Ukrainian Designers Unite
On a global website as they fight for creative freedom to save their country’s fashion industry while Russia’s horrific war continues.
ANGELFORFASHION.COM, the e-Commerce website representing an unprecedented alliance of the most prominent Ukrainian fashion designers with 31 brands and over 1,600 styles, went live in early April 2022. American based and nurtured by the creative spirit of Ukraine, it is here to showcase their talent to a global audience and new styles are added weekly. The New York Times and WWD released exclusive articles about the stunning website launch on April 5th, 2022.
The online platform achieved instant success receiving multiple sales in every product category and visitors from over 175 countries around the world. ANGEL FOR FASHION has orders from 80% of its brands and over 50,000 unique visitors from around the globe. Many satisfied customers have received their orders shipped from the war-torn country which can be explored on their reviews section of the website Angel Stories.
ANGEL FOR FASHION is the brainchild of Jen Sidary, who is a Global Fashion Brand Strategist and now CEO & Founder of the online platform. With her 30 years of experience in the luxury fashion industry her previous stints include longtime industry veteran as the Head of Zappos Couture to the President of Sales for Vivienne Westwood America. Ms. Sidary is now utilizing her extensive luxury fashion eCommerce background to begin the recovery effort for Ukraine’s economy as the war continues against the country that she fell in love with on her first visit to Ukraine in November 2020. She is also a Fashion Expert for USAid’s Competitive Economy Program receiving grants to showcase Ukrainian fashion brands during fashion weeks from New York to Paris. She spent much of her time in and out of Ukraine in 2021 immersing herself in its fashion industry.
In June 2022, she was awarded for her work with Ukraine at Delivering Good’s annual Women of Inspiration luncheon in New York City which raised over $400,000 with an article featured in WWD.
“When shopping on ANGELFORFASHION.COM once customers place orders, they are then contacted by the brand directly for shipping information and so the “Angels” as we call them can make a personal emotional connection with the brands.
The kind words and support the brands are receiving from customer emails about the war on Ukraine will soon be shared on the website’s platform. The brands tell me it’s incredible to hear from customers around the globe that the world stands with Ukraine.”
— Jen Sidary, Founder and CEO at ANGEL FOR FASHION.
THE DESIGNERS
31 Ukrainian designers have united on one platform to power through a war crisis, to continue their businesses, pay their employees and expand their businesses. From bomb shelters and the front lines, they are actively showcasing their strength to the global fashion world and shipping product to customers in every country apart from Russia and Belarusia.
ANGEL FOR FASHION is an unprecedented alliance of the 34 Ukrainian brands including: 91 LAB, AATSU, BOB BASSET, CHERESHNIVSKA, DENIS MUSIC JEWELRY, DZHUS, ELENA BURENINA, ELENA REVA, FINCH, FOBERINI,
FROLOV, GASANOVA, GUDU, GUNIA PROJECT, HAVE A REST, INDPOSHIV, KACHOROVSKA, KATERINA KVIT, KOFTA STUDIO, LADY HUNTER, MARSALA, MY SLEEPING GYPSY, MY TWENTY FIVE, NUE STUDIO, OLENA DATS, OLIZ, PASKAL, POCHE, SAMOKISH, T.MOSCA, VALERY KOVALSKA.
“ANGELFORFASHION.COM and its designers have received tremendous success with visitors from over 175 countries around the globe. We have received orders for In-Stock and Pre-Order styles, from every product category and all price points.
We ship customer orders from Ukraine with their purchases already being delivered during a war to as far away as California to Japan. It seems nothing can stop Ukrainians, Ukrainian fashion, and their fight for freedom!” — Jen Sidary, Founder and CEO at ANGEL FOR FASHION.
In High Demand
The website receives daily requests from Ukrainian brands wanting to be a part of the platform. The waiting list with over 80 brands will carefully assess each designer prior to approving them to possibly become a part of the brand matrix.
Lightning Speed Back Story
1 month. 31 brands. Over 800 Ukrainian styles on one platform.
The concept was born on the 28th of February 2022, amidst the shocking war in Ukraine, with the primary objective to allow the Ukrainian designers to continue contributing to the Ukrainian economy to bring victory closer.
The project was developed at record speed, considering the scale. The idea's inception dates to February 27th, 2022, when designer Alina Kachorovska called Jennifer inquiring how she could continue to support the Ukrainian economy in
wartime. The next day, the global idea was conceived. Jennifer immediately reached out to one of her partners in Barcelona, Kevin Markowski, Co-Founder and CEO at Spitche, who then connected her to Maktagg Agency, a progressive development team from Barcelona, to start building the website on March 13th. As little as three days later, ANGEL FOR FASHION.com as an actual project and brand was born.
Soon, the whole AFF management and operations team was formed, consisting largely of specialists from Ukraine and led by Alina Bairamova, Chief Creative Officer. BRUSH Agency, a Ukrainian digital marketing company, was commissioned to manage the platform’s social media presence and strategy. The website now employees all Ukrainians from their Brand Manager Marina Yatsenko, Pavel Baklagin the Digital Merchandiser and Maria Masily the Accountant.
At the same time, Jennifer reached out to Ukrainian designers with the facilitation assistance from Valery Kovalska, an acclaimed Kyiv-based designer who was staying with Jennifer in Los Angeles due to the war. Within two weeks, over 30 renowned Ukrainian fashion designers confirmed their partnership. Now all these incredible brands are all on one platform and the Ukrainian Fashion Alliance was born in all its glory.
The Concept
ANGEL FOR FASHION features live products as well as pre-sell items. The brands had to adapt to a new reality very quickly. Over the past month, designers and their teams were relocating across the globe, saving their lives, families, and businesses. Many have been moving their stock to the Western part of Ukraine and Europe from war zones with acute danger. Despite the horrific destruction, they quickly pivoted and began setting up new production facilities worldwide to keep creating and fulfilling customer demands.
The website is live and ready to ship worldwide, except the Russian Federation and Belarus.
