PUMB Bank continues to work on integrating wounded male and female veterans into all spheres of our lives. The “Living Towards” platform, initiated by the bank, and the SIDLETSKIY brand held a presentation of the designer’s new collection, complemented by special accessories—stylish covers for prostheses. In addition to professional models, five veterans and a civilian woman who lost limbs as a result of the war took to the runway, reports UNN.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the number of people who have experienced severe injuries and amputations—both military personnel and civilians—has increased significantly. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians currently use limb prostheses. They are a familiar part of their lives and appearance. Can a prosthesis also be part of a person’s style, rather than merely a functional medical device that people try to conceal?
The SIDLETSKIY show, held with the support of “Living Towards,” Timelapse, U+System, and the Yanko Foundation on September 6 as part of Ukrainian Fashion Week, provided an affirmative answer to this question.
The brand presented the “Woven by Nature” collection, some of whose looks were created with consideration for the experience of people who use prostheses every day. For the first time, the adaptive clothing collection was complemented by special accessories: interchangeable prosthetic covers that allow people to integrate a prosthesis into their look, make it an accent of the outfit, or turn it into a stylish addition.
The covers for the collection were created by the veteran-owned business Timelapse, founded by former combat medic Hlib Bieshkariev, now an entrepreneur and winner of the second season of the “Living Towards” educational and grant program. Especially for the show, Timelapse created covers that echoed the collection’s visual language through their shape, texture, and natural motifs.
Five veterans who underwent prosthetic fitting and rehabilitation at U+System, as well as Olha Dolha, a civilian resident of Dobropillia who lost her leg as a result of a Russian airstrike, took part in the presentation of the unique collection.
Their appearance on the runway was not merely a way to present adaptive clothing, but also a convincing demonstration that adaptive fashion is—and can be—an organic part of fashion culture. There was not a single empty seat at the show, and guests watched the looks with interest, greeting the models wearing prostheses with loud applause. This is the best confirmation that integrating male and female veterans and building an inclusive society means moving towards one another.
Background
“LIVING TOWARDS” is a platform for integrating male and female veterans into employment relations, entrepreneurship, financial processes, and society as a whole, created at the initiative of PUMB Bank. In 2024, an educational and grant program supporting veteran entrepreneurship was launched במסגרת the platform. Over the program’s three seasons, 1,045 applications were submitted, 110 teams completed training and prepared business plans, and 57 received financial support from PUMB Bank. The total amount of grants provided is UAH 41.5 million.
U+System is a prosthetics and rehabilitation center working toward the comprehensive return of people who have suffered severe injuries to active lives. The center combines prosthetics, physical recovery, and subsequent programs for social, professional, and sports reintegration.
Timelapse is a Ukrainian veteran-owned business specializing in the production of adaptive products for people with amputations, injuries, and limited mobility. The brand was founded by veteran and former combat medic Hlib Bieshkariev to facilitate the rehabilitation of wounded military personnel and civilians and help them adapt to everyday life.
SIDLETSKIY is a Ukrainian conceptual clothing brand founded by designer Ihor Sidletskyi in 2020. Among other things, the brand creates adaptive clothing lines and invites Ukrainian veterans wounded in the war to participate in its shows.