Ukrainian Creators Open Pop-Up Showcase in Paris

Tripolar, a temporary concept store and exhibition organised by a collective of Ukrainian creators working in fashion, design, and the arts opened on Paris’ Boulevard Saint-Germain Monday.

Sculptures by Maria Kulikovska and Olga Sabko and paintings by Masha Shubina and Yelena Yemchuk are interspersed with home goods including pottery by Gunia and carpets by Oksana Levchenya. The fashion includes looks from Ukrainian labels Poustovit, Bevza, Bobkova and Anna October.

Donors including industry veteran Julie Gilhart’s Fashion Girls for Humanity fund covered the cost of staging the 10-day pop-up, while jewellery designer Charlotte Chesnais lent her future store, currently under construction, as its space.T

That support, along with help from Paris-based collaborators on art direction, public relations, and production, will allow 100 percent of the pop-up’s sale prices to be paid back to the creators, said Venya Brykalin, fashion director at Vogue Ukraine. Brykalin helped organise the event with Sonya Kasha, a former fashion editor at the title and co-founder of the production company Baby.

Some creators will use the proceeds to pay salaries and keep fuelling their operations in Ukraine (all items were produced there with the exception of a few artworks) while others are planning donations to humanitarian organisations like the Kyiv Angels.

The current pop-up, which was curated with an eye to invoking Ukraine’s past and traditions, is set to be followed up with two more editions later in the year meant to highlight Ukraine’s present and future.

One month into the war in Ukraine, founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed speaks with Julie Pelipas, Lilia Litkovskaya and Vadim Rogovskiy on The BoF Podcast.

Editors’ Note: This story has been modified on 11th May at 12:15pm BST. Updates to correct spelling of Olga Sabko and Bevza.