Ukrainian Fashion Week SS26: Designing Through War
Words by Kate Hilditch
Edited by Rachel Hambly and Bailey Tolentino
After a year-long suspension following Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukrainian Fashion Week has made its return for the second consecutive year since the war began. From September 4 to 8, over fifty Ukrainian brands gathered in Kyiv to debut their Spring/Summer 2026 collections, transforming the capital into a stage for resilience, creativity, and cultural pride. The themes that stretched from show to show intersected fashion and culture, exploring clothing’s power as a means of preserving national identity.
For the organizers, the message was clear: Life must go on. And so must fashion. In a conversation with the New York Times in September, the founder and CEO of Ukrainian Fashion Week, Iryna Danylevska, shared that “through the universal language of fashion, we tell the world about our creativity, freedom, and dignity.” This season, she explained, wasn’t just about aesthetics, but also about amplifying a united Ukrainian voice on the global stage.
Some of the designer Nadya Dzyak’s ruffled and layered SS26 collection.
The 57th season kicked off with the XXVI Young Designers Contest held in the Khanenko National Museum of Arts, a setting rich in symbolism. The museum became a backdrop that binds the legacy of Ukrainian art with the innovative visions of emerging designers. There, among the echoes of Ukraine’s artistic past, a new generation of designers presented forward-thinking visions that bridged heritage with innovation.
Throughout the week, the format stretched beyond traditional runways to include immersive performances, conceptual installations, and adaptive design showcases. Labels such as Andreas Moskin, Juliya Kros, Maki, Sidletskiy, and Viktoranisimov spotlighted one of the country’s most urgent realities: the growing number of Ukrainians living with war-related injuries. A large number of the designers used models with missing limbs. The result was a Fashion Week that highlighted the courage and culture of a nation determined to define its own future.
A model with a prosthetic leg preparing to walk a show at Ukrainian Fashion Week.
In a country where tens of thousands have lost at least one limb, designers have begun to utilize Velcro, rubber waistbands, and custom-fitted clothing to cater to amputees. To soldiers, it sends a message that inclusive fashion exists and is right at their doorstep. Following the invasion, many international mass-market retailers withdrew from Ukraine, leaving a gap for smaller, lesser-known Ukrainian labels that have consumers motivated both by fashion and patriotism.
Models get ready for shows under the threat of Russian bombing.
During a show on Saturday, the war was ever-present, as an air-raid alert delayed the Moskin show, announcing a launch of 810 Russian drones into Ukraine. Models took cover in a basement and had their make-up done outside a bomb shelter. Kristina Sanina, 29, a former army captain turned model, lost both her legs in war. Sanina received a standing ovation as she walked down the catwalk during the Kros show. Tears were brought to the eyes of some in the audience. She donned a layered mauve dress with zippers around the waist and an opening by the knees. Unable to walk unaided, she was supported by the clothing line’s director and designer, creating one of the most powerful images of the week.
Kristina Sanina, in Juliya Kros, supported by the director of the line and the dress’s designer.
The role of creatives has never been more important than in times of conflict, uncertainty, and shifting socio-political landscapes. In the face of adversity, the visual arts have continued to emerge as a powerful tool for resistance. This spirit of innovation rang true during the shows of Ukrainian Fashion Week, as we saw fresh perspectives and bold ideas contribute to the ever-evolving narrative of Ukrainian fashion. While the Ukrainian military will not say how many soldiers have lost limbs to the war, a non-profit that produces prosthetics estimated about 80,000. Not only do designers want to create adaptive and inclusive fashion for models with disabilities, but the people of Ukraine need them to.
After a major reshuffle took place at the highest seats of the fashion world before SS26, the shift in the creative landscape inevitably elicited a sense of a new beginning. For Ukrainian designers, the publicity of this season opened a door for a market outside of Ukraine, as other war-torn regions might benefit from fashion that caters to amputees. In a world reshaped by conflict, fashion has once again proven its ability not just to adapt but to affirm life itself, and a promise for a new era has been made concrete in Kyiv.