Instead of elegant dresses, Ukrainian designers began to sew uniforms for the needs of the Armed Forces and territorial defense. Couturiers decided to help the army by doing what they do best — manufacturing clothes, military uniforms, and body armor.
In several cities of Ukraine, they united and decided to create charity showrooms, where designers and famous clothing brands can donate their products to help the Ukrainian army. They told about it participants of the press conference, which took place today at the Information Security Headquarters in Odesa.
With the beginning of hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, Odessa designer Vitaly Uzun repurposed his workshop to tailor military uniforms and body armor. In March of this year, he assembled a team and created UZUNFOND BF. According to the fund's founders, the main goal is to accumulate funds for the comprehensive support of the Armed Forces in wartime, and to help restore Ukraine in peacetime.
"Although the fund was registered recently, its activity began from the first days of the war. All accounting was carried out in quantitative terms. Many organizations and volunteers applied. They were given help. This became the foundation of the decision to create the Charitable Fund. We came to the conclusion that everything needs to be regulated and legalized in order to be able to expand our activities and provide assistance in large areas," said Svitlana Ruban, economist and co-founder of the UZUNFOND BF.
The foundation's new initiative is to create charity showrooms in major cities of Ukraine, where designers can donate their branded clothing. Anyone who wants to will be able to purchase it there at cost price. The proceeds from the sale will go to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the residents of Ukraine.
"We continue to sew body armor, actively sew military uniforms for the Armed Forces, territorial defense and patrol police. Two weeks ago, we registered a charitable foundation in order to be able to conduct our activities officially. Now we want to use the fund in mass printing. Ukrainian defenders are in great need of military uniforms," said designer and director of the BF Vitaliy Uzun.
The first charity showroom will be opened in Odessa on April 25. They plan to open such a boutique in Kyiv in a week and a half. There are plans to create similar stores abroad. Currently, there are active negotiations about this with French clothing brands.
"Designers bring their clothes. We sell it at a minimal price to those who appreciate designer things and like to look fashionable, to those who want to do a charitable act at least in this way. 100% of all proceeds from items are transferred to a charity fund. They are accumulated there, military clothing and body armor are sewn on them, that is, all the applications that come to us from the Armed Forces and Terrodefense are processed," Vitaliy Uzun explained.
In addition to designers and clothing brands, everyone can participate in the campaign by purchasing exclusive clothes in charity showrooms. The volunteers assure that the fund's activities are transparent. They declare all financial income and expenses publicly.
"Our fund is under constant legal and accounting service. We openly talk about our activities, about how much money we collected, how many people we helped, how much we spent on sewing military uniforms and body armor. All reports of the fund will be available on our open sources - in social networks and on the website," said the fund's co-founder, lawyer Oleksandr Panchak.
The founders of BF invite their colleagues in Ukraine and abroad to support this initiative, to become participants in the general charity program, combining their creative and human potential for the benefit of the country. So far, about 15 designers from Ukraine and abroad have responded to the call.
"We are ready to cooperate with all those willing to help Ukraine. I am a designer myself and I understand that there are many things that are difficult to sell at this stage, the market is not realized. But at cost price, if they are displayed in showrooms, these products can be sold, they will benefit Ukraine," said Vitaly Uzun.
It should be noted that the Charitable Fund has already united dozens of designers and couturiers in various cities of Ukraine, set up production for the production of uniforms for the armed forces, provided humanitarian aid to many Ukrainians who are in need today, provided work for seamstresses who were left without means of livelihood, with Odessa, Kyiv, Dnipro and Luhansk.
