Ukrainian Fashion Designer KYUJOOROO: I Want To Bring Fairy Tales Back Into People’s Lives And Remind Them That Magic Lives Among Us

Natalia Tereschenko is a Ukrainian fashion designer and the founder of the KYUJOOROO brand, who uses her collections to draw attention to important social issues such as ecology, the significance of freedom from societal constraints, and more. She doesn’t limit herself in material choice – for example, one of her collections, "Priestess", was made entirely from used medical masks, some of which were never used, while others had been used and became a serious environmental issue. Natalia shared with Drive Music Media about her new collection "Mako" and her studies at the Fashion Design Institute.

Interviewer: How and when did you decide to become a fashion designer? What were your first steps in this field?

Natalia: I dreamed of becoming a fashion designer from a very young age. I’ve always loved dressing in beautiful clothes and dressing my dolls in outfits I made myself. However, over time, I forgot about this passion and moved towards branded design, even obtaining a degree in it. But later, I considered whether to pursue a master’s degree or change my field, and I ultimately decided to follow my long-held dream. In 2023, I enrolled in the Fashion Design Institute (FDI) to study international fashion design. Since then, I’ve been learning to become a designer, and during my studies, I’ve begun creating my first collections and outfits.

Interviewer: All of your works have a metaphorical nature and highlight societal issues through the lens of design. Tell us about your project "The Chains of Society". How long did you work on the clothing for this project? What materials were used?

Natalia: This is a very interesting project, but it’s not my favorite. In fact, it was my first outfit that I created since enrolling. Our main task was to give deep meaning to ordinary white sheets that were discarded from production – and that’s exactly what I did. I spent a long time thinking about what bothers me the most in our world and chose this topic because I think it’s very relevant, especially for post-Soviet countries. I worked on this outfit for 3.5 months. Since it was an experimental project, many details changed several times before they reached their final form. But after that, my efforts were rewarded, and I was invited to participate in a fashion show by my university, where I first felt the backstage passion.

Interviewer: One of your projects is entirely made from medical masks. Tell us about it: what metaphorical meaning does this project have? What was the process of creating the dress from medical masks?

Natalia: "Priestess" is an art object created as part of a waste recycling project. The dress is entirely made from discarded medical masks. In the post-pandemic world, the world faced an overwhelming excess of these masks – some were used only a few times, others weren’t worn at all, but all of them became a serious environmental problem. This outfit symbolizes the paradox of our collective sacrifice. Historically, priestesses made offerings for the prosperity of future generations. Similarly, humanity sacrificed the purity of the environment to preserve human health. "Priestess" turns this conflict into art, forcing us to reflect on the consequences of our decisions while honoring the resilience of those who survived the crisis.

The creation process was surprisingly simple for me. I quickly figured out how to separate the mask into its inner and outer layers – I was lucky because the outer layers were black, and the inner ones were white. I turned the white layers into my native lace and the black ones into a woven pattern. Once I figured out how to manipulate the fabric of the masks, it was a matter of continuing to create small pieces, which were later connected into one large sheet that formed the base of the dress and its details. It took me 2 months to complete.

Interviewer: Which of the images you’ve already created is the most special to you? Why is it so?

Natalia: If I were answering this question just a week ago, I probably would have said that my most special image is the "Chains of Society" outfit. However, as of today, I consider my last collection, "Mako", to be the most special. It’s dedicated to a story I created about the forest witch Mako. Why is this collection so special to me? I’m glad that I was able to create a collection fully aligned with my tastes and interests. This collection is the first showcase collection with which I will launch my brand, and it’s in this direction that I want to continue moving.

Interviewer: Tell us about the collection you are working on right now. What will its name and concept be?

Natalia: Since I just finished my fashion collection "Mako", I haven’t had the chance to start a new collection yet. I already have ideas and sketches, but there isn’t a name or a full story yet. However, I can say that this collection is inspired by the mineral Gabro, specifically its crystals, which acquire incredible colors during polymerization. I still need to write the story for this collection, but for inspiration, I’ll be drawing from the work "The Land of Gemstones", where stones are anthropomorphized.

Interviewer: What materials do you plan to use for your future designs? What themes would you like to create collections about?

Natalia: The materials will be absolutely diverse, but it will always be a challenge and an experiment in what I can transform the fabric into. Regarding the themes, the question is more complex because I plan to create small fairy tales, novellas, and stories, based on which I will later create collections dedicated to the main character. I want to bring back a sense of fairy tale into people’s lives and show that magic lives among us. However, this will not be everyday wear; it will be more, how should I say it, carnival-like?

Interviewer: Why did you choose the path of a designer of metaphorical images? Do you plan to create everyday wear, or will you continue creating collections with metaphorical subtexts? Why?

Natalia: For me, clothing has always been a way of expressing my inner self, so the metaphorical nature of my collections is directly related to what I want to convey through my designs. Whether it’s an outfit on a complex social issue or one inspired by a character I created, they all carry meaning. Going forward, most of my designs will be in a more avant-garde or even theatrical direction, but for a larger audience, I plan to create models for each collection that people can wear in everyday life, still feeling like part of a special movement and story.

Interviewer: What kind of clothing would you never create? Why?

Natalia: I think the only thing I can say is that I would never create clothing that is just clothing. Every piece I create has meaning and a story behind it.

Interviewer: What mission do you have as a Ukrainian fashion designer? Why this mission?

Natalia: As a Ukrainian fashion designer, I want to show the world that Ukrainians are not poor people whose feet Europeans can wipe. We are stronger and more resilient to the obstacles in our world, and I want to create clothing that important people will wear and be proud of, while I will be proud that they wear my designs. By doing so, I want to prove to people that all doors are open to Ukrainians.

Interviewer: Which word do you associate with your design activity? Why this word?

Natalia: I think this word will be "Soul". There are several reasons: the first and most obvious is that I pour my soul, my experiences, and my joys into my designs. I think it’s visible, and people appreciate this in my work; the second reason is that I create stories for each design, develop a character and an event, making the image come alive and the third reason is that with my designs, I want to touch the souls of other people, to provoke emotions, not just please the eye.

Pictures were provided by KYUJOOROO