About The Founder

Svetlana Chernienko is no stranger to the fashion industry. Growing up with a father who was a photographer in the fashion world and a mother who is a celebrity makeup artist in film and fashion, Svetlana is very comfortable in this realm. Svetlana was a model turned advocate for mental health, human rights, black lives and rights for the LGBTQIA+ community. She used her voice to create the change she wanted to see. In 2021 at the height of the pandemic, Svetlana returned to her first love of designing. She created an eco-sustainable brand called Wü-sah and wanted to change how we look at fashion.  

 

In 2022 less than 6 months, this Canadian designer from Montreal made her way into NYFW22 and showcased her collection with a powerful and profound message of her cultural background ( Nigerian , Ukranian and Russian ) while still advocating her message for mental health. Then the summer of 2022, Svetlana showcased a few fashion shows in New York City and noticed a lack of diversity not only with the models being cast but also a massive lack of diversity with the designers showcasing. "I was mortified at what I was seeing BTS of these shows, from the abusive manner of how the models were being treated, I also saw that models that didn't fit a "mould," from ethnicity to body type, were being excluded.

 

As a Designer, many of my models were curvy, and my models from the LGBTQIA+ (Transgender models mainly ) were being removed, or I was told I chose too many "black models" for my show. I knew that I needed to change something in the industry and hold space FOR US." says Svetlana Chernienko. She moved forward to create a fashion show for the BIPOC community.

 

"We can learn a lot about People of colour in the fashion industry that have a lot to teach us about embracing diversity and promoting inclusion. Others can learn from our unique experiences and perspectives." This year in New York City, Svetlana Chernienko will have her first-ever fashion show for other designers to showcase. It will be her first ever extremely diverse fashion show, which will break the glass ceiling and create change, something this change maker loves doing, so stay tuned for the First ever FOR US NEW YORK SWIM WEEK 2023 event this summer.

 

Svetlana is known for holding space and creating opportunities where there may not be much for the BIPOC community. She's also launching her own Internet streaming TV station available this spring of 2023 on Apple Tv, Roku and Amazon Fire Tv (FOR US TV) "Who else better than someone from our community to pave the way and help create opportunities where I've been blessed? I'm paying it forward." Stay Tuned. Svetlana Chernienko has a lot in store for 2023!