Montreal designer’s fully inclusive, eco-sustainable clothing line featured at New York Fashion Week

Imagine looking into the mirror as a little girl, always dreaming of one day being a fashion designer and having your clothing line featured at New York Fashion Week.

Then, imagine watching that dream become a reality nearly three-and-a-half decades later, at age 44.

That’s exactly what happened last month to Montreal model, fashion designer and mental health activist Svetlana Chernienko with her new eco-sustainable line Wu-Sah.

“It’s like a full circle moment for me because I’ve walked in New York Fashion Week when I was a model many eons ago and then to actually have my brand come to life, it was absolutely overwhelming.

“I got to see myself in a city I used to live in, in a city that has brought me so much joy. My face lit up (to see my brand on a billboard in) Times Square… it was just that moment, I can never replace that moment. It was so incredible.”

Chernienko’s brand Wu-Sah featured on a Times Square billboard in New York City. (Credit: Svetlana Chernienko / handout)

It was very important for Chernienko that her brand be eco-sustainable.

“I feel like if we take care of the environment, then it helps us with our mental health and I just wanted to be a part of the solution when it comes to environmental issues,” she said.

“It’s made from the ocean so I feel that being able to do my part in eco-sustainable fashion and moving away from fast fashion and showing that this is how we can change the environment, this is how we can create fashion from waste in the ocean and clean up the ocean at the same time.”

A portion of the proceeds from her showcase will go towards 10,000 Beds, which provides scholarships to assist those seeking treatment for substance use disorder and to enter a rehabilitation centre.

Wu-Sah fashion line on the runway at New York Fashion Week. (Credit: Svetlana Chernienko / handout)

Diversity and representation are very important to Chernienko, and that sentiment made its way onto the NYFW runway.

“I wanted to do my part by having majority of Black and Latina models that were modelling for me,” she said. “I wanted to show representation in every form when it came to my runway.

“Even in the design of makeup that I used. I used it from the Endo tribe in Nigeria. The hair actually came from the Russian side of my family. I was actually very well balanced because the African American side and the Russian side show up on the runway.”

The Wu-Sah clothing line is also available in many sizes because Chernienko said it was crucial that all body types be able to wear her clothes.

“I have things for women from 1XL to 2XL, I go all the way to 5XL. So I want any body to be able to be seen and be comfortable.

“I want to celebrate every single person’s body.”

Montreal fashion designer Svetlana Chernienko at the age of nine. (Credit: Svetlana Chernienko / handout)

Chernienko appears to have succeeded in creating a fully inclusive line of clothing that respects cultures and the environment.

“The excess fabric that I have, I wanted to be able to recycle it… so I decided to start being able to make hijabs. It’s the same ecolon fabric that has that nylon stretch that Muslim women can wear to the beach if they want to be by the water and protect their hair.

“I wanted to be fully inclusive. It wasn’t just about bringing in the Black community, it’s all communities whether you’re Black, Muslim, white, Asian, Latina, whoever you are. I wanted to have something for everyone because I find that in the market, a lot of the time certain cultures are forgotten and I didn’t want to be that as diversity is so important to me. I wanted to bring everybody into it.”