Choosing a present for Valentine’s Day can spoil the romantic mood. To help, the Kyiv Post has chosen several for gift options produced by Ukrainian brands.
Jewelry
Even if a proposal and a diamond ring aren’t scheduled, plenty of small shiny things made by Ukrainian jewelers make nice gifts for the occasion. Apart from jewelry giants like UkrZoloto or Zarina, there are lots of small Ukrainian companies that produce accessories for any taste and budget. Uzhgorod-based Kochut offers large rings that look like they could have been worn by an ancient king, while Kyiv-based Lena Yastreb creates cute animal-themed silver and gold accessories. At Kazka, one can find rings encrusted with pearls and shiny stones.
Dari Jewelry offers minimalistic pieces with tiny pictures carved on them. Most of the small manufacturers usually produce jewelry to their own design, but are also open to creating something individual and custom-designed.
Kochut. www.kochut.org. Prices start at Hr 1,500
Lena Yastreb. www.lenayastreb.com, 12G Kozhemiatska St., 1 p. m.-7 p. m. Prices start at Hr 500
Kazka. www.kazka.ua, 17B Antonovycha St., 10 a. m. — 8 p. m., 1B Obolonskyi Ave., 10 a. m. — 8 p. m., 40 Budivelnykiv St., 10 a. m. — 8 p. m. Prices start at Hr 200
Dari Jewelry. www.dari.ch. Prices start at Hr 850
Ukrainian brand Kralya lingerie designs women’s underwear to measure, so order in advance.(Courtesy)
Accessories
If jewelry seems a bit luxurious for the occasion, consider other accessories, such as a watch, a backpack or a pair of sunglasses by Ukrainian brands. One option is Odesa-based AndyWatch, which offers unisex watches with steel and leather straps. ZIZ, a bigger company based in Kyiv, produces both minimalistic metallic watches and ones with bright matching background prints on the watch face and strap. Rivne-based Harvest produces unisex backpacks, classic purses and businesslike briefcases for reasonable prices. O:plich focuses on leather goods offering its clients a variety of bags, clutches and wallets. The company’s signature product is a semi-transparent female purse.
On the glasses market, there are two companies that have already won hearts of Ukrainians. Whilst Blackwood focuses on more expensive options, producing glasses with wooden rims, Na Ochi makes a range of glasses with colorful lenses and rims.
AndyWatch. www.andywatch.com.ua, 1 Solomenska St., 10 a. m. — 6 p. m. Prices: Hr 550–1,300 ZIZ. www.ziz.ua/watch, 8 Hnata Khotkevycha St., 10 a. m. — 6 p. m. Prices: Hr 590–2,400
Harvest. www.harvest-clothing.com.ua. Prices: Hr 140–1,950 O:plich. www.oplich.wixsite.com/ leathergoods. Price: Hr 250–3,900
Blackwood. www.blackwood.net.ua. Prices: Hr 1,250–2,750
Na Ochi. www.instagram.com/na_ o4i. Prices: Hr 250–450
Underwear and socks
Those looking for a rather more intimate gift should look into underwear. Kralya lingerie and Lace Up design cute women’s underwear made of lace, but make sure to place an order in advance, as they create their garments to measure, and it can take a couple of days to receive a ready-to-wear set. Sammy Icon produces comfortable cotton underwear both for men and women.
Check out their socks with funny prints.
Kralya lingerie. www.instagram. com/kralya_lingerie. Prices: Hr 600–1,900
Sammy Icon. www.sammy-icon. com. Globus Mall, 1 Maidan Nezalezhnosti Sq. 10 a. m. — 10 p. m. Prices: Hr 200–750 Lace Up. www.laceup.com.ua
Okno Vo Dvor. 2 Tarasa Shevchenka Blvd., 12 a. m. — 8 p. m. Prices: Hr 550–1,500
BZ Perfumes create scents using Ukrainian traditional aromas.(Courtesy)
Perfumes
They say it’s possible to forget what a person looks and sounds like, but impossible to forget their scent. Ukraine is not famous for its perfumes, but there still are several options to add some new memories to a relationship. Dan Hotus, the owner of a brand called DH, creates a fragrance from scratch for each of his clients, based on their preferences. BZ Perfumes focus on authentic aromas — like the smell of traditional Ukrainian red currents, the basis of the company’s new fragrance Porichka.
DH. danhotos.com/Personalperfume. Prices: Hr 1,600–9,500
BZ Perfumes. Satin shop, 17B Antonovycha St., 10 a. m. — 10 p. m., Otaman, 21A Mykhailivska St., 11 a. m. — 9 p. m. Prices: Hr 2,000–2,800
