Fashioning Freedom: Ukrainian Soviet Designers as Agents of National Emancipation

• In Event: Beyond Aesthetics: Unraveling the Liberation Potential of Soviet Fashion Design, Cinema, and Art

Abstract

This paper examines the role of fashion in driving national emancipation, offering a case study on various Ukrainian designers and their opportunities and challenges. Three distinctive scenarios unfold: the first involves individuals working within state structures, advocating for official fashion; the second highlights a designer compelled to transition from being an artist after expulsion from the artists' association; and the third explores designers engaged in artisanal production, actively promoting traditional Ukrainian fashion.

Author

• Olha Korniienko, Centre for Contemporary History (Germany)