On September 21, designer and restaurateur Dasha Katsurina unveiled a new project in Kyiv, Agatha Playing — an urban space that brings together a clothing showroom, a bistro, and an exhibition of works by Ukrainian artists. The presentation was marked by a change of format: the team decided to move away from the "just a clothing store" model toward a place where you can come to work, meet friends, or have lunch. According to the publication Wave RBC.UA, the launch of Agatha Playing simultaneously marks the end of the story of the KATSURINA brand, which Katsurina had been developing for about ten years.
From a Outerwear Brand to an Urban Space
Agatha Playing grew out of the outerwear brand KATSURINA, founded by Katsurina ten years ago. The new project became a continuation of that story, but in an expanded format: if the focus used to be on clothing, the space is now conceived as a "home" where shopping is just one of its functions. The team emphasizes that visitors can stay here for several hours: to work, to socialize, to have a coffee. This approach is characteristic of modern hybrid formats, where retail, gastronomy, and a cultural program merge into a single scenario of stay.
The Home of a Fictional Agatha: How the Space Is Arranged
The interior is styled as the home of an invented heroine named Agatha. The conditional "bedroom" has been turned into a showroom where, in addition to clothing, works by Ukrainian artists are on display — they can be purchased on the spot. A little further in, a "living room" has been set up with a sofa, magazines, and a vinyl record player: it is in this zone that you can try on clothes and buy merch. This is followed by the "kitchen" and the café hall. Vintage items were used for the décor, which makes the space feel more like a residential home with its own history than a traditional store.
A Bistro with Greek and Tatar Motifs
The café operates in a "bistro" format. According to reports, the menu combines Greek and Tatar motifs, dishes tied to childhood memories, as well as ideas the team brought back from their travels. Thus, the gastronomic part of the project is built around personal narratives and cultural references, rather than around a classic "café attached to a showroom." This reinforces the feeling that the visitor is stepping into someone else's home — a home with character, yet open to guests.
Contradictory Data
The available materials contain a minor discrepancy regarding the lifespan of the KATSURINA brand. In one place it is stated that the brand was founded "ten years ago," while in another it says Katsurina developed it for "more than ten years." The difference in wording does not change the essence of the event, but the exact founding date and the precise "age" of the brand are not fixed in the public texts. It is also worth noting that a significant portion of the details (the layout of the zones, the composition of the menu, the stylistics) comes from Katsurina's own statement and from materials that publications place in formats close to a press release, so there has been no independent verification of each interior and gastronomic detail.
What This Means for the Industry
The launch of Agatha Playing is an example of how Ukrainian designers are expanding their business model: from a clothing line to a full-fledged urban space with a cultural and gastronomic program. The combination of a showroom, a bistro, and local art makes it possible to build deeper audience engagement and diversify revenue sources. At the same time, the closure of KATSURINA after ten years of work shows that even a sustainable brand can transform into a broader ecosystem without losing its story in the process.
