In March 2022, just one month after Russia invaded Ukraine, Anna Shvedova spent the day at a post office in Kyiv. With the besieged city in partial lockdown, the lines were long, and being exposed to the elements was risky, especially since bombs were likely to fall at any time.
But despite the chaos of war, Shvedova was determined to continue operations at Bazhane, her emerging fashion brand. Using social media, Shvedova sold individual pieces directly to customers and retrieved the products from bombed-out warehouses, mailing them herself.
