For a couple of weeks now, most news has been about the war in Ukraine, from television to friendly chats to social media. This is only natural, as the world’s focus has changed from one moment to the next and Eastern Europe has become the center of attention. Everyone is anxiously waiting for the latest information, while the question often arises: what can we do? We are trying to help as best we can. So do those media outlets, who do not primarily provide economic and political data but present the world around us from a completely different perspective—design magazines and the faces behind them are trying to interpret this trying period with their unique insights.
Vogue Ukraine
Of course, local magazines were the first to react to the war: Vogue Ukraine’s reports on fashion and catwalks gave their place to war coverage. At the moment, Ukrainian Vogue is sharing socially relevant content that can help people in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities to get through their daily lives, giving advice on where to find drinking water, for example, or how to protect themselves effectively in the event of chemical attacks. Vogue also features the human face of the war, including model Yulia Khromtsova’s report on her experiences of the evacuation, but also the daily lives of nine-month-old pregnant women in the shelters.
Photos: Valerij Veduta, Ruslan Szmirnov
Photo: Valerij Veduta
Vogue Polska
Vogue Polska was one of the first to share the experiences of the Ukrainian Vogue editors, showing what it’s like to be on alert day and night, cooking for soldiers and writing articles in wartime from a completely different perspective. In March, Polish Vogue is donating all the proceeds from its subscriptions and e-edition to help Ukraine. Besides solidarity, Vogue Polska is the leading supporter of Sexed.PL, a free anti-violence helpline that provides psychological support to all those struggling to cope with the mental pressure of the current situation.
Wallpaper
It is not easy to write about war, sometimes art says much more than a few hardly articulated words. The world-famous Wallpaper magazine is raising awareness of the sad events through artwork and fundraising: in one of their interviews, they talk to Ukrainian-born artist Sergiy Barchuk, who sells his prints and donates the proceeds to the Ohmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv. Another article reports that European designers are auctioning their artworks to help humanitarian organizations in Ukraine.
Photo: Sergiy Barchuk—Wallpaper
Dezeen
Ukrainian designers and architects told Dezeen about their suddenly changed daily lives, and the magazine published it in the first days of the war. From the atmosphere in the shelters to the broken windows, these stories and images bring everyday moments of the war close to the readers.
Photos: Ivanna Gaidarzhy, Anya Ozerchuk—Dezeen
Czech Design
The most obvious thing we can do as civilians is to provide humanitarian aid—that’s what Czech Design believes. With the help of their readers, they are donating thousands of Czech koruna to aid those suffering the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
Vogue Ukraine | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Vogue Polska | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Wallpaper | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Dezeen | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Czech Design | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Modern and historical elements blend in this Riga boutique hotel
Ukrainian designers we won’t let out of sight IV.
