THE EXPERIENCE OF THE "KOSTUMOTECA" PROJECT AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ART AND FASHION DESIGN

The Faculty of Design at the Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design participated in the Ukrainian Design and Innovation Week for the sixth time. As part of the event program, an online lecture was held on October 8, 2026, delivered by Halyna Kokorina – an art historian, Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Fashion Design, Candidate of Technical Sciences, and member of the Union of Designers of Ukraine.

The topic of the lecture, "Reconstruction of Historical Costume as a Tool for Design Education: The Experience of the 'Kostiumoteca' Project", was chosen deliberately. "Kostiumoteca" is a long-standing research project of the Department of Art and Fashion Design; it was initiated in 1992 – the year the department was founded (originally under the name "Department of Artistic Costume Modeling") – and has continued to exist and evolve for nearly 35 years.

During her presentation, the lecturer touched upon the origins of the project, the objectives behind its establishment, and the intricacies of the painstaking work undertaken by faculty and students to create replicas of historical and traditional national costumes. This work is directly linked to the students' mastery of subjects such as "History of Art and Design," "Artistic and Material Culture," and "History of Costume" – the foundational elements of professional training for fashion designers.

Over time, however, the "Кostiumoteca" project evolved beyond a proprietary methodology for training young, talented designers. It transformed into a broad platform for presentation and communication, facilitating collaboration with leading museums and exhibition venues across Ukraine.

Costumes created by students have frequently been, and continue to be, featured in exhibitions at the Sophia Kyivs'ka National Reserve (the Exhibition Hall of the Zaborovsky Gate and the Khlibnia Art Gallery), the V.V. Tarnavskyi Chernihiv Regional Historical Museum, the Museum of Theatre, Music and Cinema of Ukraine, the Ivan Honchar Museum (National Centre of Folk Culture), the National Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts, the museum and exhibition spaces of KNUTD, and the Victoria Museum, a private museum of historical costume and style, among others.

The project’s costumes also served as the basis for educational costumed performances, such as "The Princely Family", featuring students from the "Fashion Design" bachelor’s degree academic program. These performances took place at the Sophia Kyivs'ka National Reserve, the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery," the State Polytechnic Museum at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, and within numerous other interactive educational and outreach projects organized by the department.

The lecturer placed special emphasis on collaborations within the project with prominent companies – the textile group "Textile-Contact" and "Seldico" (a subsidiary of the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) group) – as well as the research department of the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK). This collaboration provided a significant impetus for researching and creating costumes from various historical eras, as well as for recreating looks from iconic 20th-century films.

Over the years, the "Kostumoteca" project has taken on an additional significance within the educational life of the Department of Art and Fashion Design. It serves as a powerful tool for engaging with prospective KNUTD applicants – the fashion designers of the future. The Department regularly invites school students from Kyiv and the surrounding region to learn about its academic programs, creative work, and competitive activities; in this context, the costumes created through the project serve as a highly effective instrument for career guidance.

On behalf of the Department and the Faculty of Design, we express our sincere gratitude to all the faculty members who contributed to the creation and development of the "Kostiumoteca" Project over the years: Halyna Kokorina, PhD in Technical Sciences, Associate Professor Iryna Davydenko, as well as department lecturers Svitlana Markova, Svitlana Volodina, Inna Haiova, and Tetiana Pashkovska. We extend special thanks to Tetiana Vadymivna Nikolaieva, PhD in Technical Sciences, Professor, who served as the Head of the Department of Artistic Costume Design from 1992 to 2022, for her foundational role in the inception of the "Kostiumoteca" Project.

Halyna Kokorina’s lecture sparked keen interest among university students, as well as colleagues from other educational institutions and arts organizations; it drew over 100 participants and led to a lively discussion regarding the life of the "KOSTIUMOTECA" Project.

16.10.2026