Kateryna Vozianova knows the clothes of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and almost the entire political and business elite of the country. The suits of her company Indposhiv are also popular in the world, as their quality and service are at the most competitive level. Kateryna Vozianova told about changes in business strategies during the war, new meanings and values of the company, as well as plans to conquer global markets in an exclusive interview as part of a special media collaboration “War & Fashion: the heartbeat of Ukrainian fashion“.
– A brand that has not adjusted to the new working conditions during the war will become uninteresting or, probably, unnecessary for the consumer. This is a quote from one of your interviews. How has Indposhiv changed? First of all, within the team.
– Indposhiv has changed a lot! Because the people in the company have changed. I’m not talking about new people in the team, although there are some of them, because many went abroad and never returned. I’m talking about mental transformations. After all, we, like many Ukrainians, have matured a lot, started to look at life differently, and changed our priorities. This is the first thing.
The second thing that changed us is the emergence of a new common goal – victory! Each of us is doing something for it. And this is more than a business goal. As the head of the company, I realised that one of our meanings, during the war and after it, is to do more than just make costumes, more than just provide service, but to do everything we can to ensure that our country wins and then flourishes.
Thirdly, we have significantly restructured our business processes, as the demand for our services dropped significantly during the war. So we had to quickly invent a new model of work to continue to operate, save jobs, and survive. And we managed to do it.
– Was Indposhiv’s line of classic military clothing a response to wartime? Can we say that this decision helped the brand not to lose orders and its relevance in the first months of the war?
– Of course. When we returned to work at the end of April 2022, we realised that we needed to do something with the classic clothes that were made before the war. Because, obviously, it would not be relevant for men now. We realised that men who did not join the Armed Forces and stayed working in Ukraine needed new clothes that would meet the challenges of the times. And this is not a classic outfit in the sense of the pre-war years. Since it had to be very comfortable, there were specific requirements for the cut and its appearance. It was impossible to see a man in bright colours in the spring of 2022. The spirit of war was everywhere, and we set about creating outfits that would be appropriate for the Ukrainian war. We studied the archives and discovered that men wore classic clothes in the First World War, but they looked different.
We slightly transformed the pattern and made a military bespoke line. That is, bespoke clothing, which became our reinterpretation of men’s clothing from the First and Second World Wars. One of the first orders we received from customers was for military bespoke.
And it helped us a lot. Firstly, we realised that we were going in the right direction and that our idea was important for our male customers. And secondly, that this is a new starting point for the company, thanks to which we have stayed in the market.
– Dressing the President of Ukraine is obviously a big responsibility. How does such a client differ from others? And should it be different in terms of the brand’s attitude to its customers?
– For us, it was both a challenge and a responsibility at the same time. Because at that time, the President of the country was wearing Indposhiv clothes.
From my personal communication with Volodymyr Zelenskyi, I realised that as a person and as a client, he does not stand out from our other clients at all. I will say more, his requirements for a suit were far from being as serious as those of some of our clients. When we came for fittings, he always said: “Do your job. I know that you do it very well and know it better than I. I only have these suggestions, and then it’s up to you.”
In terms of customer relations, we have a rule that was established 15 years ago when the company was founded. For us, each client is like the only one and exclusive. So we treat all our clients like a president.
Before the war, we implemented a charity project when we sewed suits for boys from orphanages. They were 7, 10, 13 years old. Everyone from our team who participated in the process, and this was the rule, treated all the boys exactly the same as each of our clients. We communicate on a first-name basis, do as many fittings as necessary to ensure that the suit fits perfectly. That’s why we treat all our clients like the president. And vice versa. Our clients are the best men in our country: either they already are or they will definitely become them. That is why they deserve the highest level of service and respect.
– All companies have experienced an outflow of people from their teams due to emigration. This trend, which is a direct consequence of the ongoing war, is still relevant. How do you survive it with the least negative consequences for your business? What is your personal experience?
– At the beginning of the war, about 25% of our staff went abroad. Some of them returned to the country and to the company, while others returned only to the country because they changed their profession. The majority did not return. There were those who left as early as 2023. It was quite difficult for me at first, because I treat the team like a family, we have been through a lot together, especially the war. On average, people have been working at Indposhiv for 5-7 years, and one of the employees has been there for 15 years. When we were leaving en masse, I was sure that everyone would definitely come back, but when I realised that they would not, I had a very hard time with it, both morally and emotionally. Then I realised something that still supports me. War is a powerful accelerator, and a lot of things change within the business, in its processes and in people. It happens that new people come to the company with new meanings. I have also faced the fact that my meanings and the company have changed, but my colleagues’ have not, and we have to part ways. And the most important thing is that we have realised what is important and what is secondary. I am grateful to everyone who has worked for us. Without them, we would not have had our company. I am grateful to those who stayed despite everything and continue to work – both during air raids and missile attacks. By the way, we are still looking for employees, we have several vacancies. I am sure that new people can bring a lot of new things to the company, so I am very open to it. I do not regret that we parted ways with some colleagues.
