It's difficult to talk about fashion superficially with Olena Shtogrina. Because style for her is not a color, not a style. It's a personality. It's honesty. It's an inner energy that you can't hide behind clothes and can't create artificially if it doesn't exist. She is a stylist, image maker, trainer, entrepreneur, book author, and a true professional with over fifteen years of experience, behind whom are thousands of transformed women and dozens of projects that became the first in Ukraine. And she is also a person who today openly says: "I am in search of new meanings. And that's okay."
We talked to Olena about fashion, inner honesty, female power, the illusion of a "full closet", war, age, finding yourself, and why it all starts with love.
You look amazing. Is it just professionalism? The ability to dress, apply makeup — or is there something more behind it?
— Of course, not only the external side. Everything is much deeper here. First, genetics are important - it plays a role, no matter what you say. But to be honest, I just lead a very conscious lifestyle. I don't have a single bad habit: I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't eat meat, sugar. And it's not a fight with myself - I just don't want to. It's built in, like the norm.
Recently I was looking through my old photos from Tony Robbins' training. There are "before" and "after" photos. And I saw: I have changed dramatically not only externally, but also internally. Because there, first of all, work with thinking. It was a very powerful cleansing - from toxic attitudes, fears, everything unnecessary. I plan to go there again this year - to renew my thinking.
All the information we consume — visually, mentally — either destroys us or shapes us. For example, I haven't watched TV or read the news for about ten years. This is also about the hygiene of consciousness.
And, of course, I accept myself as I am. I haven't done anything — no plastic surgery, no "tuning." I just live in peace with myself. And I think that all of this together: genetics, thinking, the absence of destructive factors — gives such an effect.
What helps you not to stress?
— You know, of course, like everyone else, I went through stress. The war was a very difficult period. My health suffered greatly: my heart, my immunity, my psyche — everything failed. This was the case when stress was objective and global. We could not resist it.
But what helped me survive — literally, not to break down? Good living conditions. I have a wonderful family, a loving husband, beautiful children. No one “hurts” me every day. I have an easy attitude towards life. This does not mean superficial, it means internally stable.
Since childhood, I have had positive thinking. It was not formed - I was born with it. I have a strong core inside. A very stable psyche. I always knew where my limits were. It was impossible to offend me - neither then nor now.
Yes, I'm kind. But if necessary, I can instantly defend my interests. And toughly. Without shame. Because I know my worth. I guess I was just lucky: no one spoiled my childhood. And, despite the difficult life, there were no tragedies in it. It was difficult — but not tragic. And that's a big difference.
Do you think a person can be stylish on their own? Is it still necessary to turn to a professional? If a person feels good, understands who they are, what they do, and knows how to express it, is that enough? Is a stylist still needed?
— If a person truly knows their inner self, that's great. But let's be honest: have you met many people who truly know themselves? Real ones?
Honestly, a little. But sometimes, when I communicate with a person, I understand that they are real at that moment...
— Yes, but at this moment you are communicating with only one of her subpersonalities. With one of many. We are multi-layered, multi-dimensional. Each person has dozens of roles. And what is an image? It is clothing selected for a specific role. Today you are a mother, tomorrow a manager, in the evening a wife, on the weekend a creator. How can you figure all this out on your own?
It's kind of like journalism. It seems like anyone can write an article, do an interview. But we know that it's a difficult craft. Depth. So it is with style. It's for smart people. For those who understand the value of their energy and time.
My clients are usually educated, conscious people. Those who understand: “Why would I waste time wandering around stores when I can focus on the main thing — and style will help me reveal the essence.” Because clothes are not just fabric. They are meaning. They are a guide. They are about how you present yourself to the world.
For example, my client Marina came to me - she trains karmologists. A new profession. And here's the question: what should a karmologist look like? And a tarologist? And a digital psychologist, who are now being released like hot cakes? Nobody knows. Because there are no standards. And here begins the work with a stylist.
