Ukrainian owner of fashion brand Ienki Ienki, Dima levenko, talks of her thoughts on the conflict while at Milan Fashion Week with GQ.
When asked if it's appropriate for the show to continue while the conflict is going on, Ievenko said, "Definitely not. The scale of this tragedy which is happening can only be compared to the Second World War, and it’s just the second day. It’s horrifying. Of course there is no place for any kind of those events. But to be honest, paying attention to this conflict, and offering real help, is much more important than discussing if it’s appropriate or not appropriate to do Fashion Week. To be honest, do whatever. If you feel that you have to go party, go party. I’m not here to tell you not to party. But you have to know what’s going on, you have to see it. You have to take it into consideration and do something. It’s happening so close, on the Eastern edge of Europe!"
When asked if she's been hearing from family and employees who are still in Kyiv, Ievenko said, "I’m with every person constantly on the phone, asking where are you, what’s happening. Of course nobody went to the office from the beginning because all of Kyiv was under air raid sirens, and everybody was in the shelters. But some are trying to get to the border with Poland and leave Ukraine. It’s very clear: if you can leave, you leave. But now, there is no other options. So we are trying to find some safe places for people to stay. I have two employees—my financial director and head of production, both women who live by themselves in Kyiv. We discussed which flat is safer for them, and they are now staying together and going to the [air raid] shelters together. Now the fighting is everywhere. I don’t know if you’ve seen or not, but there are a huge number of tanks in Kyiv. It's a disaster."
When asked if she's been hearing anything about the conflict from others at Milan, Ievenko said, "No. This is the thing, nobody cares. I’m here with some other Ukrainian people, and we’re meeting with each other, and when we go out in the middle of fashion week it’s like we’re in a capsule. Here in Milan there are tons of people, the weather is beautiful, the COVID restrictions are not that high, and people are dressed up for the street style. And we are going in between them in a completely different reality. Because my reality now is in Ukraine."
Information originally sourced from GQ.
