Women’s history month is a time to celebrate inspiring women (opens in new tab) across the globe, and while we’ve already covered both female-founded fashion brands (opens in new tab) and female fashion duos this month, Rokeya Khanum deserves a spotlight of her own.
To say her story is inspiring would be an understatement. “It seems kind of crazy, in hindsight where I am today,” Rokeya tells Marie Claire, explaining that at 17 she became a young mum and subsequently found herself homeless and living between hostels.
“I didn’t want to fall into the stigma that society places on women like myself,” she said. “I wanted to ensure that I studied and got my academic qualifications, just as a way to prove a point that even though I’m a young mum, I could still achieve all these kinds of goals.”
And so she did. Rokeya went on to study law at university and landed herself a job in financial services before deciding to start her own eponymous fashion brand. The designer saved money from her full-time salary for start-up capital and worked on Khanum’s on the side for 18 months before taking the leap and committing to the brand full-time.
For Rokeya, ending up in the fashion industry was almost inevitable, as the designer inherited an interest in clothes from her parents, who were both garment workers when she was growing up. “I think there was this unintentional conditioning that happened with my exposure to the garment industry from such a young age,” she said, explaining that her father worked for a local factory in Brick Lane, while her mother worked from home stitching garments.
“I witnessed my mum cutting patterns and cutting fabrics on our dining table. She didn’t have the resources of an actual manufacturing environment. But she did what she could with the means that she had,” Rokeya explains. “I was always fascinated by it.”
This initial curiosity became more prevalent in her teenage years when Rokeya would sketch designs, which her mum helped her bring to life.
Upon starting the label, Rokeya knew from the get-go that she wanted Khanum’s to have a sustainable ethos and made-to-order model. “It was just a no-brainer,” she explained. “It just doesn’t make sense to me to bulk produce garments that might not have a home in the end. I want to push intentional and mindful purchases.”
She continued, “When you place an order with us, I want you to know that this dress or jacket is for you. I’m not interested in people just hastily purchasing.”
With this initial mindset, Rokeya has continued to focus on taking actionable steps to increase the sustainable side of her business. She entered into a fashion sustainability accelerator programme which allowed her to look into every aspect of the business and pinpoint places in which she could make positive change.
Today, 80% of Khanum’s products are produced here in the UK, with embellishments and trims added in Khamun’s in-house studio.
The brand is undoubtedly one that’s made for women who want to stand out. Royeka’s intention is to always ensure women feel empowered and confident in her designs. “I want any woman wearing Khanum’s to feel like they’re the only woman in the room,” she explains. “Jaws will be dropping and heads will be turning when you are wearing Khanum’s.”
The designer describes it as making a statement. “That is the whole intent and purpose of the brand. We offer statement signature styles. She should feel like the statement in the room.” Keep scrolling to shop statement styles from Khanum’s now.
As London Fashion Week draws to a close, the capital has lent its stage to Ukraine.
Ukrainian Fashion Week is unable to go ahead in Kyiv as usual due to the ongoing war, with this week marking one year since Putin’s 2022 invasion. But despite the air raid sirens and missile attacks, Ukrainian designers continue to create.
As a result, the British Fashion Council invited Ukrainian Fashion Week to be a part of the official schedule this season, showcasing the work of three leading Ukrainian designers – KSENIASCHNIEDER, PASKAL and FROLOV.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The RTW collections were all created in Ukraine, amid the Ukraine-Russian war, and under the sound of bomb sirens, with the designers coming together to deliver an all-important message.
“We strive to create. Creating collections is our resistance to war. Today more than ever, we need creativity for life,” they announced in a powerful statement.
“The fashion show on the London Fashion Week runway is our manifestation of will. This is the fulfilment of our strength and resilience. This is a reflection of the courage of all Ukrainians.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“To create in spite of everything,” they continued. “Despite working in the most unstable and difficult conditions, under the sounds of air sirens… Together with our teams, we continue to work on the collections.
