If you’ve got your eyes on the industry — and on Instagram — then chances are you’re probably familiar with denim designer Ksenia Schnaider. You may not know the Kiev-based brand by name, but if you’ve pondered the peculiarity of the world’s latest double-denim fad — shorts over jeans/ “jorts”, call them what you will — you’re already well acquainted.
The look in question — as spied on Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa and Camila Cabello, and praised by Vogue — is actually called “demi-denim”, and was pioneered by husband and wife dream team duo Anton and Ksenia Schnaider as a “revolutionary” take on jeans. Revolutionary or not, the mini jeans are definitely unorthodox and undeniably divisive, but love ‘em or hate ‘em, it looks like they’re taking off. And, with a new denim range already underway, we met the designers to get the low-down on their rule-breaking brand. Here’s everything you need to know about Ksenia Schnaider.
Who’s behind Ksenia Schnaider?
The husband and wife duo consists of Anton, whose background is in graphic design, and fronts the brand’s innovative digital concepts, and Ksenia, who’s responsible for the fashion side of things — she’s designed since she was 19. While to some, working with a partner sounds like a recipe for disaster, the two say they get on well. “We rarely disagree, because we look at things in the same way,” Schnaider tells SLEEK. “We understand each other very well.” That, and they’ve both taken on very different roles, sticking to what they do best. “I am really bad with technology, so I won`t ever argue with Anton’s choice of a digital design.”
What do they do?
Denim. Really well. “My obsession with denim started in childhood,” Schnaider remembers, “Jeans had a cult status and were seen as extremely cool to wear.” But, growing up, there was only one pair of jeans in the designer’s household, and they were shared between her parents. That was the reality of life in the then Soviet Ukraine. “With this Soviet cultural legacy as my inspiration, I was willing to transform the feeling of admiration everyone had for jeans back then into the denim we are all wearing today.”
Where are they based?
Kiev, Ukraine. “In my opinion, Kiev is definitely the city to keep an eye on now” Schnaider tells SLEEK. Rejecting the problematic Post-Soviet aesthetic that’s been lapped up by the fashion circuit in Western Europe, Schnaider is among those spearheading the city’s creative development. When we ask her to describe Kiev’s fashion scene, she replies: “Growing. Improving. Very interesting and unstoppable”.
Why should you support them?
Two words: fashion conscience. Though Anton and Ksenia don’t necessarily market themselves as an “eco” brand, they’re always thinking about sustainability. “The fashion industry is one of the most harmful industries in the world,” Schnaider insists. “People consume far more clothing than they actually need, and up-cycling some of it is only one of the numerous ways to fight that.” The brand have been advocating for a more environmental approach towards fashion production, one that’s scarce, and therefore desperately needed, in Eastern Europe. “People, especially in the post-Soviet generation, won’t just buy something because it’s good for the planet. By designing and producing truly original and signature clothing, I’m sharing the idea of sustainability with our customers and make this idea valuable to them too.”
Why demi-denims?
The brand’s staple item was a product of experimentation, a quest to revolutionise the classic jean. “At that time my friends were wearing different vintage banana-pants from flea markets,” Schnaider remembers. “This gave me an idea to try to combine different pants in one cut. I went to the local vintage market, bought a bunch of old clothing and started experimenting and deconstructing them. I tried mixing jeans, Bermuda and Banana pants and even a skirt. It was truly a magical moment when I just felt that the cut was right and thus demi-denims were born.”
So, there you have it folks, whether you’re dying to double-up, or you’re content with a statement silhouette, Ksenia Schnaider is the jean guru to make your denim dreams come true.
All images courtesy of Ksenia Schnaider.