– Before the war, Indposhiv had plans to expand its presence in the UK market. The war probably slowed them down. Is the brand ready to return to its dreams of expanding into Western markets? And are they waiting for Ukrainian fashion there?
– We have been working in the British market since 2013. But we stopped because of Covid, as we were unable to travel. Then the war broke out… Now, in 2023, we have made several attempts to return, travelled to Warsaw for negotiations and have plans to enter foreign markets.
In general, and I understood this from my “London experience”, the level of service that exists in Ukraine, in Kyiv and here at Indposhiv is very difficult to find in the world.
When I talk about service, I mean, first of all, the demanding nature of ourselves, our internal service standards and quality criteria. And the most important thing is our attitude to work. So, yes, we will enter new markets and are working in this direction.
Is Ukrainian fashion expected in the world and Europe? Yes, they are waiting for Ukrainian people. Nowadays, I think Europe is very well aware of what our professionals are, they note our hard work and perfectionism, and we have become in demand in European companies. That’s why Ukraine is expected in the world.
– Your brand offers men not only stylish and tasteful clothing. You have created Indposhiv Bespoke House, a club house with a bar, a barbershop, a clothing and accessories store, and even a library. Did this business strategy help you increase the number of your clients? How many members do you have today?
– We launched all these additional services in December 2021. Precisely because we have repeatedly heard from our clients a request for such a place and a range of such services. When the list of all a man’s needs in terms of image, care, and quality communication is met in one place. We understood that we have a very special audience and special clients, united by the same values. And this audience is difficult to reach, but they were happy to communicate, we felt it at our many parties or tastings. In other words, our clubbing was in place even before it was realised within the walls of the house. We had super ambitious plans for its development, but the war broke out.
In mid-2022, I realised that we had done everything right. Of course, the scale is not what we expected in 2021, when we calculated it all, but this is not so important compared to the idea and concept behind Indposhiv Bespoke House. Because we really have men united by common values, they are happy to come to us and stay here, where it does not feel like there is a war in the country. The atmosphere here is very calm, friendly and professional. As for the number of clients of the house, I cannot say for sure. Without exception, it is everyone who dresses here, and the club card is an Indposhiv suit. After all, we know everyone by face and name. Over the past year, we have had up to 1,000 regular visitors. We have big plans to develop this area as well, because men and the country need it. Here, within these walls, many important issues of the future are discussed, because these men are creating it now.
– Since is about business, in particular, we offer you a short blitz where you choose one of two answers based on your own business experience.
If advertising, then with the participation of:
– famous celebrities?
– folk idols?
My answer is: men who share our values, and it may not be a star or an idol. It can be a person who conveys the same meanings and values as we do.
As for collaborations, then:
– with brands that are more recognisable;
– is the idea important, and the partner’s popularity or other status secondary?
– The idea, because we are not a mass market product, but a very niche service. That’s why we only team up with brands that treat service and quality the same way we do. Those who do business in Ukraine in a polite manner and share our ideas.
If sales are falling, the problem is most likely in
– brand flexibility;
– or in the impoverishment of the client?
It’s 100% about brand flexibility. I always emphasise this in meetings with stylists and sales departments. And as a former marketer, I know for sure that impoverishment has nothing to do with it.
– And the last thing is honest advice from Katya Vozianova’s brand: is it worth starting or developing a business in the fashion industry in Ukraine today? And if so, what should we prepare for?
it is 100% necessary. And not only in fashion, but in any field.
If a business is launched in a crisis, and war is a super-crisis, then all mistakes and failures happen much faster. And you don’t need to wait several years to go through this path of different experiences. In a year of business in these difficult times, you learn everything that people learn in business schools for years.
Entrepreneurship is our future and Ukraine’s speciality. I am absolutely sure of this. Although it is difficult, it is very interesting to do business in Ukraine. That’s why I encourage everyone to do it!
Liliya Pril spoke
Read also: “War & Fashion: the heartbeat of Ukrainian fashion”. Special project by Kommersant Ukrainian