The dissertation is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the street style phenomenon as a multifaceted socio-cultural and artistic phenomenon that significantly transforms contemporary fashion discourse.
It is emphasized that street style is not just a fashion “from the street” but a kind of urban “mirror” of the city's cultural codes. It was in large metropolitan areas that key aesthetic models were formed that influenced both the global development of street style and its local variations, particularly in Ukraine. Today, its key characteristics include oversize silhouettes, environmental friendliness, futuristic elements, street fashion influence, etc. Contemporary street style is no longer necessarily based on the aesthetics of subcultural youth, but it does not lose its rebellious nature. Contemporary design approaches actively integrate elements of street style, referring to its authenticity, spontaneity and ability to experiment.
The specifics of street style in Ukraine are studied. Ukrainian street style has its own peculiarities of formation and visualization. With the emergence of the Ukrainian fashion scene in the 2000s, a tendency to mix traditional elements with current trends began to appear. Street style gained popularity in Ukrainian cities with a great delay, in the 2010s, when it had already undergone significant transformations around the world. Ukrainian bloggers joined the street style mania that swept the world and began publishing photos of stylishly dressed people from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Lviv.
It is found that in Ukraine, as well as in the whole world, there is an intense interplay between street style and high fashion. The influence of street style in the collections of famous Ukrainian designers is analyzed. It is noted that Kyiv is the key center of street style formation in Ukraine. It is here that the main events of Ukrainian Fashion Week take place. The features of street style in different cities of Ukraine are revealed: Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Kharkiv, etc. A positive phenomenon is the growth of the national component in street fashion: the integration of embroidery, floral patterns and national symbols. It is noted that the impact of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war has also affected street style, bringing minimalism, functionality and practicality to the fore, while at the same time causing an increase in the popularity of clothing with patriotic symbols.
It is emphasized that the visual codes of street style – from punk stilettos to sporty chic – allow us to create narratives that reflect social change, marginalized voices, and cultural transformations. It is emphasized that digital media transform street style into a global visual narrative, democratizing fashion and increasing its influence. Street photography, bloggers, and influencers are creating an alternative fashion press that competes with glossy magazines.
It is summarized that Ukrainian street style is a local interpretation of a global phenomenon that has emerged in the context of dynamic cultural and social transformations. Despite its later emergence compared to fashion centers, it syncretizes global trends such as oversize silhouettes, sporty chic, minimalism, and denim with national motifs. The war caused by Russian aggression has given Ukrainian street style a new meaning.
Keywords: street style; visual culture; fashion representation; visual identity; postmodern aesthetics; subcultural fashion; bricolage; stylistic dynamics; artistic eclecticism; fashion design; high fashion; hybridization of styles; visual communication; digital media, fashion photography.
