On Friday, February 13, the Column Hall of the Kyiv City State Administration hosted the grand finale of the VIII All-Ukrainian Professional Skills Competition “Fashion PRORYV for Freedom and Peace”, during which collections of sports and adaptive clothing were presented and the winners were awarded.
The competition was organized by the National Industry Partnership in Light Industry of Ukraine “Fashion Globus Ukraine” and the Italian association “VITAWORLD.”
According to the president of the competition, Golda Vinogradska, the “Fashion PRORYV” project, launched in 2016, has become a platform for cultural diplomacy and international dialogue during the years of full-scale war.
“Over the years of war with Russia, we have created a platform for peacemaking cultural diplomacy, where Ukraine speaks to the world not in the language of pity, but in the language of dignity, creativity, and culture. We have set a precedent: when a competition in the fashion industry became a narrative about humanity, strength, resilience, and hope. This competition was conceived as a platform for cooperation between employers and educators in the fashion industry. We did this so that we could travel to different cities in Ukraine, see how these institutions exist, help them, and show them the most modern techniques. It is important for young people and those who teach them to move forward together with the development of the industry,” said Vynogradska.
According to her, the competition was initially conceived as a practical format for interaction between education and industry, allowing for the support of institutions in the regions and the synchronization of training with market needs.
Competition President Golda Vinogradska
According to the organizers, the competition has been held under the patronage of the mayors of Lviv, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, and Kryvyi Rih in different years. They also reported that in 2025, the project received support from the US Embassy in Ukraine, and in 2026, from the Milan City Council.
The organizers note that every year, 60 to 100 educational institutions from all regions of Ukraine participate in the competition. This year’s competition is dedicated to cooperation with Italy and the theme of sports. According to their data, in 2026 students from 52 Ukrainian institutions in the fashion industry and four Italian universities (Venice, Salerno, Milan, Rome) took part in the project, and “almost 100 collections” were presented in the final program.
In addition to the final in Kyiv, an international presentation of the collections is scheduled for February 28, 2026, in Milan (Milan San Siro Hotel) as part of the Milano-Cortina 2026 and Milan Fashion Week events.
Ukrainian MP Yulia Gryshyna, chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science, and Innovation, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. She emphasized the importance of supporting educators and students during wartime.
“I am very grateful for the invitation—it means a lot to me. I would like to express my special gratitude to educators, students, and young people who continue to work, study, create, and support each other in these extremely difficult times. Thank you, you inspire others, and me in particular,” said Hryshyna.
According to the organizers, the event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, Olympic champions, cultural and sports figures, as well as representatives of the Ukrainian fashion industry.
According to the organizing committee, the jury included Ivan Frolov, Katya Silchenko, Olena Golets, Taras Prytula, Kateryna Myroshnychenko, Galina Yerk, as well as Emilia Ametrano, Walter Togni, and Elena Kalencani. The general partner of the competition was SOFTORG.
The winners of the competition (according to the organizers):
Nomination “Youth Breakthrough”:
1st place – VSP Odessa Technical College of ONTU;
2nd place – Bila Tserkva College of Service and Design;
3rd place – Podil Professional College.
Nomination “Innovation and Inclusion in Sportswear”:
1st place – Khmelnytskyi Center for Vocational Education in the Service Sector;
2nd place – Dmytro Kovalchuk (Kharkiv National University);
3rd place – Lviv Professional College of Beauty and Fashion Industry.
Nomination “Cultural Synthesis”:
1st place – Interregional Center for Professional Retraining of Discharged Military Personnel (Kryvyi Rih);
2nd place – Zaporizhzhia Professional College of Fashion and Style;
3rd place – Lviv Professional College of Modeling and Restaurant Business.
The “Audience Choice Award” went to the Ternopil Higher Vocational School of Services and Tourism.
Author: Olga Levkun
