One and only: Ukrainian-born pop star Tina Karol celebrated her birthday on Wednesday by unveiling a collaborative collection.
A year in the making, this 20-piece assortment is inspired by the Ukrainian style of trying to keep life as normal as possible despite the Russian invasion. The designer team envisioned a style that would show support for the military and everyone fighting for the country. With that in mind, ZSU, a term commonly used to refer to the Ukrainian military, is imprinted on balaclavas, denim maxi skirts, and other select styles. According to some, simply speaking or writing ZSU pays tribute to the “noble men and brave women” who defend the country with their armed forces.
A portion of the proceeds from the Tina Karol x One by One collection will be donated to purchase winter clothing for the women who work at ZSU. “The main message of the campaign is that we Ukrainians are different,” Karol said. We move forward towards our goals and spin a single story.”
To inspire patriotism, the collection’s slogan is ‘You are free to make one story’. The paper crane motif in the collection is a symbol of hope, faith, perseverance and peace. The idea to use origami cranes came when Karol visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Japan last year and saw a small origami crane made by Sadako Sasaki, an atomic bomb victim. There, Karol learns of a Japanese legend that says that those who can fold a thousand origami paper cranes will have their dreams come true. Sadako, who had leukemia, dreamed that her illness would be cured, and she died after folding 644 cranes. Her classmates folded her remaining cranes in her honor. Karol decided to graphic her image of Crane to tie in the symbolism of the capsule under the wing.
The crane motif was inspired by a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
Photo by Dmitry Rybakov/courtesy
Ukrainian stylist Zhenya Primachenko and a team from the Fashion Office were responsible for the creative ideas and campaign production. Mykhailo Fedorak shot a collection in Kyiv this month despite constant blackouts, sirens and threats of Russian strikes. The range includes styles like $44 turtlenecks, $52 knit dresses, $59 denim his maxi skirts, $83 midi-length knit dresses, and $100 cardigans. Images of Karol modeling them can be seen on his e-commerce site at One by One. Shoppers can also buy from Select his shops in major Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv, Lviv, Chernivtsia, Kharkov, Vinnitsia, Kropyvnitsky.
Tina Karol wearing a balaclava from the capsule collection.
Photo by Dmitry Rybakov/courtesy
Karol posted an image of herself wearing several designs to keep her 1.8 million Instagram fans up to date on her latest business venture. Karol, who has appeared as a coach on “The Voice” and a presenter on “Dancing with the Stars,” has a wide audience. She is also a brand ambassador for green beauty specialist Garnier and watch and jewelry store Ukrzoloto, as well as digital companies such as Huawei and Rakuten. Others know the artist through the eponymous foundation she founded in 2014. The foundation is intended to support pediatric oncology departments of Ukrainian city and regional hospitals.