“We know that all of this is for the sake of our common peaceful future. For the sake of inviting all of you next season to our show in liberated and free Ukraine.
“We will never destroy, but we will always create.”
Features Editor Jenny Proudfoot (opens in new tab) attended Ukrainian Fashion Week, and went backstage to interview the three designers as they made their London debut.
KSENIASCHNIEDER
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KSENIASCHNAIDER was founded in 2011 by married couple Ksenia Schnaider and Anton Schnaider. With sustainability at its core, the collections cover women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, reworked, upcycled patchwork denim and accessories. All collections are made at the brand’s own production in Kyiv, Ukraine.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Talk me through the inspiration behind your collection…
I did not have particular inspiration for this collection – I was just working with KSENIASCHNAIDER legacy. I used all our classical techniques – such as zero-waste patchwork of waste, upcycling of sportswear and reworking denim. I know that all these ideas are not new, but it was important for me to show to the bigger audience what we were doing for ages in Ukraine. I dedicate this collection to my team, who decided to stay in Kyiv and keep working in our studio. They all are my true heroes and I value their craft, their incredible work with old clothes and dead stock.
What does Ukrainian Fashion Week mean to you?
I started showing at Ukrainian fashion week at the age of 19 when I was working for another Ukrainian brand. So it`s been a lot of seasons for me there in different locations. I value them like our partners, they were always very supportive. When Irina proposed to me to become part of the London Fashion week showcase she said “We have only one condition for you to become part of the LFW show – promise me to have a big show in Kyiv after our victory”. I think it tells a lot about her as a person and her love for the Ukrainian fashion community.
What message do you hope to send with this show?
The main message was written on the cards that we put on the seats at the venue. We created it together with my colleagues Paskal and Ivan Frolov – “We will never destroy, but we will always create.”
This week marks one year since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine – how can we support the people of Ukraine right now?
“At the finale of our shows we were walking with a Ukrainian flag to mark this tragic date. On the flag there was the name of an organisation who provides help to Ukrainians – United24 (opens in new tab), we wanted to encourage people to continue donating and supporting us. This help can save lives.”
PASKAL
(Image credit: Getty Images)
PASKAL was founded by Julie Paskal, then an architecture graduate, back in 2013. Since then the brand has gone onto become renowned for its delicate silhouettes and minimalistic shapes, taking huge inspiration from Paskal’s architectural background. This collection, ‘Out of Cocoon’ is PASKAL’s first return to the runway in three years.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Talk me through the inspiration behind your collection…
The leitmotif of the ‘Out of the Cocoon’ collection is a butterfly, as a metaphor for the beauty and fragility of life. It is a very special symbol for me. It is the epitome of transformation, which is usually not an easy process. For the most part, it is quite brutal, yet, it is natural and vital. The aspect of temporality evokes the urge to see and cherish the uniqueness of our world. Being an ethereal creature, a butterfly can change the world with a flap of her tiny wings. And then, the next cycle of change begins. So let’s take a moment to appreciate the stealing beauty of a butterfly that lands on your shoulder.
What does Ukrainian Fashion Week mean to you?
Unconditional love and support of Ukrainian designers. Having an opportunity to represent our country in its modernity and creativity means everything to me and the whole Paskal team. Plus, my brand had not been on the runway for the last three years, so this moment is also personally overwhelming. Now, we are out of the cocoon, in a way.
What message do you hope to send with this show?
The main message of this collection is how precious life is by itself. It is an invitation to slow down and take a look at the deeper level, to see the tension between eternity and finiteness, originality, and cyclicity. Once again, to see the beauty of life, which is born on the cusp of these oppositions. It is a dialogue on the power of change and staying true to yourself at the same time. We may get quite surreal while manifesting these ideas through the fabrics, colours, and silhouettes. But what is real, after all?
This week marks one year since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine – how can we support the people of Ukraine right now?