Clothing is a combination of many factors. Color, shape, context, energy, psychology, archetypes. This is what I lecture about. It's all a complex system that cannot be mastered "by eye". I have an Erickson University degree in psychology and coaching. Plus, education in stylistics, image, and working with color. This is a huge puzzle that you put together anew for each person. And it's never the same. There are no repetitions.
So — no. It is impossible to build a full-fledged style on your own. It is unrealistic without a professional. There are people who seem stylish because they learn — from the same stylists, in magazines, on platforms. They still acquire knowledge somewhere.
How to properly combine budget issues and the need to look good? For example, a person holds a serious position, but cannot afford to "look expensive." Is it possible to have a decent image without large investments?
— Today, the choice of things is enormous. We live in an era of abundance. The question is not how much you spend. The question is how you look in it.
There is a Birkin bag, the price of which starts at 7 thousand euros. There is a classic Chanel - about 2,5 thousand. And prices are constantly growing. But there are their analogues - for 50, 150 dollars. They can be visually similar. And wearing them is also a choice. Because a person who has a bag for 150 will be in his social sphere. And the one who has the original - in his.
I have a client of very high status — both in terms of means and position. The level is Trump's friends. She knows more about fashion than I do. But she comes to me — because I help her systematically. We have a tandem: she gives depth, I give structure. She clearly understands: "For these people — I wear this, and for those — this." It's like codes. People read signals. But only those who know how to read them.
That is, a person lives as much as he allows himself?
— Of course. I can't change someone's clothes at my own expense, I won't change a woman without asking.
I once had a case. I was in Istanbul, and a woman I had corresponded with three years ago called me. She said, "Lena, I urgently need to go shopping." I had only three hours. She agreed to a high fee, and I flew out. I arrived and realized that this was not just a request. It turned out that she had survived a serious illness, cancer. She had been treated for several years. And now she had recovered. She said, "I want a new life. I need everything new." We went on an incredible shopping trip with her in two hours. It was like therapy. She left the hospital and the first thing she wanted to do was change clothes. It was a moment of realization: "I'm not the same anymore." She wanted to live and express it through herself. And yes, she had the money. But the main thing was determination. And it was truly moving.
Who contacts you more often - men or women?
— Now, mostly, women. Men — through women. Either as men, or as part of projects. I used to work in a very cool project — we changed the image of stars, politicians, millionaires. I was their image maker. It was powerful.
And, to be honest: it's easier to work with men. Much easier. They make decisions faster. I said it once and that's it. They don't rack their brains, they don't argue. I even thought about doing a men's direction in Turkey. Men are stylish, grateful. They come and say: "It's easy for me, I trust you."
It's more difficult with women. They have emotions, fears, doubts. But my audience is women.
Are your books also primarily for women? By the way, you said that the print run of your book is almost out of print. Do you plan to reprint it?
— I have republished it three or four times already. And, to be honest, I thought about translating it into Ukrainian. But everything came down to the language itself. I don’t speak Ukrainian well, all my trainings are in Russian. Social networks are too. That’s why I am now actively learning the language in order to reach a larger audience.
What does your book — a style guide — offer readers? What makes it unique?
— This is actually one of the most convenient textbooks I've ever had. I wrote it for my stylists - it contains the entire basis of the profession.
But it is also ideal for clients. Everything is explained step by step: how to build an image, how to think about style, how to put together a wardrobe. Many of those who have taken my courses literally live with this book - they open it like a desk manual.
I am proud of this book. It is compact, clear and brilliantly isolates the very essence of the image. No water. Only a concentrate of knowledge.
How do you think fashion and the perception of style in society has changed in recent years? Especially in the context of war. Are the people who look stylish now different? Have the basic principles remained?
— Everything has changed a lot. The war has affected everything — and fashion too. Some people have stopped wanting to dress at all. People are under severe stress — and it shows in their appearance.
Previously, money was spent on nonsense. Now the level of awareness has increased a lot. My clients have become much more careful about buying clothes. They start thinking: "Will this bring me luck? Money? Results?" If not, they don't buy it.
And how was it before? We bought everything in a row. Mindlessly. Our closets were bursting with unnecessary things. Now it became clear: clothes should work.
