Ukrainian designer Sergey Byzov, one of the co-founders of Ukrainian Fashion Week and a key figure in domestic fashion during the 1990s and 2000s, has passed away at the age of 57. His death became known on November 10, as announced in an official statement by the Ukrainian Fashion Week organizing committee. Byzov stood at the origins of Ukraine's main fashion event and spent decades shaping its face, remaining one of those who "created a place for Ukrainian fashion in this country," as designer Lilia Pustovit noted in her memoirs.

From Kryvyi Rih to Kyiv: Entering the Profession

Sergey Byzov was born on November 19, 1968, in Kryvyi Rih. After graduating from the Kryvyi Rih Mining Institute, he began his professional journey at the local House of Models. In 1992, he opened the city's first private atelier, and starting in 1994, he lived and worked in Kyiv, where he founded his own atelier and developed his personal brand. It was this transition from an industrial city to the capital that became the starting point for his career in national and international fashion.

The "Fashion Seasons" from Which Ukrainian Fashion Week Grew

In November 1997, the first "Fashion Seasons" took place at the Kyiv Actor's House — a project that later evolved into Ukrainian Fashion Week. Byzov was among the 13 Ukrainian designers who presented their collections at this show. According to Lilia Pustovit's recollections, it was during those years that Byzov became the first to stage a fashion show in the halls of the National Museum in Kyiv, which required considerable courage at the time. He later collaborated with the multi-brand stores Sanahunt, Spazio, and The Icon, expanding the presence of Ukrainian design in retail.

A Return After a 21-Year Hiatus

In February 2022, Sergey Byzov returned to runway shows after a 21-year break to open the 50th season of Ukrainian Fashion Week. His show was dedicated to the HEART RATE streetwear collection: this brand was founded by Svitlana Surkis, while the designer served as its fashion director. Returning to the runways at the project's half-century milestone was a symbolic gesture by a man who once laid its foundations.

Memories of Colleagues

Ukrainian Fashion Week co-founder Iryna Danylevska recalled on Facebook the night in a kitchen on Desiatynna Street in Kyiv when she, along with Byzov and Volodymyr Nechyporuk, discussed the concept, rules, and format of the upcoming Fashion Week: "Remembering that night in the smoky kitchen at my place and Volodya Nechyporuk's on Desiatynna, when Ukrainian Fashion Week was actually born — its concept, rules, and format. Remembering Sergey's collection shows, the standard of which still impresses. I remember our work at l'Officiel. Thank you. I will remember..." Lilia Pustovit, in turn, added: "When I think of Sergey, I hear Björk. Kyiv, the nineties, the halls of the National Museum. Sergey was the first to stage a show there. Today it's hard to feel what courage that required back then."