Even During War, These Designers Create and One Entrepreneur Is Bringing Their Work to the U.S. Market
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Show Notes:
In this episode of Mission Matters, host Adam Torres interviews Khrystyna Yatseniuk, Founder & CEO of BUNDI, a multi-brand store that features Ukrainian fashion designers. Khrystyna shares how her mission to support Ukraine’s talent during wartime has turned into a thriving U.S. retail platform. Recorded at the Newport Beach Investor Conference.
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Full Unedited Transcript
All right, so we’ll start looking at the camera and then we’ll just simply turn and talk. Yeah. Hey, I’d like to welcome you to another episode of Mission Matters. My name is Adam Torres, and if you’d like to apply to be a guest in the show, just head on over to mission matters.com and click on be Our Guest to Apply.
Alright, so today I’m at, no, I’m in Newport Beach at the Newport Beach Investor Conference, and let me tell you one of my favorite conferences of the year. Lots of investors, lots of pitches going on, and my guest right now is Christina. Christina, welcome to the show. Hi. Hi. Thank you. Alright, so what brings you out to the conference today?
Today I am here to represent my store. Mm-hmm. It’s a multi-brand store where we showcase 20 different Ukrainian designers where distributing their stuff from Ukraine. And we’re showcasing it here to bring more exposure to my country as well as. The people who are so talented and even through war through a lot of challenges, no electricity, they’re still sewing their designs and I’m still getting them showcasing them in the United States.
That’s amazing. So Bundi, how did you get, how did you get the idea for it? I used to work as a fashion stylist for the seven years, and each time I would bring in a new client and show them Ukrainian designers and they would wear it. They would actually love it. But you know, there was some inconsistencies with deliveries with the sizing.
So it was back and forth of turning it back, getting it there. Mm-hmm. And that’s when I decided that I need to open up a multi-brand where people can actually come try on and shop instead of ordering, sending it back, looking for the right size. Mm-hmm. They can actually come feel and try on before they buy it.
How did you, how did you get the idea, like originally? Originally? Was it a I mean even the entrepreneur side, like how did you get that piece of it? Were you an entrepreneur prior? I. Not really, but I was always, you know, connecting to people a talking to when you were, I don’t know, how far back could we go?
I think we could go the furthest back maybe when I was 14, that’s when I started Yeah. Doing makeup for people that way. I started being in the fashion industry. Oh. That’s how I got into, that’s where, that’s where the, the love. Yeah. Yeah. My love is for women’s beauty. I want every woman to feel good in their own body.
Hmm. And that’s how I started getting more connects, more people who were talking about that, oh, Christina, I love your styling. I love the pieces that you choose. Hmm. Maybe you should open a multi-brand. And that’s how the idea became live in my mind. Wow. And whenever I thought about it very seriously.
Mm-hmm. I decided that there is no holding back anymore. Mm-hmm. I went straight to landlord with a place that I really loved. Yeah. I told them that. We’re making a deal right now. I had only four months to do construction marketing. What? And everything and anything. Mm-hmm. To even distribute that clothes and, you know, it’s very short time for a month to, of course, sew them and to send them our way, so, wow.
That’s how I built it. I built it only in four months, and it’s been a journey since then. That’s amazing. Talk about the designs, like how do you go into the, into that piece of it, like choosing and curating who you’re gonna work with and, and talk about that piece of it? Mm-hmm. The creative side. So the creative side is the, the whole idea of the store is that you would come in and you would find something that you’ve never seen before.
Hmm. Also, it’s a limited availability of the sizing. So you won’t see anyone else wearing the same outfit as you do. Yeah, because it’s limited and each piece is something you can’t find anywhere else. There are no copies, and also most of the designers are not showcased in the United States, so I’m the only person where you can actually go and get it.
Yeah. Wow. And so on the other side of things, I do want you, you, you said it, but I wanna, I want, I don’t wanna glance over it. So you mentioned that the, the individuals that are, that are creating this and that are doing the sewing stuff, sometimes no lights, sometimes they’re working not in the best conditions.
Maybe. I don’t wanna assume that everybody understands that. Well, we know that there is war going on right now, now in Ukraine and. There is a lot of missiles coming to Kiev and other parts of Ukraine and there are a lot of productions for my designers mm-hmm. Where they turn off the lights, you know, there is no electricity, so they have to hand to some items Yeah.
