Olha Zakharchenko: “Each of Us Is the Chief Designer of Her Own Life, and Only We Decide Which Colors, Textures, and Silhouettes Will Shape Our Day”
Fashion evolves alongside the way we see women. What once required explanation is now becoming part of a new aesthetic, one in which individuality moves confidently to the forefront. Clothing, color, silhouette, and even the way a woman occupies space become ways of speaking about herself with complete openness.
Olha Zakharchenko is a plus-size model whose professional journey embodies a recognizable story of a woman’s presence within the fashion industry. Ms. Zakharchenko’s career has taken her to the runways of Odessa Fashion Week and Kyiv Fashion Week, as well as fashion shows in Milan and Paris.
In this new interview, we speak about fashion as a form of personal freedom, about developing your own system of coordinates, and about the right to create rules that require no one else’s approval. About why true transformation begins with recognizing your own worth; how clothing can restore a sense of strength, reveal new facets of character, and even become a way of hearing your own desires. And about a woman who no longer seeks to fit into a predetermined silhouette, but defines its boundaries herself.
Ms. Olha, contemporary fashion is gradually moving away from rigid standards and beginning to treat individuality as its greatest value. How do you experience this shift from within the industry?
Individuality as the Highest Value
This is probably something we hear everywhere today. Everyone is trying to express themselves, and that is wonderful because there is so much room for creativity. Of course, brands choose the color of the season, the accessories of the season, and many other elements that will be considered on trend for the coming year. But running through all this “fashionability” like a red thread is an emphasis on feminine beauty, and feminine beauty has so many facets. It does not depend on size, eye color, or hair thickness.
Living within your own system of coordinates — beautiful words with a beautiful philosophy, but in reality, they often involve resistance, fear, and the loneliness of making your own choices. What inner challenges have you encountered along the way?
I understand very well what it means to have your own system of coordinates because when you are told that your life may be limited for medical reasons, as happened to me, you begin to understand very quickly the value of every day you live — and what colors you choose to fill that day with is entirely up to you.
Of course, I try to paint my days in the brightest colors possible, and I choose clothing that adds those colors to my life. That is why I am often told that I am a very vibrant woman.
It is much like in the wild: do not touch something brightly colored, because it may be poisonous. Perhaps, on an instinctive level, many people simply fell away because they could not handle that brightness, or the fact that I attract attention. But for me, it only confirmed that I am doing something right — at the very least, I know I am doing something right for myself.
And in turn, there is no need to be afraid of loneliness, because people begin to gravitate toward you as though you were a source of light and color.
In my opinion, the time we live in, and the country in which we are trying to survive, reminds us every single day that today is the greatest value. You will never be more beautiful than you are today; you will never be younger than you are today; you will never be more vibrant than you are today. So show the world who you truly are today.
In a world where women were told for decades who they were supposed to be, a new era is emerging — one in which women write their own rules. What do your personal “laws” of femininity look like?
This new era of writing your own rules is an opportunity to unlock your potential to the fullest. As for my own rules and laws, they are probably very simple: the main rule is that there are no rules. I need to feel comfortable, but in such a way that whenever I pass a mirror, I like what I see. I want to enjoy touching the clothes and jewelry I wear. It does not matter how much a dress costs or what brand it carries. What matters is that it perfectly emphasizes the lines of your body and makes you smile when you put it on.
Laws and rules sound very serious, while right now I simply want lightness. I change my hairstyle to curls, trade jeans for light, flowing skirts, and create a new mood for myself every day.
So perhaps the most important rule is to allow yourself to be different.
You are an extraordinary example of how distinctive beauty can become a source of strength. But what, in your opinion, prevents most women from embracing that strength within themselves? Where does this inner barrier come from?
Unfortunately, far too many women — thank God, not all of them — live with some of the most damaging statements imposed by older generations.
For me, the most extreme ones are: “What will people say?”, “Endure it,” “A woman has to endure,” “Don’t stand out,” “You’re too bright,” “You’re too free.”
And we may say, “No, I have already moved past that.” But truly stepping beyond those beliefs is very difficult. They remain somewhere in the subconscious and influence our choices every day.
So many dreams have been shattered against the rock of “What will people say?” So many women have never become happy because they were told to endure.
I look at today’s younger generation, and many of them are already different. I would not say they have no problems, but when it comes to fashion and expressing emotions through fashion, things are already much easier.
I hope I live long enough to see the collections created by designers who are 18 today and only beginning their journeys. I would love to see fashion through their eyes.
If we speak about a new aesthetic in fashion, how do you envision it? And what place does a woman who no longer asks permission to be herself occupy within it? How do you experience this time of change? What, in your opinion, is finally becoming a thing of the past?
In my view, a woman’s place in contemporary fashion is right at the center.
In any case, that is how I experience myself. It is as though I used to walk along parallel rows, like at the “Seventh Kilometer” market, searching for something that might suit me. And now I am standing in the center of a vast square, choosing exactly as I swipe through my phone while watching videos.
The modern woman is no longer confined. She is the greatest value, regardless of her color, size, or mood.
Frames and limitations are moving further and further into the distance. Even the very concept of what is “proper” is fading, and its boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred. Although it is quite a provocative concept.
The most important thing is to feel comfortable in yourself. That applies both to whether your look is appropriate for a particular setting and to being beautiful for yourself.
I, too, find the idea that every woman can write her own “fashion laws” compelling. But where does that process begin? Is it about courage, experience, or a deeper understanding of oneself?
Writing your own rules when it comes to clothing is no longer a luxurious maximum for many women; it has become a basic minimum. And, of course, it may not work the first time. The important thing is not to give up. Everything comes into play here: finding the courage, gaining experience through attempts and mistakes, and learning to understand yourself. And understanding yourself is not so simple either. You have to learn to listen to your own desires and sensations, and not give up when something does not work out.
If we perceive fashion as a tool for self-discovery rather than conformity, can it become a way to reach hidden talents and inner strength? How has this happened, or continues to happen, in your own experience?
If we look at fashion as a tool for personal growth, that is probably the simplest place to begin. Because how does a woman’s mood and sense of well-being change when she simply buys a new dress, gets a new hairstyle, or tries a new makeup look?
Her eyes begin to shine, confidence appears, and suddenly it feels as though every dream can come true. I would go even further: it feels as though new strength emerges.
When I put on a new dress from a new collection and walk onto a runway in Milan or Paris, it probably adds years to my life. That is exactly how I feel in those moments, as though someone has poured high-octane fuel into a not-particularly-sporty car.
And think about how much can change in the life of a woman who dreams of a new dress and, in pursuit of it, begins doing things she has never done before — and those actions lead to a new result.
That is why it is important to do something new. If you have been doing the same things for 20 years, choosing the same colors, the same silhouettes, and still do not like yourself, then something needs to change.
It is strange to keep doing the same things while expecting a different result.
I understand that not everyone feels comfortable changing dramatically, so for those people, the process needs to happen gradually.
In general, a woman should remain in her comfort zone for as long as possible because, in my opinion, stress destroys a woman.
That is why everything surrounding a woman should bring her pleasure and joy.
True transformation does not begin with radical changes, but with recognizing your own worth. When we stop dressing in order to “fit in” or “meet expectations,” we free an enormous amount of energy that was previously spent on self-censorship.
After all, each of us is the chief designer of her own life, and only we decide which colors, textures, and silhouettes will shape our day.
Photo credit: anna_prophotography
Jewelry: gagauz_irina
