UKRAINE
Coat
“Suzilnist”
The coat is crafted in a bright yellow color that, at first glance, conveys lightness and ease. However, its voluminous silhouette and complex sleeve construction introduce a sense of weight and intricacy, revealing a deeper complexity upon closer inspection. The piece explores the coexistence of opposites light and dark bringing together brightness and heaviness within a single design.
This garment is called The coat “Suzilnist”. It’s a coat with voluminous silhouette and complex sleeve construction that introduce weight and intricacy, revealing a deeper tension upon closer inspection. The piece explores the coexistence of opposites — brightness and heaviness, hope and hardship — held together within a single design. The coat is a response to the emotional landscape of living under constant uncertainty. The bold color becomes a conscious act of optimism — a visual statement that light can be found, or created, even in the darkest of times. Its enveloping form acts as a protective shield, offering comfort and a sense of sanctuary against the outside world. Rooted in Ukrainian cultural identity, the piece draws on the enduring symbolism of clothing as personal and cultural armor. The vibrant yellow pays tribute to the sun-drenched memories of occupied Crimea, while the oversized, sculptural silhouette reinterprets the traditional values of protection and warmth in a modern, minimal language. In the context of the ongoing war since 2022, the garment becomes a symbol of resilience, identity, and hope.
This piece is deeply connected to Ukrainian cultural identity, particularly in the context of the ongoing war since 2022. In times of uncertainty and resilience, clothing becomes more than a functional object—it carries emotional, cultural, and symbolic meaning. The coat reflects this reality by drawing on the enduring strength and spirit embedded in Ukrainian heritage.
Traditionally, Ukrainian garments often embody protection, warmth, and symbolism, whether through layering, craftsmanship, or the idea of clothing as a form of personal and cultural armor.
This piece reinterprets that notion through its enveloping silhouette, offering a sense of safety and comfort, much like traditional attire once did in both practical and symbolic ways. At the same time, the use of bold color can be seen as a contemporary echo of the richness and vibrancy found in Ukrainian folk elements, where color has always played an important role in expressing identity, emotion, and hope. Rather than directly replicating traditional forms or ornamentation, the design translates these values into a modern language—minimal, sculptural, and conceptual.
The materials used are SUSTAINABLE: the waste of the material was minimized, and ensured that all remaining materials could be used as parts of other pieces. sustainable materials throughout, with waste minimised and all remaining fabric repurposed into other pieces.
The process
The piece was born from the story of an immigrant displaced during the Great War. She spoke of the profound sense of losing one’s home and how certain garments provided the strength to move forward. For her, clothing was more than fabric; it was a sanctuary. The vibrant colors of our design serve as a tribute to her memories of the sun-drenched, occupied Crimea. To capture this sense of comfort and protection, we utilized draping techniques to create an oversized, ethereal silhouette, transitioning from initial sketches into the final structural modeling and sewing.
Our Team
The whole is much more than the sum of it’s part. Meet our team!
Users Participating in the project
Valeriia Krasnianska
SUPERVISOR
Valeriia is an emerging fashion designer who began their journey with sketching garments just a few years ago, transforming a long-standing passion for fashion into a dedicated creative practice. Deeply inspired by contemporary designers such as Litkovska, their work reflects a sensitivity tostructure, volume, and conceptual storytelling.
With a strong focus on experimentation, the designer explores the relationship between form and emotion, often combining contrasting elements such as lightness and heaviness, simplicity and complexity within a single piece. Each design is approached as both a visual and tactile experience, where silhouettes, textures, and construction details play a key role in conveying meaning.
For the designer, fashion goes beyond aesthetics; it serves as a powerful medium of self-expression and introspection. The creative process becomes a way to navigate and balance the pace of everyday life, translating personal thoughts and emotions into wearable forms.
Through their work, they aim to create pieces that resonate on both an individual and emotional level, inviting the viewer to engage with the deeper narrative behind each garment.
With the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
