Kyiv Fashion Week designer debuts amid air raid sirens

Ukrainian fashion designer Arina Petrova debuted her first collection at Kyiv Fashion Week as air raid sirens sounded in the capital, with her Kharkiv-based Bob Basset studio prepared to move the show into a shelter if needed.

Petrova, 28, and her father Serhii presented the collection, titled "Mutabor", at Kyiv's largest art museum. The designs included monochrome punk leather animal costumes, masks, claws and feather-like details.

An alarm sounded during final preparations as Russian jet-powered drones approached Kyiv, according to AFP. Security guards evacuated the audience. The performance later went ahead during a brief respite and ended in a mix of applause and air raid sirens.

Petrova said the work was meant to show that Kharkiv, a city near the Russian border that has come under repeated attack, was still alive. She said the show could continue underground using phone flashlights if an alert forced the models and cellist into the basement.

Bob Basset built a reputation before Russia's 2022 invasion for leather masks, including some worn by the metal bands Korn and Slipknot. Petrova and her father resumed work in Kharkiv despite bombardment and said the Kyiv collection was their first in 11 years.