Every contribution matters. There is no universal answer but I think that everyone can do something: donate to local volunteer organizations, visit a manifestation in your city, or simply raise awareness and spread information. And it all starts with keeping yourself aware and your eyes open. Keep Ukraine on your radar! I think that only our unity against Russian terror and helping Ukraine to resist at the frontier will bring us peace.
FROLOV
(Image credit: Getty Images)
FROLOV is a couture-to-wear brand that was founded back in 2015 by Ivan Frolov. The brand originates from Kyiv, with ‘love’ being at the centre of everything they do, and the meaning behind their logo – an anatomical heart. FROLOV has been worn by a host of Hollywood celebrities, from Beyonce to Dua Lipa.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Talk me through the inspiration behind your collection…
We love to give our collections names that reflect their main idea in a short form. The one we were representing during London Fashion Week is named “Song to Song”. I was deeply inspired by authentic Ukrainian music I loved throughout my whole life. In childhood, we had a tradition of listening to those certain songs as a family, and it stays in my heart like the symbol of something very intimate, deep, and emotionally evoking. Songs accompany us throughout our lives, from the time we’ve been born to when we die, when we celebrate something or even have sex. And it is so interesting that a heart, a symbol of our brand, is the source of the song itself. It has a rhythm, its beat changes at different moments, and it can have a melody when you listen very carefully.
As each of us has a heart, it makes us all a song ourselves. Together we make a solo, a duet a triptych, and even an orchestra. And as a brand we’re deeply connected to music, working a lot with Ukrainian and international artists, we feel clothes best through a song. And when the heart of the piece syncs with a heart of the person, a new melody is created. From song to a song.
What does Ukrainian Fashion Week mean to you?
Ukrainian Fashion Week has been the biggest supporter of our brand since we’ve started. This is the biggest and oldest Fashion Week in Eastern Europe that helped a huge amount of talented Ukrainian designers to be seen by the wider fashion community. UFW are basically the founders of the modern Ukrainian fashion, and we’re so happy and proud to work with them so closely each season!
What message do you hope to send with this show?
I hope it has evoked emotions in people – that was my main goal here. And I know these emotions can be very versatile, but the main thing to me is reaching the hearts of the audience so that people do not stay indifferent. It was also a great chance for us to show that there’s nothing impossible for Ukrainians, and we are able to continue living, working and fighting for our freedom. We felt like cultural warriors who are able to continue to talk about Ukraine in every way possible. We are happy to use this opportunity as a platform to represent Ukrainian talent, to show it to the world and continue spreading the message that we won’t give up on our main goal and what we’re doing in any circumstances.
This week marks one year since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine – how can we support the people of Ukraine right now?
First of all, I want to thank the whole international community, every single person in the UK and abroad for their incredible support of Ukrainians, for every small and big action, for standing with us and helping in every possible way. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to still defend Europe from the Russian terrorists. As Ukrainians, we do everything to bring this common victory together, so I can just ask to never stop talking about Ukraine, support our talent, buy our products. It is crucial for our economy and survival. Because the war is still isn’t over and in order to win we have to feel the world is still by our side.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“We are delighted to welcome Ukrainian Fashion Week to the London Fashion Week schedule this season,” announced Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of British Fashion Council. “Ukraine is home to a host of exceptionally skilled creatives and artists, and we must continue to support Ukrainian craftsmanship during this time of immense unrest and beyond.”
Paralympic snowboarder Brenna Huckaby traded in Utah’s snow-covered mountains for a sandy beach in Aruba for a spread in the 2018 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. But while the scenery was a drastic change for the world champion (who is set to compete in the Paralympic Games in PyeongChang next month), a constant that remains in Huckaby’s life is her ability to break through barriers. And her Sports Illustrated debut is another example of that.
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The 22-year-old is the first amputee to ever be featured in the coveted swimsuit issue, and Huckaby says she is overjoyed by the outpour of support she’s already received from other women with disabilities.
“[The response has] been extremely positive and uplifting, which I was hoping for,”she tells Cosmopolitan.com. “Before doing the shoot, I thought, ‘Holy cow, I’m opening myself up for a lot of good, but potentially also a lot of bad.’ I wanted it to be done right. I wanted to represent women with disabilities the right way.”
