First Lady Olena Zelenska Is All About Ukraine, Stylist Says
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As Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska has taken on a more public role in recent weeks, her initiatives as well as her personal style are in the spotlight.
The just-released digital cover of the October edition of Vogue featured her seated on a step in the presidential compound, as photographed by Annie Leibovitz, and included a lengthy spread with President Volodymyr Zelensky that has sparked much debate on social media. Worth noting is that Zelenska’s stylist, Natalia Kamenska, was not involved with that controversial shoot at all.
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Reached in Kyiv Friday, Kamenska declined to comment about that. The stylist, however, did speak about Zelenska’s commitment to Ukraine and how tireless she has been in championing the country’s design community since well before Russian armed forces invaded in late February.
Like many of the other creatives, fashion designers and entrepreneurs, Kamenska, who is also cofounder of the Gunia Project lifestyle brand, continues to work in Kyiv to support the local economy, war efforts and her employees. Although having her daughter temporarily live in Germany can be difficult, Kamenska maintains perspective. She said, “Yeah, it’s a new situation so we should manage this because we need to make it work.”
Kamenska had to interview for the job of styling the first lady, as did other stylists, and she has been working with her for nearly a year. Through the Gunia Project, she was already immersed in the country’s relatively nascent fashion industry. She and Zelenska relate on a personal level and they work well as a team, according to the stylist. “Olena is really about feelings. She does everything from the heart. For her, it’s important to have a team with whom she can build social good,” Kamenska said.
”This war is really showing the true face of Olena and Volodymyr Zelensky. They are people who are really doing their jobs. They stay for Ukraine. They fight for Ukraine. And they are really honest citizens,” she said. “I think a lot of people have changed their minds about this first couple,” alluding that some might not have taken them as seriously before the Russian invasion. The former comedic-actor-turned-president’s omnipresence and importance on the worldwide stage are widely acknowledged.
A former screenwriter, the 44-year-old Zelenska was an unknown personality who was previously not in the public eye. Married in 2003, she and her husband have two children. After Zelensky was sworn into office as Ukraine’s president in April 2019, Zelenska, like many political wives, dealt with an adjustment period. “For her, the role of first lady was really hard at first. Now she is really strong and she is a real first lady. She can speak in her own words about Ukraine. She could speak in front of the American Congress about the horrible situation in our country, and she could be heard,” Kamenska said. “It’s really important now for Ukraine to have this strong voice, which can help us to survive and win this horrible war.”
Zelenska’s team understood the importance of the trip and the historical significance of Zelenska addressing lawmakers in Congress. Aware that some critics take issue with anything fashion-related that is tied to a political figure in the wake of war, Zelenska and Kamenska agreed upon Ukrainian brands with symbolic undertones of independence for key appearances, such as a photo op with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in Washington, D.C.
Asked about the role that fashion has in telling a message in such challenging and difficult times, Kamenska said: “Of course, of course, we should use any opportunities and any channels to speak to war. So we are talking through art, fashion, politics and other channels. Even before the war, Olena was like an ambassador for Ukrainian designers. She was helping to introduce Ukrainian brands with her style. She was always speaking about how talented Ukrainian designers are.”
Acknowledging how some people might respond bewilderedly, questioning, “‘Oh my God. Why are we talking about fashion now?’” the stylist said, “Besides the war, we have an economic situation in Ukraine so we keep working. Gunia keeps working, fashion designers keep working. They are trying to survive. They are trying to keep and sell their work, and pay their workers’ salaries. This is really important. If we were to stop talking about art, design and fashion, what are the people going to do? Are they just going to close their brands and people will have no salaries?”
Ukraine’s economy is expected to shrink by an estimated 45.1 percent this year, according to the World Bank. Russian forces have damaged more than $105.5 billion in infrastructure, based on estimates by the Kyiv School of Economics.
Ukrainian designers’ and businesses’ resolve to maintain their operations has sparked awareness globally about the ongoing war. “Almost all” brands like Gunia have established a charitable component or are earmarking a percentage of sales to benefit the Ukrainian army or relief efforts, Kamenska said. “It’s not only fashion — it’s all industries that are being supportive. Restaurants are supporting people who are in need of food.”
While more than 12 million people have fled Ukraine, many business owners have remained. From Kamenska’s viewpoint, Ukraine has long been under the pressure of Russia, the 38-year-old said, “So we have always had this fight for our identity, our culture and our traditions. This fight is not just [happening] now. We felt this pressure because our culture was unknown. Our tradition was secondary like we are not a nation, you know? If we leave, Ukraine will be shared with Russia and we are going to die. Now is a historical moment for all of us to stay and fight for our heritage and our existence as the nation of Ukraine. We need to stay for Ukraine.”
Turning back to Zelenska’s personal style, Kamenska described her as “sophisticated” and assured in what she likes and what she wants to look like. “She knows what she wants,” the stylist said. And Ukrainian brands make up the majority of what she wants. While occasionally a few international brands are in the mix, “we almost always use Ukrainian brands. We may have some shoes, skirt or basic shirt from a mass market brand like Zara or something like that that we mix in. But always try to use Ukrainian brands,” Kamenska said.
While some first ladies have parlayed their high-profile status into a designer wardrobe, that is not the case with Zelenska. The limited element of variety in her fashion choices does not include any high-end designer labels like Gucci.
Declining to comment about the specifics of their meetings due to security reasons. As for what is needed to change the situation in Ukraine, she said, “Really to win the war. We have just one way to change everything,” she said.
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