At Berlin Fashion Week, the Ukrainian conceptual brand DZHUS showed 10 innovative pieces which designer Irina Dzhus transformed radically in front of the audience, showing the most signature styling options of each.
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“The war has divided every Ukrainian’s life into ‘before’ and ‘after’. As I think of my countrymen, and countrywomen in particular, who have lost everything and had to embrace new hypostases of themselves in order to survive, I want to portray those superheroes and their inevitable metamorphosis in a symbolic way.” – Irina Dzhus shares.
The transformation of the Autumn/Winter looks pays tribute to the drastic changes all Ukrainians have faced in the circumstances they could not affect. Having survived, they gained strength, understood what mattered most, and became more future-oriented.
The FW23 line mainly consists of architectonic silhouettes: statement puffer coats, boxy fit jackets, maxi dresses, and oversized trousers, which, at the same time, are incredibly flexible when it comes to wearability, as they offer a wide variety of functional changes. Those include the metamorphosis of trousers into dresses and jackets, coats into jumpsuits, and sleeves into hoods and vests. But most importantly, many of our DZHUS transform into bags, hats, and other accessories. And if that’s not enough, DZHUS presented a dress deriving from a jewellery piece.
The brand’s palette is very reserved, varying from monochrome to nude and earthy shades. Such a chromatic limitation helps accentuate the structure, which is the core of DZHUS designs. Speaking of fabric choices, Irina Dzhus finds the ethical origin of the materials most important. Back in 2010, she launched DZHUS as a cruelty-free brand, and all DZHUS collections have been animal friendly. Aesthetics-wise, DZHUS opts for tech-inspired materials and peculiar surfaces. In the AW23 line, DZHUS used a variety of textured cotton and knits, as well as contrasting see-through rayon and edgy pleat, whereas distressed finishes enhance the dramatic effect.
Many of DZHUS AW23 designs are conceived around pockets and bags, as an allegory for the evacuation process millions of Ukrainians went through, having taken only the belongings they could carry. “Many have preferred symbolic things to practical stuff, which is so touching…” – Irina recalls. Some of the outfits offer a transformation from an exaggeratedly utilitarian unisex silhouette into a fragile feminine look and vice versa, as an allusion to the inevitable change of a personality under the influence of force majeure circumstances, often demanding heart-breaking decisions.
The key piece of the collection is a bulletproof-vest-inspired overall turning into a colossal coat with a sheer hood, referring to an angel protector of our unbreakable nation. The concept of the DZHUS performance, as well as the distinctive soundtrack, composed by a US-based musician with Ukrainian roots, EYIBRA, is highly symbolic, paying honour to the tragic experience of the designer’s countrymen.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
