From February 14 to 17, 2025, Ukrainian Fashion Week FW25-26 was held at the Mystetsky Arsenal in Kyiv under the slogan “Faith in the Future” and brought together dozens of shows, presentations, educational and charity events. The scale of the event demonstrated that the success of the show depends not only on the design concept, but also on the backstage processes and the precision of backstage work.
After the end of Ukrainian Fashion Week, the editorial team turned to Mariia Sobol — an expert in fashion production, author of the book FVP Method: methodology of visual production in the fashion industry and creator of professional video courses on fashion show production — with a request to provide a professional comment on the organization of the backstage processes of the FW25-26 season. We talked to Mariia to understand how backstage teams ensure pace and technical accuracy in conditions of a tight schedule and high workload.
– Mariia, after Ukrainian Fashion Week FW25-26, which took place in February in Kyiv, many were impressed by the scale of the event. Can backstage be considered the “heart of the show”? After all, most people perceive backstage only as a technical area.
Backstage is not only a place where models change clothes — it is where the most complex part of the process takes place and where the magic of the show is created. The viewer sees a beautiful show — light, music, movement of models. But behind this is a great organization.
If there is no order backstage, even a strong collection can lose its effect. At Ukrainian Fashion Week, it was evident that the event has evolved into a large-scale, carefully orchestrated production. And it is the backstage that is responsible for making everything work. If chaos reigns behind the scenes, it is immediately felt on the podium.
– After such large-scale Ukrainian Fashion Week shows, it becomes clear how difficult it is to organize a show. You wrote the book FVP Method: methodology of visual production in the fashion industry. Why was there a need to systematize this area in Ukraine?
During my work, I saw that there is no literature in Ukraine that explains the process of organizing a fashion show. We have strong designers, the best stylists, technical teams, but the whole process often relies on the experience of individual people and their ability to manage the process. I constantly took notes and documented key production insights with the intention of systematizing the process one day. This is how my own book was born – FVP Method: methodology of visual production in the fashion industry. In the book, I separately described backstage work not as an auxiliary part, but as the basis of the entire process. After the last UFW season, it is clear that the fashion show industry is developing rapidly.
– Ukrainian Fashion Week lasted several days and included many events. At this pace, a lot of work falls on the backstage teams. You developed professional video courses on fashion show production. What changes in specialists after training and what practical experience do they gain?
First of all, the professional approach changes. Specialists begin to see the show as a single process where everything is interconnected and understand that each action affects the result.
The courses pay a lot of attention to timing and a clear division of responsibility. Each model must know the exact time of her appearance, the sequence of images in clothes, the route of movement. The team must clearly understand who makes decisions and who is responsible for each stage — this is what the courses teach.
For example, if one model is delayed due to an ill-considered change in image, this can shift the entire schedule. The music continues to play, the light transitions are already programmed, and there is a pause that the viewer notices.
Or another example is when the person responsible for the final check of images is not determined. As a result, the model may come out with an unfinished detail, and this spoils the overall impression of the collection.
The courses pay attention to such non-standard situations. The courses teach you to work according to a clear plan, control time and make decisions in real time. Creativity in fashion is important, but without organization and discipline, major events like Ukrainian Fashion Week cannot take place at a high level.
– Mariia, watching the Ukrainian Fashion Week FW25-26 shows as a fashion-production expert, how do you assess the level of organization this season? Do you see positive changes in the work of backstage teams?
This season has truly shown an increase in professionalism. It is noticeable that the teams are paying more attention to organizational processes. I see that the production teams have started to think more about the overall rhythm of the show. For example, in several shows this season, the pace was well controlled — there were no unnecessary pauses between the exits, there was no feeling of failures in the dynamics. This means that the backstage worked harmoniously. Of course, there are always moments that can be improved, but there is a visible movement towards well-coordinated and organized work of the teams.
– After the Ukrainian Fashion Week FW25-26 season, many people are talking about a new stage in the development of Ukrainian fashion. How do you, as a fashion production expert, assess these changes and how do you see the further development of the organization of shows in Ukraine?
I believe that the organization of shows has become more thoughtful, the teams work according to a clear plan and take a responsible approach to each show. Ukrainian designers and fashion teams today achieve a very high level of professionalism and demonstrate a deep understanding of processes, create shows and collections at a competitive level. Designers actively present themselves on world platforms, participate in international shows and professional industry events, and collaborate with foreign partners. This confirms that Ukrainian fashion is successful and confidently developing in the right direction.
– Thank you to Mariia Sobol for her professional commentary and deep insight into the processes that remain unnoticed by the viewer, but are the “heart” of a fashion show.
Backstage is becoming an integral part of the development of the Ukrainian fashion industry today. Ukrainian Fashion Week demonstrates that professional organization and well-coordinated teamwork enable Ukrainian brands to position themselves confidently on both national and international stages.
Author and fashion blogger: Maria Kovalchuk