I understood this especially acutely during the war. When you go somewhere for a long time with one suitcase, and you leave a full wardrobe of things at home...
— But everyone does! Millions have been spent — and for no reason. And this is a paradox. People easily spend 5–10 thousand dollars on things they don’t even wear, but not on a stylist. Although the services of a stylist cost the same as one good thing. My personal accompaniment — 500 dollars. Once. And for life. This is an investment that pays off not just with things, but with peace of mind, confidence, and efficiency.
For example, I have a client in the USA. I spent five days sorting through her wardrobe. As a result, a whole room of things was thrown out. She later wrote to me: "Lena, it has become easier for me to live. Travel. I can now pack a suitcase in 15 minutes, and before it took me a day." And the whole family is happy, because now my mother can pack without stress.
This is the true value of an image. It's inner order, clarity, lightness. It's about how you stop torturing yourself and start living.
What would you say to those who live with the illusion that "everything is fine with them" just because their closet is packed to the brim?
— Absolutely true. That's the illusion. The illusion of wealth. People spend a lot of money to end up looking bad. You just have to admit it.
Look, if you have things in your wardrobe that you don't wear, if there are dresses and suits with tags hanging there, then you 100% need a stylist. Not because it's fashionable. But because you don't know who you are. You need a system. You need your own style formula. Only then will you understand which of these things work and which will never be a part of your life.
We often buy things “for later.” Smaller sizes. Not according to our mood. And this is all our inner lie. Because clothes are a reflection. They store our entire illusion of life. Things become a strategy of avoidance, postponement, denial.
Why don't I like to go through wardrobes? Because I see a person through and through. How they live. What they hide. Where they lie. Where they are afraid.
So I'll just say this: stop lying to yourself. This is the first step to true style.
By the way, about brightness. Tell me: how does a person look bright? Is it always about color? Or is it about something else? How do you determine the palette you work with?
— The palette is always about the person. I define not just by appearance, but by the level of internal energy. After all, brightness is not a color, it is a state.
If a person has no energy, where will you put this brightness on them? Look around — how many people are literally “asleep” today. Everyone is in sleep mode. And clothes cannot replace liveliness. They can only enhance what is already there.
If you want to shine brightly, first light up from within. I always say: a coach, expert, mentor should dress in such a way that you want to touch him. In the literal sense, touch his energy. So that strength emanates from him.
And what do successful people do when they “wake up”? They start dressing expensively. Because they realize: image is also capital. It signals: “I can. I know. I will show you the way.” And you start to believe it.
And finally. We've talked so much about your profession, appearance, and image. What is the most important thing in life for you personally right now?
— You know, it's strange, but I'm currently searching for myself. It's true.
I am 50. I have two adult children, both married. I have been married for over 30 years. I have been in business for 13 years. I have achieved everything that people dream of: success, recognition, authorship. And now I am faced with a completely different question: what is my meaning now?
I talked to my husband about it. He said, “Just rest.” And, honestly? Now I’m trying to find a new form of myself. I want to take care of my body, my nutrition, my sleep. I didn’t sleep for a very long time — especially during the war. Now I’m finally starting to recover.
I need to accept: I've already done everything. And that's okay - don't rush, don't get hysterical, don't burn out. Just live. Find the rhythm that suits me now.
Instagram, of course, doesn't help with this. There are millions, millions, millions. And you think: where are you? But everyone has their own path, their own rhythm, their own point. My task now is to recognize myself at this point. And to be calm about it.
So yes, I'm searching. But it's a quiet, mature search. No rush. Just time for myself.
And finally, do you have one — the simplest and at the same time the most important — piece of advice that you would give to women?
— Always feel in love! This is the most effective advice. You can't change a woman's clothes if there is no love in her life. It's useless. Without love, no transformation works. And with love, you blossom. Even if you don't have the most fashionable look, you shine because you are loved that way.
That's why you always need to love yourself. And also not to be afraid, not to wait, to be in constant contact with yourself. This is what style is! Real.
Olena Ovchinnikova spoke
