Tetyana Maryshko holiday gift guide
“My biggest inspiration is life, in all of its glory and all of its trials and tribulations. My photography is a lot like life itself, a tapestry of juxtapositions: of hope and hopelessness, of light and dark, of loss and love, of clarity and vagueness, of anger and sadness, of sharpness and softness, of pain and triumph, indistinctness and ambiguity, of fear and contentment, of beauty and mundanity all interwoven tightly and seamlessly creating and capturing the beauty of the banal.”
Ukrainian Gifts
Made during the war with peace inside
Words by Tetyana Maryshko
As the war rages through Ukraine, my motherland, I am both heartbroken yet endlessly inspired by its people, their resilience and determination in the face of uncertainty, fear, and death.
This Festive season, I marvel at brands that continue finding new ways to exist, create, reimagine and produce incredible work; creating under a sky full of missiles, air filled with arid smoke and air raid sirens, creating during blackouts, often out of the safety of bomb shelters and hearts full of grief and despair without losing hope - and yet they never compromise on quality.
This Christmas I have chosen to support Ukrainian brands that in the face of adversity have never given up - they continue to dream and inspire the world with beauty while donating large chunks of their profits to help those most in need.
By supporting Ukrainian designers and makers you are in turn supporting millions of workplaces, supporting families with guaranteed income, supporting the Ukrainian economy, and supporting Ukrainians in their plight for peace.
This spikelet necklace is a perfect minimalist accessory with a deep meaning to elevate any wardrobe.
The brand Bevza has been exploring the national heritage by incorporating ethnic symbols and cultural stamps and reimagining them in a modern and minimalistic way. Ukraine has been symbolically associated with fast fields of wheat - a Ukrainian gold, an ancient symbol of fertility and harvest.
I’m all about comfort without compromising on style. This headpiece is both functional and a statement piece in one.
Knyahynya balaclava is inspired by Olga of Kyiv, Balaclava”s exceptional cut portraits her head accessory, embody an image of both a powerful and tender woman, now and then.
Every winter whilst the nights were long my grandmother used to knit, she would unravel unused garments and combine yarn to come up with new patterns, it was during those long evenings she taught me to knit, somehow this jumper brings me back to those long winter childhood evenings. Each of those hand-knitted jumpers is one of a kind and integrates Ukrainian knitting traditions.
One for a hard to buy for friend. One that will make a statement, keep your ears warm without ruining your perfectly intentionally messy hair
A long winter evening is made infinity better with the help of the warm glow of a crackling candle. This one is poured into a handmade ceramic bowl, made according to artisanal ceramic traditions. Gunia Project is a brand of exceptional things produced on the basis of traditional ethnic cultures. Each collection is a unique combination of design thinking, deep ethnographic research and an artistic approach towards craftsmanship.
The brand employs folk crafts and gives heed to the slightest details of traditional culture to create designer artisanal pieces perfectly fit for the needs of everyday life.
Silk detachable collar decorated with the openwork lace and the pattern taken from the cloths of XIX century Poltava region.
Lizhnyk (from Ukrainian to lie down) is a handwoven woollen blanket. And, no, you can never have too many blankets. Gushka is a social project formed at the intersection of important stories, was born in the village of Yavoriv - the capital of weaving in Ukraine. The project aims to restore the ancient craft of weaving whilst reimagining woven garments in a modern way. Every Lizhnyk is handwoven using traditional weaving techniques, from wool weaving to colouring, to employing local artisans to make every blanket from scratch - from rearing sheep on the Carpathian hills to using traditional patterns.
Everyone needs one that will hold everything and the kitchen sink in and this one is perfect
The brand is inspired by nature, craft and art. This solid perfume is a dedication to nature: the inspiration for the fragrance is drawn from the scent of water lily, native to the Carpathian lakes.
A sweatshirt from a brand that believes it is possible to create clothes and not harm the environment.
BANDURA vase made of living clay, carries the shape and cultural code of a Ukrainian folk instrument — the bandura. A now sacral instrument once used by Ukrainian ‘bards’ (bandurists), to sing songs of history and spirit.
Kumanec vase revives the shape of traditional Ukrainian festive pottery. An ancestral shape that vibrates with the animistic presence of live design.
ODESA PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK
Yelena Yemchuk’s Odesa: A floating dreamland
Following the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014, Yemchuk spent five years travelling to Odesa to document young people volunteering to join the army. Her upcoming photobook is a reminder of the love and lives of the young Ukrainian people now faced with war
RUSLAN BAGINSKYY CHAIN STRAP GAMBLER HAT
Milliner Ruslan Baginskyy’s creations are worn by the likes of Florence Welch, Madonna and even the late Queen Elisabeth II
This stunning piece is timeless and will elevate any outfit
From the brand’s cult drop.
At the heart of the ornaments is the Tree of Life. In Ukrainian culture, a figurative model of the harmony between the universe and humanity.
Continuing to bring our symbolic vision to life, creating new meanings, the first Katimo jewelry collection reflects the symbolic vision of the courage and invincibility of the Ukrainian people, which was embodied in the form of horse-shaped jewelry.
Knitted vest manufactured from an Italian deadstock yarn
SUMMER KITCHENS BY OLIA HERCULIS
An exploration into the culinary identity of eastern Europe through stunning food and travel photography, interspersed with stories and memories of tiny buildings called summer kitchens.
In this new cookbook from award-winning author Olia Hercules, explore the diversity of Ukraine’s cuisine and heritage through the alluring window of summer kitchens—small structures alongside the main house where people cook and preserve summer fruits and vegetables for the winter months. Featuring 100 superb recipes, a gorgeous collection of food and lifestyle images, and an evocative personal narrative, Hercules illustrates how the region’s cuisine varies as much as the landscapes, climate, and produce through her travels to the Carpathians, the Black Sea, the shores of the Danube and Dnipro, and her native land.
A Kyiv-based company, OLK MANUFACTORY produces traditional and modern hand- woven rugs, tapestries, masks, unique art objects. Through her workshop, Ukrainian artist Oksana Levchenya, founder and CEO of OLK Manufactory, managed to create a new product, combining unique modern designs, folk ornament and traditional crafting technique. Vertical kylyms, produced in OLK Manufactory, are a landmark in the craftsmanship of Ukrainian carpet-weaving. An extremely intricate traditional technique, manual weaving, ranging back to the 16th century, has been preserved in OLK’s manufacturing process. Each stage of production – design, yarn-dyeing, intertwining by hand and steaming of the ready-made kylym – is realized directly in the workshop.
No machines are used in the kylym production process: ecological cleanliness of production and highly paid labour of masters are key concerns of the company. Tapestries and carpets are made of natural materials. The base of the kylym is hemp thread, the carpet cloth itself is made of dyed natural wool of Carpathian sheep or vegetable yarn from nettles. Hundreds of warp threads are stretched on a vertical loom and yarn is intertwined with warp thread by hands, creating a real treasure that can entice the most demanding connoisseurs and serves for many years, passed on from generation to generation.
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Duality
An instance of opposition.
Life, a tightly woven tapestry of opposites - stillness and movement, depth and shallowness, the abundance of colour and its absence, openness and reticence.
The complex co-existence of light and dark! A reminder that even in the darkest moments light still exists.
The challenge thus is to seek it, to embrace it, and where possible, to dance!
100% of profits will be donated to Shelter Lviv - A shelter in Lviv helping mothers + babies.
Also there’s an incredible collection of Ukrainian brands can be found in this UK-based online store: iamvolya
