In light of the ongoing Russian invasion, Ukrainian creatives are turning to consumer power to keep the country’s economy afloat. Fashion designers, artists, and businesses have launched initiatives to support Ukrainian brands, such as Spend With Ukraine, a website that links to Ukraine-based businesses across various industries.
Spend With Ukraine’s co-founders, Yaroslav Azhnyuk and Andrey Klen, believe in the power of buying Ukrainian. “Armies win battles, but economies win wars,” says Klen. The simplicity of the idea is what makes it appealing, as Klen states, “it’s quite easy to support Ukraine with your purchase decisions.”
The fashion designer Anna October, who is featured on Spend With Ukraine, agrees. For each sale of her 90s-style slip dresses and knitwear, 30% is donated to the Children’s Emergency Fund.
Klen emphasizes the importance of sustaining interest in spending with Ukraine, “We are seeing some indications of increased demand and frankly, we want it to blow out. That’s why getting the word out is so important. This program is working and we’ll take any help we can get to scale it.”
In conclusion, these initiatives aim to help Ukrainian creatives and support existing industries, providing some semblance of normality. “Product demand allows businesses to stay afloat and contributes to a very important financial balance,” says Klen. “Life goes on – investments definitely help with that.”