KOTAPSKA: Bridal Craft, Ukrainian Identity, and the Brand’s Roman Holiday Vision

For KOTAPSKA, bridal design has never been only about the dress — it is about emotion, precision, and the woman who will live one of the most important days of her life in it. In this interview, co-founders and sisters Iryna and Liudmyla speak about building the brand from a home atelier into an international B2B bridal business, the codes of Ukrainian identity woven into their collections, and the philosophy behind Roman Holiday, a collection shaped by freedom, lightness, and modern romance.

1) What was the real beginning of KOTAPSKA — what was your “day zero” when it became clear that this was no longer a dream, but a business?

Iryna: For KOTAPSKA, everything began in a home atelier. We made the first dresses by hand. Back in 2003, a few thousand dollars in investment allowed us to buy a sewing machine, fabric, and bring in our first employee. My sister and I have loved dresses since childhood, but I always knew I would be able to build a successful business.

Liudmyla: We always knew what KOTAPSKA dresses should be like — created with attention to the smallest details, whether the design was complex or simple. Every bride who chose us for her wedding deserved the very best dress, one that truly suited her. We always think about the client when creating new designs. That focus on an individual approach eventually helped us grow, expand the team, and define our business model. Today, we work in a B2B format: we have around 250 partner boutiques, mainly in Europe, as well as in the US.

2) Your first step onto the international market: what became your passport outward — a person, a decision, or a chance you managed to seize?

Iryna: Our entry into the international market was gradual, but the decisive factor in that process was our readiness — mine and Liudmyla’s — to make difficult and risky decisions.

Liudmyla: The first partners we managed to bring in were buyers from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Romania. At a certain point, we realised that we had strong potential to expand the business and develop the brand abroad. There was stable demand there that we could meet. KOTAPSKA dresses have always been about impeccable quality, and our designs have always stood out for their exceptional attention to detail.

Iryna: Courage became especially important after the brand had already existed successfully for 10 years. In 2012, we made a radical decision — we closed all retail stores in order to focus on large-scale expansion into the European market, with a clear emphasis on the B2B sector. To do this, we expanded our team to 60 craftswomen and built a dedicated team to work with international boutiques. We clearly saw the potential in larger international orders, and that helped us make the right move at the right time.

3) You are sisters and co-founders. How do you divide roles so the process keeps moving and does not turn into a battle for the “last word”?

Liudmyla: Today, we have a clear and professional structure: we divide responsibilities, and that is exactly why we can manage processes effectively. For example, I am responsible for financial stability, smooth production, and building a strong team. Iryna is fully focused on marketing strategy and scaling sales.

Iryna: The fashion industry is a fine line between creativity and business, where it is difficult to divide processes into fully separate streams. For us, it is equally important to grow the brand and at the same time nurture what it was built on in the first place. That is why design creation remains our shared territory: Liudmyla and I always develop new models together, and that approach has remained unchanged.

4) Why did you choose bridal specifically — what continues to give you the most meaning and energy in wedding fashion after all these years?

Liudmyla: Our hometown, Chernivtsi, is often called the “wedding capital” for a reason, because this industry is part of its cultural code. My sister and I grew up surrounded by the creation of beauty, but what began as childhood fascination quickly became a conscious choice. First, we built a creative foundation at the Faculty of Design, and then deliberately strengthened it with master’s degrees in economics and finance.

Iryna: We found our calling precisely in the bridal industry, because here we work not just with clothing, but with an emotion that happens once in a lifetime. The bridal market functions through its own special, rather closed system, where reputation and quality matter more than fleeting trends. The greatest value for us is seeing local craftsmanship from Chernivtsi win the hearts of brides all over the world.

5) “Ukrainian identity in a contemporary context” — name three specific KOTAPSKA codes that you weave into the DNA of your collections.

Liudmyla: The first code is the culture of handcraft. In Ukraine, and especially in Chernivtsi, the tradition remains strong that every embroidery or appliqué detail carries energy and skill.

Iryna: The second is adaptability. In our designs, we often build in the possibility of transformation: one dress can be both short and long, with different sleeve options; a bride can wear it to the civil ceremony and then again to the party. And the third code is our bold aesthetic. We are not afraid of being “too” ornate: most of our designs combine handwork, embroidery, and lace. For KOTAPSKA, there are no unimportant details.

