The dramatic events of the past few weeks have left no one cold, including the fashion industry, which is showing solidarity with Ukraine. Various national fashion associations such as the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and the British Fashion Council as well as Berlin Fashion Week took a stand.
Berlin Fashion Week shows its colors and calls for donations
Berlin Fashion Week, which takes place from March 14th to 20th, focuses on diversity and interdisciplinarity in its program with the main themes of sustainability, innovation and the influence of different subcultures. Therefore, without further ado, she recognized color and changed her visual appearance.
“In view of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the organizers of Berlin Fashion Week are sending a clear signal and expressing their solidarity with Ukraine. The key visual of the Berlin Fashion Week was quickly redesigned and shows the national colors of the Ukraine. The organizers will call for fundraisers. Many Berlin institutions and networks are involved in collecting donations in kind and money,” says a press release.
Italian Fashion Federation donates MFW proceeds
The Italian fashion association Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) has announced its participation in the solidarity initiative launched by the global organization UNHCR for the humanitarian emergency in Ukraine. He was the first Italian foundation to join Diesel founder Renzo Rosso’s OTB Foundation.
The CNMI has worked with UNHCR on several occasions in the past and will provide the project with the entries from the Milan Fashion Week showroom that just ended. The global organization working to save lives, protect rights and ensure a future for refugees, displaced persons and stateless persons is already working on Ukrainian territory and is on the front lines supporting thousands of people in need.
“Fashion builds bridges, promotes connection between people and cultural exchange and spreads values of integration. In these days of international crisis, it is important to remember how each of us can contribute to create a better world and a sustainable and solidary future. Our attention goes to all the people who are suffering,” commented CNMI President Carlo Capasa in a press release.
BFC calls for support of global campaign against invasion
The British fashion association British Fashion Council (BFC) has also given some thought to how it can help Ukraine, specifically referring to the country’s fashion industry and Ukrainian members in the UK and their families.
“As an organization that supports emerging talent from many fields, cultures and nationalities, we offer the Ukrainian designers, retailers and media the resources at our disposal. We will do our utmost to support them during these difficult times,” the BFC said in a statement.
“We call on all members of our network to support the global campaign to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine in any way they can,” it said.
… but also for Russian colleagues
The BFC distinguishes between the government and the Russian people: “This campaign is aimed at the Russian government, not at the teams of our designer members and supporters in Russia, or at Russian colleagues and friends here who may be afraid of being discriminated against for actions over which they have absolutely no control”.
The British Fashion Council also refers to the position of the British government and the fact that due to the current sanctions against Russia, no UK products can be shipped to Russia until the conflict is resolved.