A Truly Revolutionary Clothing Brand
In early November, Ukrainians around the world will mark exactly one year since the beginning of the Euromaidan Revolution in Kyiv, now commonly referred to as the “Revolution of Dignity.” The revolution changed the course of the entire country and Ukrainians will look back at the past year with bittersweet memories – there was bloodshed and moments of hopelessness but many Ukrainians took advantage of the spotlight being shed on Ukraine to share with the world what Ukraine is and what it stands for.
The revolution was led by Ukraine’s youth and on the streets of Kyiv, many ideas and ambitions were born. This was the backdrop of the founding of the Ukrainian clothing brand Heyday. Heyday has a unique mission and unique designs that are truly representative of not only the new, galvanized youth of Ukraine but of the youth of the 21st century.
Heyday was started by three best friends Roman Zoriy, Serhiy Tsupko, and Andriy Pavlikivsky in the Ukrainian city of Lviv (commonly referred to as the Paris of Eastern Europe) in the spring of this year. Despite being a relatively new brand, Heyday boasts more than 21,000 fans on Facebook and its popularity in Ukraine has seeped into the international market, leading to the opening of Heyday USA which caters to fans and consumers in the US and Canada.
Heyday USA is described on its website as being a “Ukrainian clothing brand with an ambitious goal to inspire young people to grow and change the world around them.” There are revolutionary echoes in all aspects of the brand, especially in their modern Ukrainian designs and fresh takes on traditional Ukrainian symbols such as the coat of arms of Ukraine, the tryzub.
NYU Local spoke to the representatives of Heyday USA, Danylo Popil and Vladislav Sosnovsky, about Heyday, its mission, and its future.
The success of Heyday was priceless to witness but it took hard work and perseverance. Popil and Sosnovsky said the first collection took almost three months to make and included many sleepless nights of inspired work and the realization of clear goals to reach the desired end result, which is something many young people can relate to.
On the collection itself, Popil and Sosnovsky say, “Every print in the Heyday collection is a product of intellectual and creative design work. By creating a unique design, we produce a powerful message that carries a reflection of our values and beliefs. When wearing Heyday, people spread our idea and our vision of life.”
That vision is one of optimism, strength, and motivation. “In order to inspire [people], we need to be bright and capture the spirit.” The brand takes its vision and its patriotic roots seriously. Popil and Sosnovsky said, “In the future we plan to implement Heyday’s mission and ideas towards foreign audiences. We believe that Ukrainian products can be competitors in the market in terms of technological quality and design and also concept.”
Heyday and Ukrainians can’t wait for the day “made in Ukraine” becomes a staple in the international market. “We were very impressed with how quickly Heyday gained popularity – and not only amongst Ukrainians. People believe in our idea, they share our values.”
In addition to adding to the new waves of both Ukrainian patriotism and youthful inspiration, Heyday aims to be a functional clothing brand. “We love quality and beautiful clothing and believe that this is an integral part of the path to our dreams. Stylish and comfortable clothing gives a person a feeling of comfort and confidence.”
Heyday offers consumers clothing made in Ukraine in a variety of styles – tee shirts, sweatshirts, and soon accessories, starting at just $24.99. Heyday has multiple photographic representations of their clothing in different settings to capture the eyes of consumers and they have even produced their own inspiring video, illustrating their revolutionary mission and clothing.
In the end, Heyday simply wants to help Ukraine — 10% of each sale is donated to the Ukrainian army fighting the war in Eastern Ukraine. Popil and Sosnovsky explain, “Ukraine has shown everyone her desire for true independence, justice, and freedom. The Ukrainian people possess a certain amount of strength of soul that energizes and inspires. We believe that this positive energy can energize the whole world!”
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