Text: Jesse Scott
Imagery: Nick Soland
The live music and raw passion that typically define a Litkovska show were on full display once again for the Litkovska Fall/Winter 2024 offering. The main theme this season was audience immersion. From the cup of warm tea handed out at the entrance to a heartfelt and seemingly impromptu speech given by the designer as she took her bows, Lilia Litkovska tugged at attendees’ heartstrings with a moving tribute to Ukrainian culture and resilience.
Ukrainian Tradition by Land and by Sea
Last season, Litkovska drew inspiration from the bounty of the land; wheat, one of Ukraine’s national symbols and biggest exports, was the dominant leitmotif. This collection, entitled UNDERWATER, turned to the water for inspiration. A fish print, a symbol of rebirth and purification in Ukrainian folk tradition, recurred across several pieces. Litkovska pointed out to the press that, “a dream in which one catches a fish portends the birth of a new child - or ideas, strengths, and abilities.”
Litkovska Fall/Winter 2024 Brings the Himalayas to Paris
This collection, produced in Ukraine but presented in Paris, took guests on a spiritual journey to the Himalayas. Lilia Litkovska traveled to Nepal earlier this season, ascending to a climbers’ camp near Annapurna to raise the Ukrainian flag. It was a deeply moving experience. Mountaineering, as with many extreme sports, is unique in its ability to teach humility and empathy while forging a tight-knit, courageous, and selfless community.
These themes have also been central to Ukrainian life in recent years, a parallel not lost on Litkovska as she designed this collection and considered how she wanted to share it with guests. The models drifted down the runway carrying essential hiking gear such as thermoses and sleeping bags. Then, after the show, guests were invited to take postcards of photos captured by the designer during her trip. Depicting mountain sunsets, rugged trails, open skies, and the colorful prayer flags for which the Himalayas are known, the postcards delivered a message of serenity and harmony - and hope that peace can exist in a world full of conflict.
Grace Meets Ferocity in Strong Silhouettes
Only twelve looks were presented at the Litkovska Fall/Winter 2024 show as Lilia chose cohesion over quantity. The pieces were elegant, understated, and deceptively complex, continuing the narrative of the past two seasons while demonstrating the designer’s mastery of layering and unique ability to marry masculine silhouettes with a feminine aura. Most looks were monochromatic or two-tone, with black, off-white, and a deadly charcoal gray dominating. Periwinkle blue, appearing most prominently on a long coat, added a beautifully melancholic touch. Overall, this was the strongest collection Litkovska has presented throughout the exemplary last three seasons. By narrowing the scope of the collection, Lilia Litkovska clarified her vision for the eponymous label.