He President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenskigenerated surprise last Monday in the White House Upon receiving Donald Trump praise for their clothing during a bilateral meeting. The outfitdesigned by Ukrainian Viktor Anisimovincluded a key novelty: a back opening that He brought him closer to a civil suit and moved him away from military uniforms that used to use from the beginning of the war.
“These are our hopes of peace. We believe that if we add something subtle to this image, some civil clothing to its uniform, then It will be like an amulet of luck”, Explained Anisimov.
A change designed for the encounter with Trump
The designer presented the new model to the Ukrainian President on Friday before the meeting, seeking to clarify the strictly military image of the president. The strategy was immediately noted: “Moments after Zelenski arrived, Trump congratulated him for the suit,” witnesses of the match.
This gesture contrasted with what happened in February, when the US president criticized Zelensky’s military style during a meeting in the Oval Officegenerating discomfort in the presence of the press.
On this new occasion, even a journalist who had reproached him for the lack of suit changed his tone: “You are fabulous in that suit”, He told him during coverage.
The design background
With 61 years and a native of Chernígov, Anisimov He recalled that the previous experience in the Oval Office prompted him to guide the design towards a message of moderation. “I was watching videos of that interaction and felt the indirect. I perceived that they were addressed to Ukrainian citizensNot only to Zelensky, ”he said.
The designer added that he perceived “a slight feeling of despair because they do not understand how we breathe, how we live.” In that sense, its objective was “Make sure the Ukrainian President had a decent appearance”.
On the political significance of the suit, he said: “They praise us, they scold us. If we win, and we will win, it doesn’t matter who the suit was.”
The image of Zelensky from the beginning of the war
From the February Russian invasion, 2022, Zelenski chose as a personal seal the Military shirts without neckcampaign pants and heavy boots. His clothing sought to represent solidarity with Ukrainian troops and project resistance to Kremlin.
A year after the start of the conflict, the president reflected in an interview with a local medium: “At that time, Internally, we all changed, everything changed, life changed. It was a point of no return. ”
According to the testimonies collected by Reuters, the choice of an outfit with civil wink USA.
Change not only responded to a personal image strategy, but also to the need to send a political message: Zelenski sought to balance his role as a war leader with that of a head of state who still bets on diplomacy and peace.
Source: Ambito
