Ruslan Baginskiy, the hats of the stars of Kiev that resist the bombs

Ruslan Baginskiy is a brand synonymous with haute couture, famous all over the world. His hats have conquered international catwalks, prestigious covers and clients such as Madonna, Bella Hadid, Miley Cirus, Erin Wasson. And the Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska, because this brand was born and has always remained in Kiev. Until now. But then you had to pack your bags and move to Lviv, in an attempt to continue the business even in a country at war. Even when, one of the co-founders and owners, Petro Yasinskyi, tells AdnKronos, “the air raid alarms sound”. Because, he says, “our mission is to show the world that our nation is strong and indestructible.” And from Ukraine, Ruslan Baginskiy launches an appeal: support Made in Ukraine to support Ukraine. “The lives of all of us changed radically on February 24 – says Petro Yasinskyi – My team and our brand were in Kiev, but with the start of the war we had to take our people to a safer place, in Lviv. “. A choice dictated by the need to survive and which was not easy. “Some members of our staff wanted to stay with their families, some work remotely, still others temporarily went out of the country. After a month we were able to partially resume the work of our online store and now we are able to carry out orders for our customers “. A job that if before looked at the catwalks, now looks at the troops and which today marries the Ukrainian cause with all the commitment it can put in place. “We have been able to relocate our production, so that we can work and have the opportunity to help people and our army.” Such as? “For our brand, Instagram has always been one of the main marketing platforms, but since the beginning of the conflict we have decided to dedicate it to one of the most important missions: spreading the truth and informing people about the situation in Ukraine”. ‘Solidarity gives us the strength and motivation to keep working’ “It was important to us that many designers follow our example, and now our mission is to show the world that our nation is strong and indestructible; that we work, that we are able to resume work even when air raid alarms are heard every few hours “, stresses Petro Yasinskyi. The flagship store in Kiev has been closed since February 24th. “The situation in Kiev was critical – says the co-owner of Ruslan Baginskiy – up to 60% of citizens have lost their homes and most of the commercial activities, with the exception of critical infrastructures, have been closed. To date we do not know. when we can go back and reopen our space to guests and customers. For now, it is still very dangerous to go back to Kiev and our government prevents people from doing it. Just before it all started, we had arranged to open our own showroom in Paris, which we thought we could make operational on February 26. But of course we stayed in Ukraine and did all the online meetings “. Fortunately, there was no lack of international solidarity. “Our partners have given us all possible support and most of them have ordered the new Fall / Winter 2022 collection. Now, with our production forcibly relocated, all this support and this trust in us give us so much strength and motivation to continue working “. Indeed, Ruslan Baginskiy hats can be ordered from the largest retailers around the world: NeimanMarcus, Browns, Kadewe, MatchesFashion, Luisaviaroma, Revolve, Globus, HoltRenfrew, Mytheresa, ModaOperandi, Antonioli, Lane Crowford. ‘Made in Ukraine today is also a symbol of courage’ A willpower that becomes an appeal, to dress Ukrainian, and in general to support Made in Ukraine, to support the country. “During the war we said it out loud many times and we will continue to talk about Ukrainian brands and how important it is to support them now – underlines Petro Yasinskyi – Made in Ukraine today is also a symbol of courage, courage and responsibility. Our friends and their teams continue to work, taking all the risks. I want their names to be known all over the world and I believe there will be many people who will proudly wear Ukrainian brands. When the war has come to our country, Russia will not it only attacked our cities and our people, but also what each of us has been building for years. Supporting Ukrainian brands is the way to keep them afloat in these terrible times. ” by Stefania Marignetti