Between armor and desire, Ivan Frolov turns heartbreak into devotion—each piece a glimmering relic of love, loss, and resilience.
I first saw FROLOV at Ukrainian Fashion Week in 2017. I remember clearly because I saw it on the cool Kyiv kids that weren’t shy, who wanted to assert sensuality, boldness, self-expression. It wasn’t until 2021, my last visit to Kyiv that I got the chance to meet Ivan, the designer behind FROLOV. Sweet, conscious, and outgoing, I was attracted to how he crafted pieces that felt both like armor and love letter, proactive yet fine detailed. Since then he has dressed Beyoncé, Kylie Minogue, Doja Cat, Sabrina Carpenter and among others there are the unforgettable exclusive pieces for Sam Smith with his instantly recognizable heart references.
Four years since our last meeting, we met at the Hotel Westminster during Paris Fashion Week where he walked me through his BLUE collection, Frolov’s own “blue period”. The collection reimagines mythology from Achilles’ heel to Cupid’s darts, arrows thread through silhouettes, accessories, and footwear, shaping a pantheon of fantastical creatures including the Deer, resilient and adorned by arrows turned into antlers; the Swan-Serpent, embodying fragility and danger in equal measure; and the Dolphin, a totem of love with a heart-shaped tail. Brought to life through papier-mâché and Swarovski crystal masks crafted by Oleksandra Ilnytska under Mariia Kvitka’s curatorship, these figures become the visual protagonists of the collection.
Corsetry has become such a signature for FROLOV. What drew you to it, and how do you reinterpret it season after season without repeating yourself?
Сorsets have been one of the defining elements of FROLOV’s DNA since our very first collections back in 2015. The Ancora collection was among the first to feature them, and they were immediately loved by our audience, and for me, that was a sign we were moving in the right direction. But it’s never been just about aesthetics, but about technology. Over the years, we’ve refined it and turned the corset from something restrictive into something comfortable, even enjoyable to wear. You can breathe, move, live in it.
What matters even more is how it makes you feel. There is a certain boldness in putting on a corset. Many of our muses describe it as a moment of power, they wear it when they want to lift themselves up. The garment helps to bring that confident energy. And I don’t even think we’re actually “reinterpreting” the historical corset, we’re writing its new chapter. A FROLOV corset has its own language, its own character, and perhaps even its own category in fashion.
Fashion from Ukraine has gained increasing attention since the war, especially has many designers have had to show abroad. How do you see your role as both a designer and a cultural ambassador?
For me, fashion has always been a powerful tool capable of changing society. I’ve never been inspired by fashion purely as the act of creating clothes or as something functional. Honestly, if that were all it was, I probably wouldn’t be doing it.
Long before the war, every one of our collections was dedicated to a specific theme or strong message. For example, LGBTQ+ rights, sexual education, explorations of femininity, and the human body. And when the full-scale invasion began, that voice only grew louder. Through shows, interviews, and every platform we have, we’ve tried to share Ukraine’s truth with the world.
I see Ukrainian fashion as cultural diplomacy. Our brands have a clear, powerful voice, and we’re part of it. The war isn’t over, we keep living and creating through it. That, to me, is an act of resistance and strength. We’re defending the entire civilized world, and that’s why the world must stand with us.
BLUE centers on the arrow as both a symbol of beauty and pain. How did that idea first come to you, and what did you want it to say?
When creating BLUE, I was inspired by the many faces of the arrow: from Achilles’ wound to Cupid’s love and Apollo’s precision. It can hurt, protect, or awaken feelings. For me, this symbol feels deeply personal, especially now, when weapons have become part of everyday life in Ukraine. The arrow in this collection reflects both pain and beauty – a contrast between destruction and the power of emotion and vulnerability.
Can you tell us how you developed this “new mythology” and what each creature represents for you personally?
Ah, I love this question! This was a whole journey of the invention of a “pantheon” of fantastical creatures: the Deer, the Dolphin, and the Swan-Serpent. It all began with the Deer – a magical creature no arrow can harm. The arrows become its antlers, turning pain into beauty and strength. For me, it’s about resilience and how challenges can shape rather than break us.
Then came the Swan-Serpent – graceful yet dangerous, soft yet strong. It’s a symbol of the balance we all carry within. And finally, the Dolphin, my favorite. With a heart-shaped tail, it stands for love, a reminder that everything we do should come from empathy and light.
Ukrainian fashion has always been innovative but is now also deeply tied to resilience and identity. Where do you see FROLOV in five years?
That’s one of the hardest questions for me. The war has changed everything, especially our sense of time. We live and create knowing that every moment could be the last. It’s the truth of life anywhere, but here in Ukraine, it feels painfully real.
I want to keep our philosophy, our mission, our truth – five, ten, even a hundred years from now. My biggest priority is to stay true to who we are. Success and recognition matter, of course, but what matters most is never losing ourselves.
Let’s have a little fun, if we visited you in your studio, what would you be listening to?
Most of the time, you’ll hear jazz playing in our studio, from the classics like Frank Sinatra to contemporary artists who mix jazz with modern sounds. We often just put on FIP Radio’s jazz playlists. They create that perfect atmosphere where it’s easy to work and create. But sometimes, the mood shifts completely. You might hear techno, often from Kyiv DJs like Nastia Vogan. That music fills the space with energy and drive, especially when we’re working at full speed.
If you could visit any decade, when would it be and where?
It’s hard to choose such a decade as I don’t feel nostalgic for what I haven’t lived through. I’d rather look ahead and see how the world, fashion, and Ukraine will evolve, and what becomes of what we’re creating today.
What is the one trend you regret wearing in the past?
I can’t think of a trend I regret. Mostly because I’ve never really followed them. My style has always existed on its own terms, shaped by how I feel in the moment rather than what’s in fashion. I’ve always been more interested in watching how others interpret trends, how they make them personal. For me, trends are something to observe and study, not necessarily to wear.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
I won’t name the obvious crowd-pleasers everyone expects! My go-to karaoke song is the Ukrainian classic “Mynaye den, mynaye nich” (“Минає день, минає ніч” in Ukrainian) by Mykola Mozghovyi. I like to think I do it pretty well, just kidding, but there’s something about that song that really moves me. Just listen to this one, it has a special kind of energy.
If you weren’t in Paris for work, what would be the first thing you would do in the city?
After spending a decade coming to Paris only for work, it’s hard to imagine being here any other way. But I have many close friends and loved ones in this city, so I’d simply spend the day with them. No plans, no schedule, just being together, that’s what I’d love most.
What is one person you would love to see in a piece from BLUE?
I honestly believe some of the dresses from this collection were made for Lana Del Rey. They carry that same poetic melancholy, drama, and softness she embodies as an artist. It would feel like the most natural pairing, as if some of these pieces had been made just for her.
Finally, your work resonates with people who want to be seen but on their own terms. Who is the FROLOV person today, and how do you imagine them evolving in the future?
It means a lot to me that more and more people see themselves in FROLOV. That’s not a trend, it’s the core of my mission. From the start, I wanted to create a brand where anyone, regardless of gender, age, or identity, could find a part of their story.
That vision still guides me today. FROLOV isn’t just about aesthetics – it’s about the freedom to be yourself, entirely on your own terms.
For more Frolov.fr
Credits:
Photography: Stepan Lisowski
Video: Alex Local
Style: Nadiia Shapoval
Gaffer: Oleksiy Kuzmenko
Light: Mykola Zakrevskyi
Light: Oleksandr Smirnov
Makeup: Kateryna Petryshyna
Hair: Pavlo Lotnik