For the orders. And even when there is a bomb attack, they go to the shelter downstairs. Wow. They take their clothing and they keep sewing because Wow. They have an order that they have to fulfill. Mm. And I think that this is. Amazing. This is showing Island even in clothing, in fashion for my people.
And this is my mission. Yeah. To actually bring them here and show people how hard and through what they’re going through mm-hmm. How hard it is to make it, to ship it, to make it happen. Mm-hmm. And they’re still doing it and we’re still showcasing them in different countries There. Fighting for their own country in different ways.
Wow. And we and, and what’s interesting to me about what you said is is the, the perseverance. It’s like how somebody’s still, they’re still gonna, like you said, they, you take the clothes with you. And I have, we have, we actually have a podcast host in Ukraine right now. His name is Mark McNamee. And his show, it’s, it’s all about the Ukraine, the war, everything that’s going on.
And I, I’ve been on, have, I’ve had conversations with him when he was gonna be recording or do something else, and he is like, oh, I, you know, I couldn’t submit this audio. I couldn’t do this because why there was no electricity. Absolutely. And you’re like, that’s a thing where there was some, you know, overhead like something bombed, whatever.
And he’s like, you can’t do it. Like, and there’s just too much noise. And you’re like, but they’re finding, they’re finding ways of how they can do it. Yeah. Yeah. Even though no light bombing, they’re going to shelter. Wow. They’re taking their hand sewing stuff. And they’re doing it. Mm-hmm. Because they have an order that they have to fulfill.
Because if they don’t fulfill it, man, I’m over here. People, I was over here thinking about, I did a gig last night in Beverly Hills, and I’m a little tired now look at me now. I feel bad. I’m over here complaining and Oh no you’re not. No, no. I was, no, earlier this morning, not right now. This morning I was being a little grumpy and I’m like, yeah.
I’m like, thank you for the perspective. Of course, because I, I didn’t have to worry about any of the things that that others are worrying about. So thank you for that. And in all, in all sincerity what keeps you strong? What keeps you strong? What keeps you going as an entrepreneur? My mission. My mission, my mission to bring Ukraine and its culture to the United States.
To show Americans that we don’t only stay in our groups, we want to be a part of this society. We are here to contribute. Yeah. And we want to get as much support as we can because we’re also very supportive. Mm-hmm. And. If I keep this up, and when I keep this up, more and more people actually find out about Ukraine, how talented the designers are.
Yeah. What they go through every single day, as well as just people who are living there. Mm-hmm. And then when people are getting a piece from my designer, one of my designers, they know that they’re supporting Ukraine, they’re having something very individual. They are happy what they’re wearing. Mm-hmm.
And one of the other things is that I want every woman to feel comfortable in her own body. Mm. And that’s what the clothes that from Ukrainian designers do. Mm. Okay. Now I have to ask the obvious question. Is this all women’s clothes or is this some men’s, or do I, am I, should I be looking for some suits or what?
I mean maybe your girlfriend or wife. But unfortunately for right now, we’re doing only women’s work. Why don’t we get everything? They always get everything. Like, no, I’m just, just joking. Whoa. Because they deserve everything. That’s why. Thank you. Thank you. But yes, we are thinking about expanding and doing some more men’s collections.
Yeah. Because we had a lot of husbands coming in and they’re like, oh, actually we want to try something on as well. Yeah. Yeah. And we don’t have it yet. But we’re thinking about it. All right. Last thing I want you to do, Christina, look into the camera and how can people follow up? How can they learn more?
Please go follow at Shop Bundi usa. Can we redo that again? Yeah, hold on. Let me ask the question again. Actually no, you can just do it again actually. Yeah, please go qua. Please go follow us on Instagram. It’s at bundi usa. Or you can visit our website, which is shop bundi.com. Thank you. Fantastic.
And for everybody watching at home, just so you know, we’ll definitely put the links in the show notes, so you can just click on the link and head right on over. And speaking of the audience, if this is your first time with Mission Matters and you haven’t done it yet, hit that subscribe or follow button.
This is a daily show. Each and every day we’re bringing you new content, new ideas, and hopefully new inspiration to help you along the way in your journey as well. So again, hit that subscribe or follow button. And Christina, thank you so much again for coming on. Thank you.
