Original Kalush Orchestra panama from Eurovision: made by Shkoura 

The victory of Kalush Orchestra at Eurovision made some noise not only in the media field, but also in the fashion sphere. The bright outfits of the musicians with ethnic designs and Oleg Psiuk's pink panama stuck with the audience and participants of the show.

This pink panama has become a symbol of Ukraine's victory at Eurovision —  many Ukrainian businesses have added it to their avatars in social networks в знак поддержки: Kyivstar, Ukrainian Railways, Rozetka, Knyharnia Ye, Sushiya and many others. Ukrposhta even promises to issue a stamp dedicated to the band's victory.

Oleg Psyuk's Panama even has its own humorous Twitter account.

The mass market hastily adds the trendy accessory of the season to their assortment, and fashion media are looking for similar hats in branded collections. But who created the original panama for the Kalush Orchestra, which has come a long way from Ukrainian National Selection to the Stefania music video and victory at the Eurovision Song Contest? 

Shkoura: clothes with character

The original woolen panama for the Eurovision Song Contest was created by Shkoura. It's a young Ukrainian brand that creates distinct clothes with character of mountains and ethnic motives. The products of this brand don't have analogues or two same things — each is unique.

Shkoura products are created in the mountains in 18th century looms. Sheep's wool is cut by hand, spun, and then woven into cloth, which is then combed out, washed in a mountain river and dried in the open air. Such proximity to natural processes makes clothes unique — final products always differ in shape, size, and weight. And most importantly, in personality. In addition, there is no process in the production that would harm the planet. No electricity or carbon footprint — only natural wool, creativity, traditions, and manual work.

The brand is best known for its coats. It can take more than a month to make a single coat, because eco-friendly processes, built on traditional models, need much effort and manual work. Every piece has it's personal passport, which contains information about clothes, care and even the temperature of the river in which it was formed.

«The idea of ​​the brand came to me about 10 years ago in the Carpathians. It was an incredible period of my life, I got acquainted with the amazing culture of folk weaving and was inspired by its beauty. I had a desire to create something special in this technique», says Olesya Zaika, the designer and author of all the brand's products.

Shkoura promotes responsible and sustainable consumption. It’s not about fast fashion. Shkoura`s things have their own history, they are not similar with their predecessors and successors. They bring people back to something ancient and fundamental. Such nature-inspired clothes do not occur frequently in branded collections.

The founder of the brand, Marina Egonskaya, says that Shkoura items are preferred by creative rebels, who are tired of society patterns. Kalush Orchestra surprised the whole Europe with a combination of hooligan rap, ethnic melodies and a touching story about mother. The song also became one of the musical symbols of the war in Ukraine. In addition, the band addressed a message about the terrible reality at Azovstal to the whole world from the stage, even despite possible disqualification. A true riot against the conjuncture of the competition.

Of course, a stylish symbol of this victory is the most desirable thing in the wardrobe of the whole of Europe. Kalush Orchestra has launched its merch — a cotton pink panama hats for the warm season. Panama by Shkoura is a warmer option that will be a bright highlight in fall and winter looks. The brand admits that it barely has time to make new gentlemen. And you can order an authentic accessory on the brand's website, which delivers its products around the world.