“One of a Kind”: Odessa Fashion Day Season 32 kept Ukrainian fashion visible, individual and moving forward

Some cities refuse to go quiet. In May, Odesa became one of them again as Odessa Fashion Day held its 32nd season, bringing designers, students, partners and the creative community together under the theme “ONE OF A KIND.”

What unfolded across two days was not only a fashion programme. It was a reminder that Ukrainian creativity continues to move even when the country is living through war. Designers are still building brands, creating collections, developing visual identities and taking part in a cultural conversation that reaches far beyond clothing.

That has long been the importance of Odessa Fashion Day. Over more than three decades, the project has become a starting point for hundreds of designers, offering a professional runway, visibility and a place within Ukraine’s wider fashion ecosystem. In a time when global fashion can often feel shaped by sameness, the 32nd season placed individuality at the centre.

“Our goal is to give designers and brands a voice through our runway. For an emerging designer or brand taking their first steps in Ukrainian fashion, it is essential to present yourself in the right way — to make that first statement and become visible to others. Odessa can be exactly that starting point,”

said Kostiantyn Lieontiev, Founder of Odessa Fashion Day.

The season’s campaign carried that message visually. Kateryna Zakharchenko, Miss Ukraine, became the face of the official campaign, wearing a collection by designer Dima Makeev from the Hôtel Le Mirage line. Through translucent fabrics, sculptural silhouettes and a restrained play of shadow and light, the campaign presented a woman who felt both strong and vulnerable, quiet and commanding.

The main runway showcase took place at Luxury Gallery in the Sady Peremohy shopping centre. The line-up included design students from Ushynsky University, VEO BRAND supported by Mira Models agency, Magnat Dress, Stahova, Saiman El Sabari, BUDU, Babyface, CIAO CIAO, Mint & Lonza New York, Nimblescissors and Tetyana Paliy.

The strength of the season came from its range. Each designer brought a different visual language, different references and a different sense of mood. But across the programme, one idea kept returning: Ukrainian fashion does not need to imitate another centre of style to be relevant. Its power is in its own voice.

The second day shifted from runway to professional exchange. At hotel BRIK, in partnership with N1 Buro, the programme continued with the public talk “Designer, Media and PR: How Modern Fashion Communications Work.” The conversation focused on how modern brands build relationships with media, shape reputation and communicate clearly in an overloaded information landscape.

Speakers included Margaryta Aftandiliants, Head of Marketing Communications at Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, PR expert Olena Lapko, and Kyrylo Savchenko, CEO of N1 Buro. The discussion was moderated by Oleh Shkilniuk, producer of Odessa Fashion Day.

The season also reflected the wider ecosystem needed to keep fashion moving. Educational support came from Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design. Beauty, visual and model partnerships included Make Me Up Studio and School, MARAMAX GROUP, Ultimate Trend Store, ARTpodium model agency and TOTALITE model agency. Black Sea Hotel Group provided accommodation for guests and participants.

As international partner, London Fashion Day joined the season, reinforcing the project’s growing cross-border dialogue and the wider visibility of Ukrainian fashion outside the country.

When the lights went down, the message of Season 32 remained clear. Odessa Fashion Day was not simply staging fashion in difficult circumstances. It was protecting the space where new voices can appear, where designers can make their first statement, and where Ukrainian fashion can continue to define itself on its own terms.