Hoodies, umbrellas, t-shirts, backpacks, waist bags, pins, and patches – Nova Poshta has created them in collaboration with renowned brands to raise 330 million UAH for the 'Pack the Sky – Boost Air Defense' project.
For Nova Poshta, producing their own merchandise for sale is a new experience. The company carefully selected partners and contractors, including well-known designers, illustrators, clothing, and accessory manufacturers. All this was done to ensure that customers receive items of the highest quality.
"Historians say that fashion doesn't dictate anything; on the contrary, it reflects what is happening in society. Today, clothing is not just about fashion, but also about expressing one's position. Our merchandise will help express gratitude to the Air Defense Forces for their work through words printed on the items and a monetary contribution. After all, all the proceeds from the sale of merchandise will go towards enhancing our anti-aircraft defense," says Olena Plakhova, Director of Reputation Management at Nova Poshta.
Prominent Ukrainian artists were involved in the design process. The design for the t-shirts was created by artist Nikita Titov, known for his military-themed posters. Pins featuring symbols of temporarily occupied cities were illustrated by Katerina Pilyushenko.
To create a series of pins and patches, they enlisted the well-known designer Artem Gusiev. He came up with the idea to depict storks and lines from a poem by Lina Kostenko on the umbrellas.
"While working on the design of this merchandise, I aimed to emphasize the power and significance of our air defense forces through metaphors, using symbols and imagery associated with sky warriors: super strength, pest control, sky protection, tranquility. The central motif for the umbrella design is the stork — the black stork, a symbol of Ukraine and simultaneously a symbol of purification. Combined with a fragment from the renowned poem 'Wings' by Lina Kostenko, this umbrella portrays the story of today: our Air Defense Forces, like storks, standing as a unified front to defend Ukraine against pest enemies and safeguarding homes from adversity," says Artem Gusiev, the designer.
Permission to use the poem "Wings" was personally granted by Lina Vasylivna Kostenko. According to Oksana Pakhlovskaya, daughter of the writer, literary critic, and culturologist, the project's goal is relevant, necessary, and noble, as it contributes to the Air Defense Forces.
The production of raincoats and hoodies is undertaken by the Kharkiv-based brand One Face, while waist bags and backpacks, specially crafted for the project, are created by the GUD brand. Both brands have established themselves in the Ukrainian market as producers of stylish and high-quality items. The limited-edition merchandise series will also include shoppers and accessories in the near future, developed by Nova Poshta in collaboration with renowned Ukrainian designers, whose names are currently kept secret.
You can purchase the limited-edition merchandise on Nova Poshta website. The list of items will be updated and expanded over time.