Huckaby says one woman’s message in particular has stood out because of how much she related to the obstacles she’s had to overcome. “If I had seen these pictures when I was younger, that would’ve made [such a] difference in my recovery after cancer,” Huckaby says the woman told her. “Just hearing that made the shoot that much more worth it.”
In 2010, Huckaby was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer — a diagnosis that, due to complications, forced doctors to amputate her right leg. She was only a freshman in high school, and describes that time in her life as her “lowest of low.” During her junior year, she moved to Utah from Louisiana, where the former gymnast took up snowboarding as a way to get back into sports, and the rest is history.
For Cosmopolitan.com, she opens up about how she overcame her struggles with body image and self-confidence after her amputation, dating and motherhood.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
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Happiness became a priority during her recovery.
I started going to the gym and that slowly started to help me build my confidence, because I could walk [with the help of my prosthetic]. That may not sound like much, but I tried to find things that I could enjoy. I started to surround myself with people that made me feel good. That wasn’t easy, but you have to feel good [within yourself] in order to find other people that can make you feel good.
And dating gave her a sense of normalcy.
I had my eyes set on a football player in high school. He started to give me attention. As much of a douche as he turned out to be, he definitely helped me a lot. He helped me feel good. He got me roses! Dating him gave me a sense of confidence because he was a popular football player. To have somebody show that much of an interest in me – it made me feel good. It made me feel normal.
She shared a vulnerable moment with her fiancé.
He was the first person that I ever took my prosthetic off in front of. He was incredibly supportive and was asking questions. It’s so different when it’s genuine questions versus just trying to fill dead air.
He’s played such a huge role in me breaking out and feeling comfortable with myself. He reassures me and helps push me out of my comfort zone. He plays such a huge role in letting me know that I don’t need my prosthetic to be who I am.
Giving birth gave her a newfound appreciation for her body.
It took having my daughter [Lilah] for me to realize that I’m a boss — to realize how amazing of a person I am inside that it doesn’t matter what I look like outside. I know that I’m so much stronger than my body.
Her advice for other amputees and women with disabilities:
Know that you’re a force. To sit back and let an amputation try and stop your life — you just can’t. My advice would be to remember who you are within and that your body is a tool. Don’t be afraid to push yourself and get yourself out there.
If you’ve come across this post, it’s extremely likely that you’re as obsessed with beauty products as much as we are. With this in mind, we thought we’d let you get to know us a bit better. We’re a pretty awesome bunch! (if we do say so ourselves) and so much work, research and dedication goes into bringing you a great selection of products to try each month. So, if you want to delve a bit deeper into Latest in Beauty and find out who we are, read on. We’re talking deep and personal here guys, it’s riveting stuff. Well, kinda… Today we’re introducing you to our Junior Business Development Manager, Sasha.
Where are you from? London
What’s your role at LiB? Junior Business Development Manager
What’s on your desk? Oh god, my desk is really messy!!! But perfume, a cold cup of coffee, water, lots of paper and yellow post-it notes everywhereeeeeee, honey, Lindt chocolate, magazines, makeup, chewing gum and obviously my phone and HEADPHONES
Describe yourself in three emojis ???
Your colleagues would describe you as… Stylish, approachable, compassionate and honest… and always taking a selfie
What are you most likely to have for lunch? Sala…d… I snack a lot but probably soup or a sandwich something really easy and quick
Your go-to makeup look is… Ummmm I tend to go for quite a simple look… so mascara and lipstick and maybe some concealer
Any beauty sins? I have loads but my main are….clumpy eyelashes and thick bottom eyeliner and freak lipstick colors and eyeshadows
Office pet peeve? People who take things too personally.
Name 3 favourite BYOB products (Build Your Own Box, FYI)
Shavata Extreme Volumising – Love this product!!! Makes my eyes eyelashes pop and without it, I look like I have no eyelashes!
