Fashion for everyone

After a visit to the annual Siren Music Festival in Coney Island on Saturday, Jimmy and I took a stroll over to Brighton Beach to visit Cafe Glechik. The small Ukrainian restaurant may be out of the way, but has received rave reviews, and even a visit from Anthony Bourdain. I went there in search of pelmeni, the tiny ravioli-style meat dumplings that have been a favorite food of mine since I was a child. After a full meal of green borscht, pickled vegetables, herring, and plenty of pelmeni (I even bought a frozen bag to go), we stumbled home, and curiously I found an email in my inbox with the subject "Ukrainian designer." Apparently the Ukraine has a lot more to offer than delicious food.

X'U is a label designed by Ksenia Marchenko, who started the company in 2004, and designs the line with minimalist silhouettes and precise tailoring. While the styling of the lookbook and runway show seems a bit understated, the photographs I received in the email revealed eye-catching pieces and accessories, all of which look fun, slightly eclectic, but totally wearable. It's always exciting to see what's going on in places that are off-the-fashion-map, and I really look forward to seeing what else comes out of the former U.S.S.R.