Anastasiia Stelmakh

I’m a student at Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (KNUTD), Faculty of Arts and Fashion, majoring in Modeling, Designing, and Artistic Decoration of Light Industry Products. I began my studies in September 2023. My creative path is deeply rooted in cultural identity, traditional Ukrainian crafts, and critical thinking about style. I’m particularly interested in the aesthetics of so-called “bad taste,” provincial fashion codes, and how they can be reinterpreted as something intelligent, ironic, and beautiful. I work with both digital and analog tools — from Clo3D and 3D modeling to hand embroidery, macramé, knitting, and textile painting. I also experiment with sustainable materials, including bioplastics made from gelatin and natural pigments. My work is often inspired by heritage-based themes, and I see fashion as a powerful form of visual storytelling and cultural diplomacy. Some projects and competitions I’ve participated in: — “Look into the Future” competition by Ukrainian Fashion Week** (2024) — my collection *Hanenko. Reimagined* was inspired by Ukrainian ceramic traditions; — Neo.Fashion during Berlin Fashion Week(2024); — National design competitions “Pecherski Kashtany”, “Suziria Kashtan”, and “Barvy Podillia”; — Scientific and artistic student conferences at KNUTD. Fashion, for me, is not just about clothing — it’s about meaning, context, texture, and emotion. I love working with pieces that tell stories and reveal layers of identity, especially through materiality and craft.