Compassion with Fashion: Rise with Ukraine
8 min. read | Magazine | Summer ‘22
Dr. Shahnoz Rustamova (left) addresses the audience during Compassion with Fashion: Rise with Ukraine event in New York, May 2022. © Jerome Strauss.
The following was published in our Summer ‘22 Issue and is reprinted here in its entirety. Images courtesy of their respective copyright owners and used with permission. Interviews with You Are The Angel staff and volunteers conducted May 2022.
By Taylor Griffin |
July 4th, 2022
It’s February 24th, 2022. You awaken to the distant sounds of thunder. As the sounds intensify, you realize that you are, in fact, hearing a storm—but one of explosions rather than rain. You hear a wail of sirens, and that groggy feeling that comes with waking up before the sun is quickly replaced with fear. You are confused and terrified as you desperately search for your children in their respective bedrooms. Once together, you begin packing up your most precious items—including your grandmother’s hand-stitched vyshyvanka that's been passed down for generations. You receive a phone call from the other side of the world; it’s your family members trying to find out if you're alive and safe after Western news outlets begin covering the invasion that's taking place only hours from your home. Before you hang up, you make sure to say, “I love you” and “see you soon.” You pray the latter is true.
Almost four months ago, Russian forces initiated a military invasion of Ukraine that continues to chip away at Ukraine’s infrastructure and independence. In the wake of Russia’s attacks, Ukraine garnered the support of millions of people, including You Are the Angel—a nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian aid and disaster relief to populations in need. One of the many ways YATA has lent a hand to Ukraine is by hosting fundraising events including Compassion with Fashion: Rise With Ukraine to showcase Ukrainian artists, talents and fashion, bringing attention to a beautiful country devastated by war. The multi-city fundraising event occurred May 19th in partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Washington State on what has become a national holiday for Ukrainians.
TURNING TABLES
When I arrived at the Seattle Compassion with Fashion event, I was greeted with the warmest welcomes, the biggest smiles, a slice of bread, and a shot of vodka. After ascending the stairs of the Green Hall at Green Lake, I was met with rows of stunning artwork, jewelry, headpieces, and traditional Ukrainian clothing. Most of the pieces were a part of the silent auction, while others were available for sale. I was particularly drawn to the work of Marina Ilina, a Ukrainian watercolorist who captures the beauty of California in her paintings with elegant simplicity. One of her many paintings was an idyllic snapshot of San Jose, and though I’ve never been, the vibrant hues and minimalistic details in her work sparked an interest in visiting and a desire to take the painting home.
Liliya Kovalenko, the President of the Ukrainian Association of Washington State, commenced the evening, echoing UAWS mission to promote Ukraine through culture and education. “I want everyone to have fun and understand more about Ukrainians,” she remarked. The goal was undoubtedly accomplished. Besides the fashion and varying mediums of artwork, Ukrainian songs and dances were performed to provide attendees with a well-rounded glimpse into the rich culture of Ukraine. After the singing and dancing concluded, the models took to the stage wearing vyshyvankas, courtesy of Volya Dzemka of the Belarusian folk group Volya. Each garment, adorned with floral and geometric needlework, was more beautiful than the last.
Artwork on display during silent auction (left) and dancers performing before runway event (right) during Compassion with Fashion: Rise with Ukraine event in Seattle, Wa. © Jerry and Lois Photography
Vyshyvanka Day is celebrated every third Thursday of May in honor of vyshyvankas; traditional Ukrainian clothing with a distinguishing feature—embroidery. Vyshyvanka Day also aims to unite Ukrainians with their shared pride in their country and culture. The embroidered garments are worn to identify oneself with Ukraine and symbolize patriotism.
“[Vyshyvanka] is not just about fashion,” explained Eugene Levkovsky, volunteer with You Are The Angel in Seattle. “It’s about the identity of the Ukrainian people. For so many years—hundreds of years—Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire, and they managed to save their culture. It is important to understand that Ukrainians have a sense of freedom in their culture. And now this spirit of freedom is being attacked by Putin’s regime. Vyshyvanka is a big part of Ukrainian identity; it is not just clothing.”
Not only are vyshyvankas rich with symbolism, but the embroidery has historically been used as a mode of communication. Dr. Shahnoz Rustamova, Founder and President of Central Park Angels (D.B.A. You Are The Angel), and owner of her private medical practice, shared the following when interviewed after the event:
“In the Soviet era, [Ukrainians] could not practice religion, so the women would use vyshyvankas as a way of sending messages and expressing their faith to the divine. You could not wear a cross, so they would hide the cross underneath the embroidery. If a man was going to war, he had to wear certain vyshyvankas with certain patterns so that he would be protected. [Vyshyvanka] is a language, and it goes from generation to generation. It has survived for centuries. No matter what happens in Ukraine, in the end, love and beauty and light will always win. And that is the main message [of vyshyvankas].”
Models wear traditional vyshyvankas, some from their own families. © JEROME STRAUSS.
A PRIVATE WAR
Yuliana Kelley, Fundraising Director at You Are the Angel, has family in Ukraine and shares their heart-wrenching story. “When my parents escaped [Ukraine], the first thing I wanted was for them to save was my grandmother’s cross-stitching,” Yuliana explains. “It’s a piece of art, and it was passed from my grandmother to my mother; it is a hundred years old. Everything else was destroyed and left behind, but they took [my grandmother’s vyshyvanka] with them.”
