Ukrainian hat designer Marta Holod has successful comeback in London Fashion Week

Image above: Marta Holod with her hat collection at London Fashion Week

One year after settling in Chiswick, Marta Holrod is back making fabulous creations and showing them off to an international clientele

Ukrainian hat designer, Marta Holod, 46, launched her new collection in London Fashion Week dedicated to the spirit of the Ukrainian people. She sees her hats as works of art, expressions of the emotions of Ukrainians across Europe, not just of despair but crucially of hope.

The Chiswick Calendar had the opportunity to interview Marta, through a translator, hearing how she managed to transport her millinery business from Kyiv to Chiswick.

Before the invasion Marta was a successful hat designer in Ukraine for over 20 years. Her hats have been worn by stars from President Zelensky to Sarah Jessica Parker. She began her business as one of the first milliners in Ukraine and the immense soul and emotion she invests in her work has propelled her to be one of the leading hat designers in Ukraine.

Like all Ukrainians, her life was disrupted by the war, and she was forced to leave and effectively restart her business from scratch. Despite the physical obstacles, she has been able to express her inspiration and creativity with the support of her sponsor family.

“I find now that the people who I live with are a portrait of British people everywhere. They are very supportive and understanding. For a creative person it is very important to be in a supportive atmosphere and be surrounded by understanding to help be creative.”

Despite the immense horror of war, it is the kindness of individuals which shines through Marta’s story. From the British volunteers who transported her hat moulds to Poland for her, to the huge generosity of her host family in Chiswick who went to Poland themselves to wait with her for her visa. It is this compassion and support which has allowed her business to continue to London.

Nonetheless, Marta’s journey to Chiswick has come with its share of pain and heartbreak. When asked how she found settling into Chiswick, Marta replied:

“I like Chiswick a lot but to be honest in the first two days I couldn’t grasp where I was. I couldn’t fathom that I was in England. It was as though I had been shut down. I felt like I had been a branch that had been carried in a fast stream or river and I had been chucked out onto the bank.

“It is difficult to understand how things can trigger you. I remember I was walking in Chiswick House, and I saw a big Chestnut tree which got me thinking of Kyiv and I started crying.”

Yet, Marta has found comfort in the compassion and support of British people and other Ukrainian women. She emphasises how much Ukrainians want to give back to their community despite their clear difficulties.

“I find [Ukrainians] do not despair or lose hope and try to make a positive contribution to be useful, not just be a burden on the state. They do what they can to contribute, pay taxes, give as well as take.”

Adjusting to life in Chiswick in comparison to Kyiv where her millinery journey began has been immensely difficult. Marta began 26 years ago as one of the first hat makers in Ukraine with no knowledge, as hat making had all but disappeared due to the weak economic situation. But it was her passion and enjoyment which led her to become a pioneer in the millenary industry.

“I just love making hats. When I started out, I had no idea how to make hats because the sphere of making hats was so underdeveloped in Ukraine. I remember when I first got my order from Britain the lady ordered a hat for Royal Ascot from me. The lady asked how many other hat designers there are in Ukraine and I said none, just me.”

As Marta settled into Chiswick, she realised that Ukrainians and Brits had more in common than she originally thought as the culture of dressing up is similar. Despite being told by some that British ladies prefer more modest and conservate hats, she says she refuses to let this prevent her soul being shown through her designs, which she believes is the reason why they are so successful.

When asked if she would return to Kyiv she replied:

‘Every time someone asks me a question like that, I realise how changeable the world has been. We’ve had Covid, now we have the war. In circumstances like this I realise it’s almost impossible for me to make plans for the future. I do hope it is possible to go back. I really miss Kiyv and Kharkiv where my parents live.’

Marta’s lifelong passion for making hats has remained a constant throughout the immense tumult she has faced in the last year. What began 26 years ago when she asked her father for 20 dollars for her first collection has endured through a pandemic and a war. It is hard to imagine what would prevent Marta pursuing her indomitable passion.

Marta’s designs are available at martaholod.com

Pictures, UA in the UK community.

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