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Transcript/ScriptSEATTLE-UKRAINE FASHION
HEADLINE: Ukrainian Folk Attire Struts Runway at Metropolitan Fashion Week Seattle
TEASER: This year, event in part celebrates vibrant diaspora communities in area in and around Washington state's largest city
PUBLISHED AT: 05/08/2023 at 4:34p
BYLINE: Natasha Mozgovaya
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Woodinville, Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: Natasha Mozgovaya; VOLYA archive
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Mia Bush, Page
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:18
VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:
((INTRO))
[[Authentic Ukrainian ethnic folk attire made a recent appearance on a runway at the Metropolitan Fashion Week Seattle, held in the city's suburb of Woodinville. Natasha Mozgovaya has more.]]
((NARRATION))
When thinking of fashion, Washington state, with its big tech companies and outdoor lovers, is not the first one that comes to mind. Yet, in its 11th season, Seattle’s fashion week emphasized sustainability and its vibrant diaspora communities’ culture.
((Eduardo Khawam, Metropolitan Fashion Week Director))
“Metropolitan Fashion Week, just like Microsoft, Amazon, Costco, Starbucks, was founded in Seattle. // We have designers creating high fashion masterpieces inspired from sustainable stuff. // Let me give you an example – this one dress made is with 6,000 straws because that’s how many straws we throw away in one minute in the U.S.”
((NARRATION))
A special entrant this year was a collection of vintage Ukrainian folk costumes, featuring traditional clothes from several regions of the country.
((Tanya Zayka, Volunteer Model))
“Some of these pieces are 200 years old, so it feels very special to wear it.”
((NARRATION))
Tanya Zayka, originally from Kyiv, has been living in the United States for 30 years. A fintech account executive, she dedicates her spare time to humanitarian projects.
((Tanya Zayka, Volunteer Model))
“What we are trying to bring to our audience today is —most of them are seeing horrible images of war that Russia brought to Ukraine, and we all saw the devastation, but we’d also like to show you the other side of the Ukrainian people, the happy, the beautiful, the passionate, rich culture, rich, happy people that we are during the times of peace.”
((NARRATION))
Curator of the Ukrainian clothing is Seattle artist and moviemaker Volya Dzemka, ((Mandatory CG: VOLYA )) leader of a local Belarusian folk group. ((end credit))
((Volya Dzemka, VOLYA Folk Group))
“When the war in Ukraine started, I just felt compelled that we needed to support Ukraine, Ukrainian people. // ((Mandatory CG: Volya)) By the beginning of the last year, I had two full sets of Ukrainian costumes, the Chernyhiv and Kyiv ones. ((end credit)) And then when I found out that my friends in Seattle wanted to do a vyshivanka day, I offered them my authentic Ukrainian costumes.”
((NARRATION)) ((Credit: VOLYA))
A vyshyvanka day is a holiday with the goal of preserving Ukrainian folk traditions and includes creating or wearing ethnic embroidered clothes called vyshyvankas. ((end credit))
Dzemka has been carefully restoring the costumes, spending hours matching era-appropriate fabrics and elements. The collection now has 26 pieces.
((Volya Dzemka, VOLYA Folk Group))
“This costume is from the Poltava region. And this is the festive costume or holiday costume for the married woman. And how do we know that? The whole head is covered. And then, when it's a girl or unmarried woman or bride-to-be, of course, there is going to be a super huge, absolutely fantastic Ukrainian headdress that we all absolutely adore.”
((NARRATION))
Some elements remain relevant in today’s fashion, says Dzemka. Take the dukach, a traditional coin pendant.
((Volya Dzemka, VOLYA Folk Group))
Ukrainian fashionistas really love it. // And they think it's their kind of statement that this is a Ukrainian necklace, I'm Ukrainian and I wear it with pride. “
((NARRATION))
Dzemka admits that collecting traditional clothing is an endless journey and hopes that one day the collection will find its place in a museum of Ukrainian culture.
((Natasha Mozgovaya, VOA News, Seattle, Washington.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Seattle, Washington
Embargo DateMay 8, 2023 18:33 EDT
Byline
Natasha Mozgovaya, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
