Ukrainian refugee Yana Smaglo launches Nenya fashion brand in Yorkshire to help those at home

“I was walking around my apartment and I was in shock and calling everybody,” she said.

Friends told her they were leaving and could take her too, if she could be ready in 15 minutes. After that, they would not be able to make it out of the city. She packed a small bag with her laptop, phone and documents she might need. “I understood that, actually, I don’t need anything else. It doesn’t matter,” she said.

They joined the queues of traffic to Lviv, looking to the skyline with dread. At first she thought she would be able to retun to Kyiv quickly, that it would all be over soon, but the situation worsened and she decided she must cross the border to Poland. The railway station was packed with thousands of people - “and all of them in panic,” she said. There followed a 19-hour train journey, people sitting on the floor, with constant stopping and starting, no fresh air, no food, drink and no toilets.

From Poland, she went to Germany where she has friends, and then she was invited by more friends to stay with them in Huddersfield. Six months on, she is still here, and has also been working hard on a project she has devised to help support those she left behind.

Yana, who is originally from Kharkiv, decided that she could use her own knowledge and expertise to establish a fashion and beauty distribution company to bring Ukrainian brands into the UK to sell, so Ukrainian designers and manufacturers have work and money to support themselves and in turn help rebuild the country’s economy.

“It’s hard to understand the situation and accept that I lost everything. I worked hard for the last eight years, I had dreams and goals, and now it’s all gone,” she said.

“I have no home of my own here - obviously, I can’t live with my friends all my life - so I need to think how to rent something, how to pay my way, and my new business needs investment.

With no money, Yana says her only hope was to meet the right people, use her negotiating

skills and persuade people to believe in her. And this is exactly what she has been able to do, in a remarkably short period of time.

In May this year, she told the Yorkshire Post about her proposed venture and the resulting article was seen by local businesswoman Antonia Kinlan, who reached out to her network. The reaction was astonishing and now Yana has her own volunteer support team, including graphic designer Rupert Cooke, PR professionals Claire Strachan and Patricia Briceno, and Leeds university academics. “The kindness of English people is amazing,” she says.

Xpand Marketing, based at Saltaire, is providing social media support. “When Ukraine was invaded by Russia, as with many people in the UK, I wanted to do something to help against the injustice of the situation,” said Xpand’s Jag Panesar. “I really wanted to help in a way that utilises our expertise so when I was introduced to Yana, it was a perfect match. I barely even had to think about it.”

With the help of all these people and more, the first Nenya pop-up shop opened at Victoria Gate in Leeds earlier this month. Actor and presenter Natalie Anderson was Yana’s first customer and bought a beautiful striped dress, as seen here.

There are more pop-ups to follow across Yorkshire and the UK, bringing exclusive Ukrainian designs and products to UK customers, and all to help support people back in the Ukraine.

“I am genuinely overwhelmed by the reaction and support I have received,” Yana said. “People have been so kind and generous with their knowledge, skills and time. I still need financial backing, but we are already making great progress.”

Yana brings her own fashion design background into building the collections she is showcasing. “One of the biggest inspirations for me is people. I love walking, looking at what people are wearing. Street style is the most progressive trend now,” she says.

“The brands I represent are high quality, sustainable and have unique concepts. They are really niche but it’s easy to implement an everyday style for everybody.”

Nenya uses only recyclable labels and packaging without plastic. “One of the brands NCYZIP produces their clothing solely from recycled material and their whole concept is about buying one item of clothing that can be morphed into different items, depending on your needs, by zipping parts on and off.

“I recognise how important it is to minimise our impact on the environment. I will only represent brands who share this ethos and my promise for Nenya is to always have as little waste as possible. The clothes are good quality, long-wear pieces, not disposable fashion items, and people should be able to enjoy them for a long time.”

“The next step will be to open a beauty salon and space where I will sell offline and in the

future, it can be a franchise all over the UK.”

Yana hopes to stay in the UK and build a life here. “But still, I’m afraid every day,” she says. “And trying to find a way out of my problems takes a lot of time and energy.”

Buy Nenya at Shopify, www.nenya.online

Instagram: @nenyafashion