From the Fair Floor to the Boutique Shelf: Full Circle for Ukrainian Fashion
In August, five Ukrainian brands exhibited at Atelyé Ukraina, the first-ever Ukrainian pavilion at Fashion Week Trade. On 28 October, they took the next step into the Swedish market when Gushka, 91LAB, Oliz, Fiskin and Starchak launched at Green Little Heart in Stockholm. A first meeting on the fair floor has become a place on the shop shelf.
From Atelyé Ukraina to Green Little Heart
Atelyé Ukraina is a collaboration between Sweden’s National Board of Trade, through Open Trade Gate Sweden, and Ukraine’s Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office. Its aim is to connect Ukrainian fashion companies with Swedish buyers and build lasting business relationships. During Fashion Week Trade on 11–13 August, the pavilion was located in Fair Hall A.
According to the National Board of Trade, more than 2,500 textile and apparel companies operate in Ukraine, and an estimated 80–90 per cent of textile production is exported. Companies are now also bringing their own brands to international markets, even though many operate under exceptionally challenging circumstances.
Five of the brands are now available at Green Little Heart’s store on Swedenborgsgatan 2. The launch on 28 October was celebrated with bubbles and talks with the founders.
Five brands, five stories
Gushka
Gushka works with 100 per cent pure wool from sheep grazing freely on the mountain pastures of Hutsulshchyna in the Carpathians. The brand was founded by Daryna Furmaniuk together with her neighbour Lyubov Rybenchuk, a third-generation weaver. Gushka still feels like a family, with a focus on craftsmanship and a high-end feel.
Photo: Gushka
91LAB
91LAB is a Ukrainian knitwear manufacturer operating two brands: RITO for basics and 91LAB for designer fashion. RITO started with one knitting machine and two people. Today it is a modern factory with its own retail chain and a team of more than 80 professionals. The brand shapes the cultural code of Ukrainian fashion through knitwear, design and craftsmanship passed down through generations.
“With 35 years of experience in knitwear production, we’re proud to bring Ukrainian craftsmanship to the Swedish market,” says founder Tanya Abramova.
Photo: 91LAB
Oliz
Oliz started in 2017 as a revival of the vintage Ukrainian scarves that founder Khrystyna Oliiarnyk inherited from her grandmother. Today the brand combines folk traditions, decorative art and fashion. Its silk scarves have become a way of telling stories from different eras in Ukraine’s history.
Foto: Oliz
Fiskin
Founder Yuliia Buhlak spent a decade studying and working in fish biology and water bioresources. During a research training in Iceland, she encountered fish leather for the first time. Where others saw an unfamiliar by-product, she saw texture, strength and possibility. Today Fiskin creates luxury accessories through circular design.
“Sweden feels like a natural market for Fiskin because we share a love for minimalist, timeless design and exceptional craftsmanship,” says Yuliia Buhlak.
Photo: Fiskin
Starchak
Starchak is an independent Ukrainian fashion brand founded by designer Maria Starchak in Lviv in 2019. Working at the intersection of fashion, art and design, the brand combines architectural tailoring, upcycling and contemporary interpretations of classic forms.
Photo: Starchak
The power of trade
For Stockholm Fashion District, this is one of the clearest examples of what a meeting place can lead to. The brands came to Fashion Week Trade to meet Swedish buyers, and a few months later they are on sale in a Swedish store.
Green Little Heart is a marketplace for independent, responsible brands in fashion, design and skincare. The store describes the launch as a way of supporting artists who keep creating in the midst of war and love, and of following the brands on their journey into the Swedish market.
This is where the circle closes: from the first meeting on the fair floor to a place on the shop shelf. It is proof that trade builds bridges, even in times of war.
Discover the collections
Gushka, 91LAB, Oliz, Fiskin and Starchak are now available at Green Little Heart on Swedenborgsgatan 2 in Stockholm. The store is open Monday–Friday 11:00–18:30 and Saturday–Sunday 12:00–16:30.
Want to know more about Atelyé Ukraina and the National Board of Trade’s support for Ukrainian brands? Read more about the initiative here.
