Anoeses x KyivPride
The social project with collaboration with NGO KyivPride aims to spread awareness and social acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community in Ukraine.
Despite the fact that Ukrainian society has become significantly more tolerant in recent years, LGBTQIA+ individuals still face discrimination and prejudice. The slogan of the collaboration, #WEAREFREEDOM, reflects the importance of openness, honesty, freedom, and strength in Ukrainian society, which is currently fighting its most important battle on multiple fronts - social, political, and historical.
The project includes six interviews with LGBTQIA+ people about their experiences of living in Ukraine, fighting for their rights, and supporting Ukraine during the war.
The limited collection of custom leather accessories created in collaboration with artist Nikita Gudzovsky became the material embodiment of the project's idea. The collection includes Anoeses products created in black leather with visual and textual images hand-painted in white. This idea arose from the image of the dark essence of war that took away bright colors from people's lives.
"This capsule collection is dedicated to our tireless struggle for human rights, for the opportunity to love anyone, anywhere, without hiding it in the future. This is an active message from Ukraine that very soon our lives will return to the full spectrum of rainbow colors, and we will be able to feel everything at 101% again," shared the artist Nikita Gudzovsky.
25% of the proceeds from the sale of the capsule collection will be donated to KyivPride to support their advocacy and community initiatives.
Team credits:
Artworks - Nikita Gudzovsky
Clothes & Accessories - Anoeses
Photo - Alina Chopenko
Video - Vlad Lytvyniuk
Interviews - Maria Mokhova
Project idea & communication - white rabbit agency
Anoeses x KyivPride
The limited collection of custom leather accessories created in collaboration with artist Nikita Hudzovskyi to support the LGBTQIA+ community in Ukraine.
Monroe
Monroe is a name that’s familiar to almost anyone in Ukraine. Since the end of the 90s, she paved the way for hundreds and thousands engaged in drag performance. For the past few years, Monroe, who now identifies as transgender, has been focusing on blogging and social work.
Vlad
A volunteer, activist, a queer person who since the beginning of the full-scale invasion has been actively communicating with foreign media to talk about the situation in Ukraine in general, and how it affects the LGBTQIA+ community in particular.
Ivanko and Sashko
A couple living in Odesa with their two dogs. A volunteer and a musician, whom the war made even closer and encouraged them not to postpone engagement for an uncertain "tomorrow", but to build the life of their dreams here and now.
Luli
An animation artist, a transwoman who dreams of becoming a Ukrainian film director. Her transition almost coincided with the start of the full-scale invasion, so her life had completely changed in the past year.
Zhenya
A stylist, fashion connoisseur and cinematographer who shows by his own example that everyone has the right to stay themselves, even if it differs from the traditional gender-normative worldview.
Angelina
An aspiring jewelry designer, dancer and model whose life is full of celebrating beauty in all its manifestations.
