In today’s fashion industry, more and more attention is paid not only to what happens on the catwalk, but also to how the show is created. Behind the scenes, a new generation of professionals is being formed, working at the intersection of creativity and emotions. Among them is Mariia Sobol, a fashion production professional whose professional path unfolds between Ukraine and the United States.
Mariia Sobol began her career in Ukraine, working on fashion projects and runway productions. She was involved in projects of the Ukrainian brand FROLOV, where she held the position of Head of Fashion Production, responsible for the execution of complex runway productions within the framework of Ukrainian Fashion Week.
This experience shaped Mariia’s approach to work: a show is not a chaotic process, but a clearly organized system, where each element has its own function and affects the final result. This approach later became the basis of her own methodology, the FVP Method, which describes fashion production as a holistic professional discipline.
From Kyiv to New York
After working in Ukraine, Mariia moved to the U.S., where she continued working in fashion production, joining projects in New York, including shows during New York Fashion Week. Among her recent works is working on the production of the DOWZAH show (designer Guvanch), which took place on February 5, 2025 in New York. As part of this project, Mariia worked in the backstage team, responsible for coordinating processes, preparing looks, and maintaining the flow of the show.
Mariia was also involved in the conceptual show “Cœur Exposé” of the World of My Own – a project exploring the theme of female vulnerability, intimacy, and emotional experience. Here, her work included not only backstage coordination, but also participation in the creation of space and set design.
Backstage as a New Focus
Modern fashion is changing its focus: if previously the backstage remained invisible, today it is becoming a key element in the conversation about the success of the show. Mariia Sobol is one of those professionals who are shaping these changes. In her interviews, Mariia emphasizes that it is the backstage that determines whether the show will be holistic: “The viewer sees the beauty, but does not see the structure. It is the structure that creates the result.” Mariia’s experience working during Ukrainian Fashion Week FW25-26 only confirms this idea.
A New Language of Fashion Production
Mariia doesn’t just work on shows; she changes the way we think about them. Through her projects and book, she rethinks the process of creating a show itself, transforming it from intuitive to thoughtful and holistic. For Mariia, each show is a single story where movement, space, and time work together. In a world where fashion exists simultaneously on the catwalk and on screen, this approach feels especially relevant — because today a show should be tangible not only in the room, but also in the digital space.
A name to remember
Mariia Sobol’s career is an example of how a new generation of specialists from Ukraine is integrating into the international fashion industry, bringing with them new knowledge and ideas in organizing runway productions.
While designers create visual stories, it is professionals like Mariia who ensure their implementation. And if the future of fashion is a synthesis of creativity and system, then it is backstage professionals who become its architects.
