Old Patterns, New Stories: Kyiv Independent launches embroidery-inspired collection with two collaborations

The Kyiv Independent has launched Old Patterns, New Stories, a new merchandise collection built around Ukraine's centuries-old tradition of embroidery.

The collection brings together two collaborations: a limited-edition vyshyvanka created with Ukrainian embroidery brand Gaptuvalnya, and three illustrated pieces created with Kyiv-based illustrator Kateryna Stepanishcheva, who works under the name myfabstory. Both collaborations draw on traditional embroidery motifs from Kyiv Oblast, reimagined for contemporary silhouettes.

The collection is available now at the Kyiv Independent store.

For centuries, embroidery has been one of the ways Ukrainians expressed and recorded  their identity: the region they came from, the values that mattered to them, all stitched into cloth and passed down from one generation to the next. With this collection, the Kyiv Independent set out to carry that tradition forward, and to bring it to a global audience.

The vyshyvanka: a sold-out debut

The centerpiece of the collection is the Kyiv Independent's first-ever vyshyvanka, Ukraine's traditional embroidered shirt, produced in collaboration with Gaptuvalnya, one of the country's most respected embroidery brands, whose designs have been worn by Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska. The shirt reimagines traditional floral motifs from Kyiv Oblast in a contemporary, unisex silhouette, using the Kyiv Independent's own historic shade of blue.

The Kyiv Independent released just 100 of the shirts for pre-order on Kyiv Day, May 31, 2026. All 100 sold out. The response suggests that Kyiv Independent readers feel the same way Gaptuvalnya does: that folk culture doesn't belong only in museums or on holidays, but in everyday life. It may not be the outlet's last vyshyvanka: readers interested in future drops can fill out a form on the vyshyvanka store page to receive updates.

Kyiv's past, present and future, in three illustrations

Traditional embroidery motifs from Kyiv Oblast also inspired our second collaboration, with Kyiv-based illustrator Kateryna Stepanishcheva, who works under the name myfabstory. She has spent years researching Ukrainian folk art, from embroidery patterns to traditional calligraphy, drawing on that research to create three illustrations representing Kyiv's past, present and future.

The Legend of Kyiv — the past. The first illustration captures Kyiv today, built around the Dnipro River running through its center. Intricate shapes evoke the city's historic architecture, simpler forms its modern buildings, and chestnut leaves, one of Kyiv's most recognizable symbols, fill the foreground with motion and life.

Chestnut City — the present. The second illustration captures Kyiv as it is now, built around the Dnipro River, which splits the city in two and runs through the center of the design. Around it, the city spreads outward: intricate shapes at the center evoke Kyiv's historic architecture, while simpler rectangular forms toward the edges represent its modern buildings. Chestnut leaves, one of the city's most recognizable symbols, fill the foreground, and the whole piece is full of the motion and life of the capital today.

The Tree of Life — the future. The third illustration looks ahead, built around one of Ukraine's oldest motifs, embroidered on wedding towels and baptism cloths for millennia to represent continuity: roots reaching to one's ancestors, a canopy reaching toward the future. Stars and blossoms fill the design, symbolizing what's to come and a life in full bloom. To mark the future, the Kyiv Independent is introducing a new product with this illustration: a baby bodysuit.

The Old Patterns, New Stories collection spans a full range of items: T-shirts, polo shirts, zip hoodies, dad hats, a tote bag, a poster, and a sticker pack. A special addition to this collection is the Kyiv Independent’s first family collection that includes a matching T-shirt for teens and kids, as well as a baby bodysuit.

The full collection is available now on the Kyiv Independent store.

About the collaborators

Gaptuvalnya is a Ukrainian embroidered clothing brand born in Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine. Its name carries a double meaning: to embroider with gold and silver thread, and to forge one's own path, and both meanings shape the brand's philosophy of pairing Ukrainian heritage with modern silhouettes.

Myfabstory is the working name of Kyiv-based illustrator Kateryna Stepanishcheva, whose work draws on years of research into Ukrainian folk art, embroidery patterns, and traditional calligraphy. Myfabstory’s work has featured in children's books, on silk scarves, and in editorial illustration, but is always rooted in Ukrainian visual culture. One of her co-authored books — an account of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine from a child's perspective — has been published in the U.S. and the U.K.

One of the Kyiv Independent’s founding missions is producing journalism that serves as a bridge between Ukraine and the world. Collections like this one are another way for our readers to learn more about Ukrainian culture and traditions while supporting independent journalism. To become a regular supporter of the Kyiv Independent, consider becoming a member.