On September 4, 2025, as part of Ukrainian Fashion Week SS 2026, the final of the XXVI All-Ukrainian Competition of Young Fashion Designers “Look into the Future” took place. The expert jury, renowned Ukrainian designers and members of the Ukrainian Fashion Council, including Svitlana Bevza, Iryna Karavai, Liliya Litkovska, Liliya Pustovit, and Ksenia Schnaider, evaluated the creative collections of ten finalists. Their works were inspired by the legacy of distinguished Ukrainian collectors and patrons Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko.
Third place in the competition “Look into the Future. The Khanenko Museum Collection” was awarded to Anna Kuzmenko, a graduate of the Department of Art and Fashion Design, a talented young designer and founder of the LeCri fashion brand. This year, Anna joined the teaching staff of KNUTD, where she shares her professional knowledge and experience with students of the “Fashion Design” educational program through academic courses.
The inspiration for Anna Kuzmenko’s competition collection “Edokko” came from the exhibition of Japanese art at the Khanenko Museum. The motifs of the collection reflect the unique elegance of Japanese aesthetics, which developed over previous centuries. The designer drew on the philosophical approach of Japanese artists – the ability to find beauty in imperfection, to see the extraordinary in the ordinary, such as the quiet contemplation of nature, and to harmonize seemingly incompatible elements.
Anna Kuzmenko’s Edokko competition collection
The color palette of the collection was inspired by the interior of the museum hall where the exhibition took place: gray-blue wallpaper with a subtle pattern both contrasts and harmonizes with the parquet flooring in varying shades of wood. Overall, the collection features muted, natural tones, including shades reminiscent of delicate chrysanthemums, porcelain, glazed ceramics, and the colors of sea waves.
In keeping with the brand’s DNA, the collection incorporates recycled and natural materials, as well as hand-crafted finishing and fabric manipulation techniques.
We congratulate our talented graduate and wish her continued success in her creative endeavors!
23.09.2025
