Olena Adam presents ‘BESSARABIA’ SS27 at Paris Fashion Week

Ukrainian designer Olena Adam presented BESSARABIA, her Spring/Summer 2027 collection, during Paris Fashion Week on 5 October 2026. Created and produced in Ukraine, the collection draws on the multicultural heritage, traditional craftsmanship and landscapes of Bessarabia, the region where the designer grew up.

For SS27, Adam returned to the memories and cultural influences of her childhood. Natural fabrics, handcrafted details and a landscape-inspired colour palette connect contemporary silhouettes with the traditions of southwestern Ukraine and present-day Moldova.

Bessarabian heritage shapes the SS27 collection

Bessarabia has long been a meeting point for different cultures. Moldovan, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Gagauz, Lipovan, Jewish and Roma communities have lived across the region for generations, preserving their own languages, customs and traditions.

This cultural diversity provides the foundation for BESSARABIA. Rather than focusing on a single national identity, Adam explores how different traditions can coexist and influence one another while retaining their individuality.

The connection is deeply personal. One of the fashion house’s signature designs, the Festan, takes its name from the Gagauz fistan, a traditional women’s dress. The reference reflects Adam’s longstanding relationship with her Bessarabian roots and the cultural influences that have shaped her work.

Through SS27, the designer brings these references into a contemporary context, using clothing to examine belonging, cultural inheritance and personal freedom.

Natural fabrics and traditional craftsmanship

Natural silk and linen form the foundation of the collection. Adam combines these materials with original prints, embroidery, handcrafted lace and appliqué, drawing on the region’s artisanal traditions.

Floral motifs, woven textures and organic shapes introduce references to traditional textiles and decorative crafts. Meanwhile, fluid silhouettes give the garments movement and a softer contemporary character.

The colour palette follows the landscapes of Bessarabia. Milky white and sky blue evoke open skies, while warm earth tones and harvest gold reference the region’s fields and agricultural surroundings.

Fresh green, lilac and delicate pink introduce softer contrasts, recalling summer flowers and the natural colours of the countryside.

Together, these elements create a visual connection between the collection’s materials, decorative techniques and the environment that inspired them.

Fashion as a reflection of cultural identity

Beyond its craftsmanship, BESSARABIA explores a broader question about cultural identity and coexistence.

Adam draws on a region where different communities have maintained their traditions while sharing the same landscape. This history informs a collection concerned with preserving individuality without rejecting cultural exchange.

The concept also connects with the designer’s continuing exploration of femininity, freedom and movement. Traditional references remain visible, but they become part of a contemporary wardrobe rather than existing solely as historical symbols.

For Adam, the collection offers a personal interpretation of heritage through materials, colour and construction. At the same time, its underlying message extends beyond Bessarabia to consider how identity can evolve without losing its cultural foundations.

The Paris Fashion Week presentation brought this story from Ukraine to an international fashion setting. Through BESSARABIA, Olena Adam connected the traditions of her childhood with contemporary design, placing the region’s multicultural history at the centre of her Spring/Summer 2027 collection.

Photos: @arunnevader