Help Ukrainian via Creative Entrepreneurship

Welcome!

Help support up and coming Ukrainian fashion designers and support their creative commitment in the face of war and adversity.

Despite three years of brutal Russian invasion and hardships, Ukrainian entrepreneurs remain eager, creative and committed to share their voice and culture through fashion and apparel.

This is a program to directly support these entrepreneurs.

Startup Ukraine, with US partners, has chosen 10 fashion designers from over 100 applicants, to make a US market entry.

[Want to attend the Fashion Show itself? Scroll down to the end for information on the March 22 event.]

The program is committed to helping the designers, and boosting the jobs, manufacturing, resilience and creative pride of the Ukrainian fashion and design sector. All in the face of an ongoing war tearing their country apart.

How can you help?

Donate to support a program for 10 of Ukraine's leading fashion designers and their opportunity to travel to the US to create partnerships, joint-ventures, and increased business with United States partners.

Your donations will make this project a success by supporting the following:

Mentorship from our team of iconic fashion industry leaders,

A dedicated Ukrainian Showroom for Los Angeles Market Week in the New Mart Building, March 11-14,

A dedicated Ukrainian Fashion Show evening event produced by ArtHearts Fashion at the New Mart, March 21-23,

Follow-up with marketing strategies for success.

How else can you help the group of Ukrainian entrepreneurs thrive?

First, the cohort of 10 companies will participate in an educational and business acceleration program for US market entry readiness. Topics include go-to-market strategy, market research, intellectual property protection, cross-border accounting and taxation, investor readiness and more critical topics of doing business with companies in the US and around the world.

The US Embassy in Kyiv has generously provided a small grant to kickstart the programming. The mentorship, expert presenters, photography, runways, accessories and more have been graciously donated by our network in Los Angeles. For example, New Mart has graciously offered showroom and coworking space in their historic building in the center of LA's Fashion District.

The Ukrainian designers need your help with the costs of travel, food, lodging and growing their business in the US.

After the virtual business coaching, the entrepreneurs travel to Los Angeles in late March 2024 for the LA Market Week to present their designs, meet with buyers and leverage what they learned in the cohort to make a successful US market entry. In the end, this will create jobs and manufacturing and perpetuate the creativity and hope in their war-torn country.

Again, the funds raised will help these entrepreneurs with transportation, shipping the garments and apparel to the US, and costs of doing business while in Los Angeles.

The program is organized by the Community Vitalization Council, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit economic development organization that has gathered a network of partners donating time, resources and expertise to the Ukrainian fashion entrepreneurs. It is managing the funds as the US partner to the incredible and indefatigable team at Startup Ukraine.

What's in it for you?

Our goal is to offer the designers' garments and apparel direct to donors as well as ->THIS<- unique thank you gift from the designers.

Help the following designers chase their dreams and share Ukrainian pride in the USA via Los Angeles!

Designer Name: Brand Name:

Anastasiia Biletska : TOTAL WHITE

Audio Message: LISTEN

Anastasiia Shashkova: ROÁR

Audio Message: LISTEN

Alina Hrehul : KSENIASCHNAIDER

Audio Message: LISTEN

Kramarenko Kseniia : OVERTHESEA

Audio Message: LISTEN

Svitlana Filiuk : L'ESKIZZO

Audio Message: VIEW

Alyona Shuba: VIVONS

Audio Message: LISTEN

Igor Kovalenko: 2KOLYORY

Audio Message: LISTEN

Valeriia Zhilyova : ZHILYOVA

Audio Message: LISTEN

Hanna Pozhar : MUSTHAVE

Andre Tan: TAN RDNT

Andre's Audio Message: LISTEN

Please reach out with questions, comments and ideas!

For those interested in attending the March 22, 2024 evening fashion event and afterparty in Los Angeles, please see info and ticket options at another gracious program partner Fashion Tech Works.