How the flagship event on the future of Ukrainian fashion went: Future Fashion Forum 2026
On May 9, fashion insiders, entrepreneurs, digital innovators, and artists gathered in Lviv to explore the near future of fashion and the creative industries.
The main focus of this year’s event by the Ukrainian Fashion Education Group was the climate in the broadest sense—natural, emotional, economic, and cultural. The presentations by 11 speakers were dedicated to these aspects of the fashion industry’s development and the global agenda.
What are the demands of the future consumer? How does climate change affect fashion? Why are adaptability and inclusivity key guiding principles in design? How can artificial intelligence be used in business, creativity, and the customer experience? What should fashion brands be preparing for today? Designers, stylists, technology specialists, researchers of natural materials, and visionaries sought answers to these and other questions.
“I am inspired by the pace at which the Ukrainian fashion industry is developing. Our futuristic approach lies in the combination of new technologies and a rich heritage. And when I see unconventional approaches to both collection development and product understanding, as well as to creating an experience that inevitably envelops every item, it all motivates us to grow even more rapidly and provide platforms for dialogue among both emerging and established designers and brands,” notes Marina Loseva, founder and host of the Future Fashion Forum. “To stay one step ahead, it’s important to think big and conceptually, to be very flexible, and to have the courage to go beyond the familiar.”
Taking the stage at the Future Fashion Forum 2026 were:
Marina Loseva — fashion expert, founder and CEO of Ukraine’s largest fashion school, the Ukrainian Fashion Education Group, member of the Ukrainian Fashion Council, and author of the book “Theory of Fashion: Concepts and Practices.”
Maria Khalizeva — journalist, fashion critic, and contributor to L’Officiel and Vogue.
Andriy Moskin and Andreas Bilous — co-founders and designers of the leading Ukrainian brand Andreas Moskin.
Olga Shaternik is the communications manager at the “Ukrainian Institute of the Future” think tank and coordinator of the “Vision” project.
Yevgen Golovanchuk (SKΞΞVA) is a digital fashion artist and co-founder of the AtelierX and 23 Bulbs groups of companies.
Oksana Zakharkevych is the coordinator of EDIH Clotex-HUB, Ukraine’s first digital innovation hub in the light industry sector.
Alona Bryukhanova — 3D fashion artist, stylist, and visual merchandiser.
Hanna Gurinenko — a bio-designer and researcher of natural materials.
Vasyl Kurylo — veteran of the Russia-Ukraine war, entrepreneur, founder of an inclusive brand and social initiatives.
Volodymyr Podolyan — designer, founder of the PDLN brand with a 20-year history on the global market.
Alongside the program of presentations, Forum guests were treated to interactive exhibition zones and a Pop Up Store featuring Ukrainian brands under the hashtag #LocalBrandsMatter.
The designer ethnic clothing brand Chernikova, together with craftswomen from the Kosiv Institute of Applied and Decorative Arts, demonstrated the art of vybika—an ancient technique of decorating clothing that is being revived in the modern Ukrainian context. Guests tried their hand at applying dye to fabric using wooden stencils.
The UFEG Bio-Design Department, led by designer Anna Gurinenko, presented a dress, lamps, and other design objects created from bacterial cellulose formed during the fermentation of kombucha (tea fungus), with the addition of wool and linen fibers.
Meanwhile, the EDIH Clotex-HUB team, in collaboration with researchers and students from the Department of Technology and Design of Garments at Khmelnytskyi National University, presented their own scientific developments related to 3D clothing modeling and fabric analysis using neural networks.
At the Pop Up Store, guests got to know local brands and selected handmade accessories for themselves: glass jewelry from S'KLO, natural hair products from VALEVAN, hats from SEMA HATS, silver rings and necklaces from J.MYRON, glass jewelry from Helenga Art Glass, elegant outfits from MAJEMI, and clothing and scarves from MYVO.
Ukrainian Digital & AI Fashion Festival 2026
The works of the finalists of the Festival, dedicated to digital fashion and co-creation with artificial intelligence, which takes place as part of the Future Fashion Forum, appeared on the big screen. This year, the authors created projects on the theme of “Biofuturism,” inspired by the synergy of various forms of life and cutting-edge technologies.
The finalists of the Ukrainian Digital & AI Fashion Festival 2026 are:
AR ACCESSORIES
AI FASHION CONCEPT
DIGITAL FASHION SHOW
3D AVATAR / MANNEQUIN
Radoslava-Elizaveta Aleksandrova
Also on the Forum stage, the finalists of two competitions for stylists were recognized; they created looks using AI tools and showcased their finished fashion shoots.
The winners were:
DIGITAL STYLING
Vitalina Melnik
FASHION EDITORIAL
Alona Rumyantseva
The Forum featured fashion shows and a performance by singer Nazariy Krasovskyi—an Azov fighter who survived 3.5 years of Russian captivity.
UFEG students presented three group collections:
– ARTCYCLE:DENIM — a manifesto of sustainable fashion, freedom, and a new cultural context in neo-hippie aesthetics.
– Homo Deus — a collection exploring how humanity is changing in the age of biotechnology and artificial intelligence;
– Rave-Ready Groove — looks that pulse to the rhythm of nightlife against the backdrop of climate change and the frenetic pace of big cities.
Please note that everyone who had a ticket to the event in Lviv will automatically become a participant in online events, including workshops and hackathons, which will take place over the course of 6–8 months following the Forum. Details will be announced shortly.
Event organizers: UFEG
Art Director: Marina Loseva
Photographers: Natalia Vasylchuk, Maria Goncharova
