Bevza Gives the Apron Dress an Elevated Twist for Fall 2024

For her Fall 2024 collection shown Wednesday at the Ukrainian Institute of America on the Upper East Side, designer Svitlana Bevza was thinking about how to build a collection based on an apron dress.

“I was thinking about how to metaphorically show that we cook bread for a lot of countries in the world,” Bevza, known for minimalist wares that draw from her Ukrainian culture, told Fashionista backstage. “So I just bought an apron and thought, ‘Why don’t we do it as an evening dress or a leather dress?’ Ukraine is an agricultural country and I wanted to show the importance of Ukraine from the aesthetical side [and] its cultural side.”

Indeed, the apron reference is unmistakable, taking various forms throughout the collection: a white apron layered atop a matching dress shirt, leather maxi apron dresses, a viscose apron-esque blouse paired with straight-leg trousers.

Grain, a recurring motif for the brand, contextualizes the presentation as it signifies “Ukraine‘s cultural wealth and resilience,” per the show notes. It’s seen in the brand’s bag hardware and signature spikelet jewelry. It also informs the Fall 2024 color palette, particularly the use of gold.

The collection — which was produced entirely in Bevza’s atelier in Kyiv, Ukraine — transcends elegance as a mere aesthetic, but embodies it in cut, shape, fabric and practicality. Key examples include the A-line coats (“inspired by the traditional 19th-century Ukrainian coat called the ‘Kozukh,'” per the show notes) that are handmade from sheepskin and the hand-knitted “Tisto” vests that spotlight the texture of raw bread.

Season after season, Bevza excels in proposing luxurious classics that make for worthwhile investment pieces. From bolder looks like the closing number (a textured golden poncho), to more subdued styles like the white split-collar blouses, every piece is one you could wear years from now without feeling dated. (Only Bevza could find a way to make apron dresses a capsule wardrobe item.)

Keep scrolling to see every look from Bevza’s Fall 2024 collection.

Bevza Fall 2024. Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight