On May 19, 2025, students of the Faculty of Arts and Fashion of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design had a unique opportunity to listen to a lecture by one of the most influential representatives of the modern light industry of Ukraine, Valerii Rybas.

Valerii Rybas, director of “TK-Furniture” and co-founder of Barva LLC, the only sewing thread factory in Ukraine, shared not only his 30 years of experience in the sewing business, but also the practical economic aspects of thread as a key resource in production.

The speaker began his lecture with a personal story of entering the light industry in the 1990s, when the Ukrainian market was completely dependent on imported sewing threads. “In due course, I realized that thread is not just a consumable, but an economically important element in the cost structure of a product. Its quality, manufacturability and compliance with the equipment directly affect production efficiency”, the lecturer said.

Supporting each thesis with practical examples from Ukrainian enterprises, Valeriy Rybas showed how the reasonable use of a more expensive but technologically advanced yarn can increase production productivity by one and a half times and at the same time reduce the share of defects.

Using the example of quilting production, Valerii Rybas convincingly showed that formal savings on threads result in equipment shutdowns, reduced quality, and reputational losses. He urged future designers and technologists to always evaluate the thread according to the following criteria: compliance with the product design; technological compatibility with equipment; cost optimization based on productivity.

“The main reason for misunderstandings in negotiations is the lack of professional knowledge on the part of the consumer. I am sincerely glad that today I have the opportunity to share my experience with KNUTD students. It is your awareness that will change the rules of the game in the Ukrainian light industry”, Valerii Rybas summarized.

The Faculty of Arts and Fashion sincerely thanks Valerii Rybas for his informative, economically grounded, and highly practical lecture. Such meetings provide invaluable experience, fostering a deeper understanding of every element of the production process – even those as seemingly ordinary as a single thread.

02.06.2025