Angel For Fashion is a digital platform promoting the Ukrainian fashion industry.
Africa
Two and a half years after the Russian invasion, besieged Ukrainians continue to live their daily lives as best they can. That means many businesses remain open, supporting the local economy and maintaining hope amid adversity.
In the middle of this mayhem is Jen Siddaly, an American-born fashion executive with a rich international background (she is an Italian citizen and her mother is of Ukrainian and Polish Jewish descent), who responded to the tragedy by launching Angel for Fashion, a digital platform where people from all over the world can discover, shop, and support the Ukrainian fashion industry.
Jen Siddalee started Angels for Fashion in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Radomsky
In November 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sidary found herself at a critical crossroads in her career: An e-commerce professional, she moved from California (where she worked for luxury brands such as Informa Markets, Zappos and Vivienne Westwood) to Kyiv, where she immersed herself in the Ukrainian fashion industry under the mentorship of her close friend, French-American Dominique Piotet, CEO of Unit City.
As Sidary dug deeper, she discovered a treasure trove of untapped talent: Ukrainian designers ready to spark a renaissance in her country’s fashion world. Working with the USAID Competitive Economy Program (USAID CEP), Sidary helped propel Ukrainian brands onto the global stage, showcasing them at fashion weeks in New York, Paris, and Milan.
Then in February 2022, as the threat of a Russian invasion loomed during a Ukrainian fashion event in New York, Sidary’s hopes of shipping clothes to Ukraine faded. So she brought four of the six designers’ collections to her one-bedroom home in Los Angeles and connected with well-known Ukrainian designer Valery Kowalska by inviting her to come and see her.
Despite the adversity, the bond between Sidary and Kowalska quickly grew, and they decided to come together to support Ukraine and its fashion industry. The seeds of Angel For Fashion were planted. Just a few weeks later, on March 13, 2022, the online platform was launched, showcasing 30 Ukrainian fashion designers and over 800 products.
Angels For Fashion quickly became Sidari’s purpose in life, promoting the humanitarian side of… [+] fashion.
Africa
Today, Angel For Fashion presents 40 brands and over 1,800 styles to a global audience, a testament to Sidary’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine. The online platform attracts more than 100,000 unique visitors from over 200 countries around the world, heralding the beginning of a new era for Ukrainian designers.
“I dreamed of selling my designs to wholesalers all over the world. Since partnering with Angel for Fashion, I have received orders from retailers in the US, Germany, France, Italy, Egypt, Moldova, Belgium, Mexico and Kuwait. I am still in Kyiv, producing orders to keep the economy strong while we fight for freedom,” says Omelia’s Kostyantyn Omelia.
“Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, where I live, is being shelled every night. We make clothes while listening to air raid sirens and explosions,” said Daria Plaksiuk of PODYH. “We are all deeply traumatized and live under constant stress. Despite the horrors of war, I still have hope that one day Ukrainian songs of victory will be heard.”
“At this moment, and after my visit to Ukraine in mid-April 2024, my passion for fashion is overshadowed by the need to survive,” Sidary told me in an exclusive interview. “I never expected that dedicating my life to the fashion industry would completely change me and turn me into an advocate for people’s freedom around the world. For many years, I felt like my success in my career was built on relationships, and now I know that’s completely true. It’s people that change and shape our lives, not new dresses or shoes.”
Sidari has become a vocal advocate for freedom for people in Ukraine and around the world.
Africa
Sidary continues, “Angelforfashion.com was originally created to help Ukrainian designers survive the war in their country, yet it served a higher purpose: to incentivize companies to bring their employees back to work and keep women-owned industries on the payroll. This website and showroom have united the Ukrainian fashion industry, a mission more important than I could have ever dreamed of when I created it in the first 30 days of the war, and I will continue to fight for the rest of my career to help Ukraine survive and thrive as a country free of dictatorship.”
“The war is like a terrible nightmare with no end,” says Elena Reva of ElenaReva, “but gradually we adapted and found the strength to continue creating. Ukraine has its own identity, rich history, diverse culture and amazing natural landscapes. I love Ukraine. It is my home and my source of strength. Even though the war continues, we continue to work and create.”
