On 12 July, as part of Summer Weekend by OFD, sunny Odesa hosted Fashion Sunday dedicated to the theme of Haute Couture. Over a cup of coffee on the terrace of Otrada Beach Club, insiders discussed the origins and development of haute couture, while also touching on the possible ways it could take shape within the Ukrainian fashion industry.
The direction of the live discussion was set by Olena Godis, designer of the GODIS brand, and Kostiantyn Lieontiev, president of the Odessa Fashion Union public organisation and organiser of Odessa Fashion Day.
“Haute couture is already an art form, and Ukraine has no shortage of creative people. I believe that in our economic conditions it is easier to create couture pieces, where individuality and handwork are valued, than to build an everyday clothing industry and compete with Chinese light industry. All over the world, and Ukraine is no exception, there is a clear tendency towards the individualisation of personal style. This also contributes to the development of Haute Couture,” commented Olena Godis.
Kostiantyn Lieontiev began with a deeper look into history and touched on the challenges of developing haute couture in Ukraine:
“Haute couture in a developed world and a developed state must exist, just as a high standard of living or the introduction of advanced technologies must exist. All of us, in one way or another, strive for certain heights in development. But for that, as in school, one must first learn to draw simple lines and circles, and only then move on to essays, calligraphy, or creation itself. The fact is that in the mentality of our citizens, as well as many designers, there is an element of vanity: after showing a first collection, a halo appears, and the designer, without any knowledge or meeting the requirements of a Haute Couture collection, begins to call themselves a couturier. This is wrong. Everything should follow its own path — clearly, step by step, and within strict requirements. The classical standards of Haute Couture craftsmanship established by fashion houses that began receiving official certification to produce such clothing more than 150 years ago should remain the foundation for today’s creators as well. Without knowing the basics, without going through a long path of recognition and practice, it is impossible to create masterpieces. I do not deny that the pioneers of one field or another — whether artists or fashion designers of those distant times — are now considered geniuses. But they were geniuses of their time, when they were the first. Today, building on the knowledge of the past, with the practice and technologies of the present, and observing the conditions required to create such garments, it is possible and necessary to create haute couture in Ukraine, while also considering the demand and need for this segment in the future.”
All insiders agreed on one point: in order to build the fashion industry in Ukraine properly, including the development of Haute Couture, it is necessary to follow clear rules and work within them.
The project was created with the aim of looking behind the scenes of fashion and opening up all its facets to you. See you at the next Fashion Sunday!
Media partners of the project: Fpost magazine and Odessa Fashion Channel.