Yuliana, a mother and former model herself, didn't know if her family was alive for months. “The fact that they survived is pure magic,” Yuliana said in relief. “I don’t know if it’s God’s will but they should not have survived. The city of Mariupol is fully occupied; it’s under [Russian occupation]. There is no connection, no electricity, no gas, no drinking water. The city is completely erased. There is no infrastructure, no drug stores, no hospitals. A lot of my friends died. The stories are absolutely horrifying."
Yuliana shares graphic details following Russian shelling in her friend's hometown. "One of my friend’s daughters was killed by a bomb, and [my friend] was picking up pieces of her child in a plastic bag so she could bury her.” Stories like these have become more frequent, Yuliana explained, and the horrific realities of life in Ukraine are the fuel that prompts Yuliana and others to continue working with You Are the Angel to organize fundraising events such as Compassion with Fashion.
Having witnessed the horrors of poverty, violence and human trafficking while growing up in Russia during the collapse of the Soviet Union, Dr. Rustamova felt called to support those in similar circumstances. Once established in the United States, she joined a large nonprofit organization. However, after discovering that portions of their proceeds were returning to the nonprofit instead of being used help those in need, she knew it was time to redesign how nonprofits operate from the ground up.
DESIGNING HOPE
“Our organization is 100%,” Dr. Rustamova disclosed. “100% volunteer-based, 100% women-led, and 100% [made up of] positive, passionate, enthusiastic people.” Most importantly, YATA puts each dollar toward the community in need and follows each dollar to ensure it is spent properly and selflessly. You Are the Angel relies on individuals who volunteer their time and effort without receiving compensation beyond the rewarding feeling that comes from helping others.
“There’s a beautiful part to [working at a nonprofit]. But I’ll be honest with you, it’s brutal,” Dr. Rustamova confessed. “When you see so much pain and suffering and chaos, a lot of people just could not handle it. So there’s a beautiful part of it, but there’s also a part of it where people want to leave, and you have to be okay with that. You have to take care of yourself. You have to put your oxygen mask on first before you put on someone else’s.”
Though You Are The Angel aims to provide various types of aid to people in Ukraine, Dr. Rustamova does not believe in polarizing the Ukrainian-Russian conflict any more than it already has been, believing strongly that the current crisis is a humanitarian issue rather than a political one. “All of us are human and all of us deserve a better life. Our philosophy is to stay as neutral as possible and help human beings, regardless of who you are. If something happened in Russia, I would put forth the same effort to help people [there].”
Recap of Compassion with Fashion: Rise with Ukraine New York event courtesy Voice of America.
As Compassion with Fashion came to a close, I spoke with Lesia Wilcox who is both from Mykolaiv, Ukraine and one of YATA's event coordinators and team members in Seattle. When asked what inspired the fashion event, Lesia revealed that the idea resulted from a need for more creative ways to connect with donors.
“Everyone has been stressed since February 24th, and we all try to do as much and anything we can. The idea [for Compassion with Fashion] came a month ago. We thought, ‘Hey, we have Vyshavanka Day. How about we use this special day to show vyshyvanka, the culture, more about us, who we are, what Ukraine is about, our foundation, and hopefully collect more money to help my home?’ I wanted [the event] to be more stress-free for everybody, and a new wave of something fresh, and that is the beauty of vyshyvanka. Vyshyvanka is Ukraine. It is me. It is home. It is us. Vyshyvanka is a warm spirit.”
THE LONGEST WINTER
Despite the amount of suffering in Ukraine, Lesia confides that fundraising is not an easy task for You Are The Angel. “People need to develop trust,” Lesia explains. “That’s why we show who we are, to develop trust for future events. People want to know where the money goes that they donate. They ask, ‘Are you a big organization? Are you guys getting paid?’ No, we are not getting paid. We are working for free. We donate our time. Why? Because it’s our home.”
Lesia shares another reason why it's challenging to collect donations. “[Our cause] doesn’t touch many people. People say they are sorry, and I know they are. But truly to feel it—they can’t. It is not their home. It is not their country. It is not their parents who sit in a cell somewhere and they can’t have water or food.” Her observations caused me to come to terms with my own disconnect. As someone who has lived a life entirely void of destruction and violence, and as someone with no relation to Ukraine, the current state of the war is admittedly hard to grasp.
Ukrainian citizens take shelter in a subway in Kharkiv between April-May 2022 after Russian bombardments destroyed the city. You Are The Angel volunteers are seen providing hot meals and additional sundries. Images courtesy You Are The Angel.
Dr. Rustamova described one of many harrowing experiences YATA volunteers endured in Ukraine. After purchasing vans and other supplies, volunteers encountered a Russian checkpoint, where they were stopped by Russian soldiers. After discovering a Ukrainian marking, YATA volunteers were immediately attacked. “[Russian soldiers] beat [our volunteers] badly and tortured them," Dr. Rustamova explained. "They made them dig their own graves. They told them to prepare to die.” However, after searching the van further, Russian soldiers discovered the volunteer's affiliation with the American nonprofit, and the volunteers were finally released. Yet rather than flee, they continued onward. “That’s just the kind of people we have working for [You Are The Angel],” Dr. Rustamova replied.
In all, Compassion With Fashion: Rise with Ukraine was more than a display of fashion, similar to the way vyshyvankas are more than embroidered articles of clothing, and how Ukraine is more than its ongoing conflict with Russia. It was a perfect way to raise awareness of Ukraine as a country, and not simply the target of ongoing aggression. Dr. Rustamova underscored the suitability of Compassion with Fashion, stating that “beauty always saves the world, and fashion is a symbol of beauty.”