Fashion and Diplomacy: From Digital Fashion Week in New York to a Panel at the World Affairs Council
My guiding thought when working on fashion has always been that it shapes the cultural future of society. It defines what people will aspire to and imitate in their lives. Thus, finding myself as a refugee in a foreign country, with my hometown under occupation, my business lost, and relatives taken captive, I decided to use fashion as a tool in the fight against russian propaganda. Propaganda that sought to legitimize russian military aggression on the international stage.
This led to the creation of a collection dedicated to the defenders of Azovstal and, later, a full digital fashion show. These were my first attempts to work with digital tools, which I mastered and implemented in real time. All the more gratifying was the rapid success of these works, as they were accepted for display at some of the most innovative and avant-garde platforms like Digital Fashion Week NY & London and Metaverse Fashion Week by Decentraland. In the US, the show took place at the World Trade Center, and in the UK, at the Epic Games office.
This work not only spoke to the world by itself but also initiated a chain of further communications, proving that fashion is certainly not apolitical. Like any sphere of modern life, it cannot remain outside of politics. I was invited to present my show to the students of Southern New Hampshire University, showcasing how, in my case, my creative profession can also serve as a tool for social activism and a proactive stance.
Furthermore, my visit was organized in such a way that I was able to participate in a panel discussion, Ukraine at War: A Critical Crossroads for the World, at the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire, attended by, among others, Senator Maggie Hassan. You can view the full panel recording here: