UKRAINIAN FASHION DESIGNER ELENA REVA
Fashion Designer
Elegant looks inspired by the main symbol of Ukrainian women’s beauty – the maiden braid.
“The greatest beauty is a maiden’s braid,” says an old Ukrainian proverb. Indeed, for centuries in folklore, the maiden’s braid has been regarded as a symbol of honor, hard work, neatness, and one of the most important natural adornments of women.
Hair care, its length, and the style of braiding often reflected unique aspects of femininity and cultural nuances in various regions of Ukraine. The traditions of braiding and the beauty of Ukrainian women’s hair became the starting point for creating the ELENAREVA Fall-Winter 2024-25 collection.
The soft silhouette of loose curls formed by tightly braided hair was taken as the main element of the collection by the designer. References to neat wavy hair can be seen in the author’s prints by Lina Nechiporuk. Additionally, they are manifested in delicate chiffon frills decorating evening silk dresses in black and milky shades. It’s noteworthy that the color palette of the collection echoes the hues of nature.
The symbol of the maiden’s braid also appears as a braided decorative element in bustiers and corsets. A key part of the collection is the complexly tailored dresses in mini, midi, and maxi lengths, and two-piece suits complemented by delicate semi-transparent blouses in white and burgundy shades.
The designer’s signature can be traced in mini dresses with asymmetrical draping, as well as structured maxi dresses and corsets and bustiers that accentuate the figure. Alongside these outfits, and in contrast to the traditional ELENAREVA silk and chiffon, the new collection includes items made of eco-leather: particularly striking is a long skirt paired with a silk crop top, and loose-fitting trousers that look perfect with a bustier in the same texture.
Another experiment involved knitted dresses, sweaters, skirts, and scarves in white and soft pink colors. These items beautifully combine into monochrome looks, perfect for cool fall weather.
Special attention, from the accessories, is drawn to the ear cuff, while bags in two sizes with a decorative knot make for lovely accents. The minimalist cut and sculptural silhouettes continue the story of female strength!
When did you know you wanted to be a fashion designer?
I knew I would be creating clothes since my childhood. But my desire was solidified when I started working as a fashion model, diving into this beautiful world. Initially, I worked in a fashion theater, where we were at the heart of everything, feeling all the processes, creating collections, shows, and events. Our art director was crazy in the best sense, and those were some of the brightest moments of my life. Then came the runways, working in Tokyo, Seoul, but this whole world inspired me to create my own brand. Because I always had my own way of understanding a woman and her energy. It’s incredible to create clothes inspired by your heroine, as you see it yourself.
What’s it like being in the fashion industry
It’s always a challenge! I believe fashion reflects our reality, the processes happening around us, technology, the race, speed, and also the problems surrounding us, like wars and everything else, it really influences. But on the other hand, as an artist, you create clothes for the most beautiful beings on the planet. For women, strong and beautiful, attractive and sexy, each uniquely so. And for me, the important part of this whole process is the feedback, when women say how they feel in the dresses we create, unique, especially attractive, and our pieces always being relevant inspires me.
How is the fashion industry in your home country?
Actually, I think our country is doing great in fashion! Despite the war in our country, our brands are moving forward and continue to work on both local and international markets, creating beauty for this world. The most important thing is that we have a huge number of cool brands creating really quality products and great content. Our people, like nowhere else in the world, love to look beautiful, stylishly dressed, athletic, and well-groomed, so our brands are very relevant on the local market and on the international market as well.
What was your first job in the fashion industry?
My first collection was called blooming. We worked in collaboration with Ukrainian artist Alina Yakubenko. During Ukrainian Fashion Week, we had a show for the S/S13 collection. Specifically for this show, Ukrainian artist Alina Yakubenko created a video installation that complemented the theme of spring awakening, which was the basis of the collection. It was an amazing atmosphere. We had giant-sized flowers growing, models appeared on the runway amid a riot of colors.
Talk about the changes in your life since you‘ve your own clothing store.
I love what I do, I adore creating beautiful feminine things that give girls a sense of uniqueness and attractiveness. It’s hard to describe how my life has changed. Probably, my whole life is my brand. I dedicate all my time to it, it’s like a child that is always little and always needs its mother’s attention. So, there’s no time left for anything else.
How do you choose your inspiration as a fashion designer?
Women were always the main source of inspiration for me. From season to season I focus on the inner sense of being a woman, her authenticity, intelligence and singularity to create clothes which meet woman’s nature and vision of today’s comfort and chic.
Deep-rooted Ukrainian culture is an endless source of inspiration for me as well. For example, the ancient Trypillian culture, which existed on the territory of modern Ukraine about 7000 years ago. The graphic language of the Trypillian civilization is powerful and endowed with a special essence. And the connection of generations, the heritage of our ancestors is an endless source of study.
The brand is also known for its collaborations with Ukrainian artists who develop prints and accessories for the collections and installations for the shows. The art definitely inspires me greatly.
What advice would you pass along to those starting in the Fashion Business
Ask yourself:
- Are you ready to work 24/7?
- Do you have a unique idea that you want to convey to the world?
Tell us about your last collection
The collection is inspired by the main symbol of Ukrainian women’s beauty – the girl’s braid.
“The greatest beauty is a girl’s braid,” says an ancient Ukrainian proverb. Indeed, for centuries in folklore, it was believed that a girl’s braid is a symbol of honor, hard work, neatness, and one of the most important natural ornaments of women.
Hair and its care, length, and braiding style often reflected unique aspects of femininity and cultural nuances of different regions of Ukraine. The tradition of braiding and the beauty of Ukrainian women’s hair became the starting point for creating the ELENAREVA Autumn-Winter 2024-25 collection.
The soft silhouette of loose curls formed by a tightly braided braid was taken as the main element of the collection. References to neat wavy hair can be seen in the original prints by Lina Nechiporuk. In addition, they appeared in delicate chiffon flounces decorating evening silk dresses in black and cream shades. It is worth noting that the color palette of the collection refers to shades inherent in nature.
The symbol of the girl’s braid also appears as a braided decorative element in bustiers and corsets. One of the main parts of the collection became dresses of complex cut in mini, midi, and maxi lengths and two-piece suits, complemented by delicate semi-transparent blouses in white and burgundy shades.
To know more about this amazing fashion designer, please visit: Elena Reva