6) Roman Holiday: what image or scene did this collection begin with — what mood and what “frame” did you want to give the bride?

Iryna: Our inspiration was not just a cinematic frame. Roman Holiday is a collection about a feeling of inner freedom. It is that moment when a princess leaves her palace to step away from duty and simply enjoy the moment.

Liudmyla: We wanted to give the bride the feeling that the dress does not confine her with ceremonial obligation, but becomes part of her own personal adventure. It is the lightness of fabric caught by the wind during a quick walk, and the simplicity of lines that looks equally right against ancient architecture.

7) What were the hardest challenges during the launch of Roman Holiday — production, materials, deadlines, team — and what turned out to be the most interesting part of the process?

Liudmyla: The hardest part was finding a balance between visual lightness and the technical complexity of our constructions. We wanted intricate corsetry to look weightless. There were experiments with new fabrics that had to hold their shape while remaining fluid in movement.

Iryna: For the first time, we worked this deeply with the concept of customisation within one collection, where details from one model could perfectly complement another. We are not afraid of difficulties, and we are grateful to our team of pattern-makers and dressmakers — together, we created a truly unique collection.

8) Bridal fashion today often leans into the “wow effect”. Where is the line for you between performance and a dress in which you genuinely want to live through the day?

Iryna: A wedding dress carries a great deal of symbolic meaning, and for us it is important not to cross the line between comfort and emotion. If the bride is afraid to breathe or sit down — that is performance. If she feels confident and even forgets about the dress itself while enjoying the moment — that is KOTAPSKA.

Liudmyla: Our “wow effect” is hidden in the details that reveal themselves up close: the quality of execution and the way the fabric responds to every step.

9) Embroidered words, talismans, hidden meanings — what do clients ask for more often today: intimacy, strength, tradition, or rebellion?

Iryna: We feel that bridal fashion is changing. It is encouraging to realise that women are more and more often choosing something “for themselves”. Traditional bridal fashion is giving way to the individuality of each bride. Some value simplicity and minimalism, while others prefer more open silhouettes. We want every collection to include a wide variety of styles.

Liudmyla: Roman Holiday is a very delicate and contemporary reading of tradition. That is exactly what feels most relevant among European brides right now.

10) Ukrainian bridal brands today are often ahead in a highly competitive market. Is this a national phenomenon? If so, what are the three reasons behind your success?

Liudmyla: It is truly a phenomenon built on three pillars. The first is persistence. We are used to working hard and fast, while still keeping quality as our core value.

Iryna: The second is the balance between creativity and technology. Ukrainian designers have learned how to combine complex hand decoration with modern production methods. And the third is empathy. Ukrainian bridal brands are very sensitive to the client. We always create from the perspective of “what matters most to the bride”, rather than from optimisation or a universalised design formula.

11) What is your main “superpower” as a brand: fit, handcraft, service, speed, design thinking, or the team?

Liudmyla: Our superpower is the team. Everything else comes after that: the synergy between design and technical construction precision. We do not just draw a beautiful image — we know how to make it fit a real body perfectly. It is the symbiosis of mine and my sister’s vision.

Iryna: And of course, it is our service and flexibility. In the B2B segment, partners value our professionalism, while at the same time we preserve a creative approach in every new design we create.

12) Looking one year ahead, what bold next step do you want to take — a new market, technology, aesthetic, or level of personalisation?

Iryna: Our rhythm is two collections a year, two major projects that we share with the world. Looking ahead, we want to keep taking bold new steps: to find new boundaries in our design vision that will once again captivate European and American buyers. We also plan to explore new geographical markets even more actively, because we can see how warmly Ukrainian products are received abroad — for their quality and distinctive design.

Liudmyla: For us, boldness is not only about new countries, but also about preserving the sentiment with which we have created every dress for more than 20 years. We want every bride, when she puts on a KOTAPSKA dress, to feel that it was made especially for her. Our path is growth in the international market, where technology only highlights craftsmanship, and each new collection becomes the beginning of a happy story for someone.

Website: kotapska.com
Instagram: @kotapska_bridal_couture