KOOL KIEV -- at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Kiev by Robb Young

On the 19th of October, I touched down in the Ukrainian capital for what has come to be known as the country's 'cooler' of its two fashion weeks. The event's organiser, Daria "Dasha" Shapovalova (incidentally not the young lady pictured above who's her good mate) is not only astonishingly young at just 26 years of age but she also happens to be both exceedingly charismatic and beautiful. So I arrived wondering whether the substance of the event (or even the city for that matter) could ever live up to the virtues of its ambassadress…. But, in many ways, it did.

Dasha's office which is located in prime location at a disused space that she and her husband had street artists revamp into a creative hub smack in the middle of the picturesque Pechersk Lavra historical district, an Orthodox monastery of caves and cluster of churches.

Sasha Kanevsky, the local enfant terrible, whose collaboration collection can be bought at the multibrand store Pure

The opening of the event was created by street fashion artist, Zinaida Likhacheva

atelier OMELYA

More from the graffiti-ed area where street art has been commissioned next to the Lavra

A milliner's installation at the exhibition which was held in the squeaky VIP area of the city's newly completed stadium.

Svetlana TEGIN, who hails from Moscow

I was asked to give a brief presentation of my book – which fortunately seemed to be well received

PASKAL

ALL OF THE PHOTOS WHICH FOLLOW are courtesy of the talented London-based Italian photographer who I met there, EMANUELE D'ANGELO, founder of the blog www.LIVINCOOL.com

Anton Belinski — backstage