Anna October

Ukrainian fashion designer

Anna October is a Ukrainian womenswear designer and founder of her eponymous brand. Anna October design is known for its feminine, graceful and yet playful aesthetics which provide a perfect “date-ready look”, recognized by fashion insiders and consumers all over the world.

Anna October clothing is available in more than 40 online and offline stores including SSENSE, Galeries Lafayette and Moda Operandi. In 2014, she was a finalist for the LVMH Prize. In 2022, Anna October joined The BoF 500 list.

Anna October developed a sustainable ethos within the brand. Collections are created using deadstock textile. Brand maintains expert tailoring. Significant amount of the pieces are handcrafted by using re-imagined artisanal techniques for modern clothes.

Early life

Anna October was born in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on 31 December 1990. She early developed a genuine interest in fashion and left school to learn pattern cutting and tailoring. At the age of 17, she moved to Odesa to pursue her education in fine art at the oldest and renowned schools of arts in Ukraine, the Grekov Odesa Art School.

Career

In 2010, at the age of 19, Anna October made her first capsule collection, which immediately gained the attention of the Ukrainian fashion community. The further development led to brand's recognition far beyond Ukraine. In 2014, Anna October was shortlisted for fashion's most prestigious prize for young designers LVMH Prize. In 2017, she became a part of the Mercedes-Benz "Generation Now, Generation Next", the project aimed to highlight international talents in the sphere of fashion design. Since that time, the brand has increased its presence in selective retail spaces such as Moda Operandi, Galeries Lafayette, SSENSE, FWRD to name a few.

In the autumn of 2022, Anna October joined The BoF 500 list and presented her collection at Paris Fashion Week for the first time.

Russian full-scale invasion to Ukraine

In February 2022, due to the devastating full-scale war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine, Anna October was forced to flee Ukraine and moved to Paris, where she continued to work on her collections, and also became part of the "BETTER + GIVEN NAME.Community" – an online platform dedicated to directing the global creative industries’ attention towards the thriving creative community in Ukraine, and the needs of its members. As part of the Better.Community platform, Anna October managed a space for promotion, interaction, and support for Ukrainian designers, artists, photographers, and all kinds of creators who need support. She became a leader of the fashion designer division and has been founding deadstock fabrics for designers to make new collections, the wholesale showroom, and agents to support their sales.

References

A Ray of Sun in the Darkest Room. Metal Magazine.
Comment cette créatrice ukrainienne a-t-elle développé sa marque en temps de guerre?. Vogue France
Anna October at BoF500. Business Of Fashion
“Be a lady, Anna”. Achtung
Anna October on creating the perfect date-night wardrobe. Harper's Bazaar
Ukrainian LVMH Prize Nominee Anna October On Russian-Ukraine War: ‘The Fear Has Morphed Into A Power – A Fuel To Win’. Forbes
Ukrainian Designers Carry On Despite the Russian Invasion. WWD
Qui est Anna October, créatrice ukrainienne qui vient en aide aux créatifs de son pays ?. Numero