Fall-Winter 2022 New York Fashion Week marks Ukrainian label, Bevza’s 10th season showing in the Empire State. Following designer and founder Svitlana Bevza’s first few collections in New York, she quickly gained a cult following of fashionable women who have an affinity for stunning minimalist pieces with exquisite attention to detail. This season brought more of the aesthetic we’ve come to love from the brand, with models taking the runway in sustainable fish scale-embossed garments, armed with envelope bags, to name a few standout pieces.

In the audience, the balaclava reigned supreme among showgoers (which we predicted would be the standout accessory of the season). Given the near 10-degree weather and high winds, most guests wore the cozy knit head covering by Bevza styled in several different ways to make it their own.

After the 10th anniversary show, GRAZIA chatted with the Ukrainian designer backstage on the inspiration behind the collection and what’s next for the minimalist must-have label.

GRAZIA: When did you get your start in fashion?
Bevza: Oh, really long ago now [chuckle]. I started in Ukraine back during the days before Facebook, Instagram, or anything. Back then, Ukraine was such a separate world from all the big players in fashion like New York, Paris, London, and Milan. I launched in a small atelier in 2006, but I went abroad for my first exhibition in 2012, and that’s how everything started.

GRAZIA: So this is your 10th anniversary of showing in New York. How has your vision for the brand changed since showing in America, if at all?
Bevza: Not at all; I’ve always had the minimalist and elegant vision in mind for Bevza. I wanted something to make people feel like they’re making a conscious purchase. When buying Bevza, you get a high-quality garment that can serve you for years and is timeless. I can take a coat from the first collection today, and it would still look amazing and in style.

GRAZIA: What was your inspiration behind the collection?
Bevza: This season the visual reference was an envelope. It’s about love letters, which makes today, Valentine’s Day, the perfect day for it. But these love letters aren’t just for Valentine’s Day. They’re more about everyone in the world. By sending these love letters to Earth, it’s about being eco-conscious. For example, all the knitwear is made of recycled plastic bottles. All the fish scales are made of zero-waste production.

GRAZIA: Going off of Bevza’s sustainability mission, I’ve always loved the faux fur puffers. I think they’re so unique. How did that idea come about?
Bevza: It started in 2018, and we continued the series. It’s a sustainable alternative that’s fun, it’s recycled nylon printed and super warm. Girls in fashion, especially in Ukraine and post-Soviet countries, love to wear fur, so this is just our fun take on it.

GRAZIA: What’s next for Bevza, menswear perhaps? [Editor’s note, I’m dressed in an entire head-to-toe Bevza look.]
Bevza: Aha, you do look terrific in it! [Snaps a photo.] I’m actually working on a few projects down the line with sustainable knitwear but for kids. I have a daughter, she’s 3 but she’s already very interested in my wardrobe, so I’ve decided she has to have some of her own pieces.