Key Cybersecurity Directives
EU Under Fire for Simplification Discussions Regarding Corporate Sustainability Reporting
Shein Encountering Further Information Request from the EU During Ongoing Investigation
European Commission Initiates Investigation into Shein as It Aims at Chinese E-Commerce Regulations
German Officials Respond to U.S. Proposal for Peace Talks with Russia
Senate Approves Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Trump and Putin Engage in Discussions on Ukraine Peace Negotiations Amid Worldwide Responses
Honda and Nissan End Merger Talks
×