The silk gift brand KHUSTYNA, in collaboration with the world-renowned architecture and design studio MAKHNO, presents a joint collection of silk scarves titled "ZHYVI" (The Living Ones). This creative manifesto speaks to the continuity of traditions, the strength of Ukrainian design, and art that remains timeless.
At the heart of the collection are six unique designs based on the archival sketches of Serhii Makhno. The teams managed to uncover intermediate project visions and conceptual drawings that have never been shown to the general public before.
The title "ZHYVI" reflects MAKHNO's core principle: creating objects that serve as an anchor—material, quiet, and present in a person’s space and life as a form of connection with tradition, time, and oneself. The designs merge Ukrainian authenticity with the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi—finding beauty in imperfection and naturalness.
"I do not divide the roles of architect, designer, and ceramist within myself. All these roles meet in one desire: to create living, special things that give a person strength and keep them connected to their roots. In a line or the rhythm of an ornament, a small imperfection always appears, which is exactly what makes the object 'alive.' This is our fundamental position: scale must not destroy individuality," comments studio founder Serhii Makhno.
Adding special value to the collection is the fact that some visual elements are based on drawings by MAKHNO studio ceramic artist Serhii Denysenko—an Honored Master of Folk Art whose graphics have significantly influenced the development of the modern Ukrainian visual code.
The collection consists of six scarves where the studio’s signature elements—recognizable ceramics, textures, and symbols—have been transformed into prints encoding meanings shared across Ukrainian culture:
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"Zakhyst" (Protection) – A print inspired by the studio’s iconic art object, the Quadropod, a Red Dot Design Award winner. A geometric form that has become a symbol of contemporary Ukrainian design.
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"Pletyvo" (Weaving) – Dedicated to the beauty of structure and the rhythm of breathing lines. The title "Pletyvo" (Japanese: Maori) reveals the philosophy of the "Ma" interval within the weave—the space where air, lightness, and the harmony of interacting threads are born.
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"Vittia" (Branches) – The shadow of a branch falling on natural textures, capturing the moment between light and material. For MAKHNO, branches represent a natural structure without the intention of being "pretty"—the logic of growth, the pause between lines, and silence.
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"Turkot" (Cooing) – Inspired by Vasylkiv ceramics as an archetype of roots and ancestral continuity. The title "Turkot" (Japanese: Saezuri) embodies the philosophy of presence: not a loud song, but the living sound of birds, signifying the continuity of life here and now.
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"Svitannia" (Dawn) – (Japanese: Kizashi) Symbolizes the anticipation of change and the sign of a beginning, when the action has not yet started, but the world is already full of its potential.
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"Krylo" (Wing) – An homage to the Ukrainian ceramic tradition from Vasylkiv, reimagined through the prism of contemporary art.
The "ZHYVI" silk scarf collection is a way of speaking about Ukraine to the world through a delicate yet enduring material.
"My mission is to restore Ukrainians' faith in the beauty of their own heritage. We are reclaiming our place—calm, strong, and modern. In times of darkness, design and art can become light. They give people a sense of continuity: that we were, we are, and we will be," emphasizes Serhii Makhno.
A silk scarf that "has a memory," ages gracefully, and preserves the warmth of the artisans' hands—this is the perfect gift carrying a powerful cultural legacy.
The "ZHYVI" collection is available for order at KHUSTYNA.COM and at the brand's corners in Kyiv’s TSUM (3rd and -1st floors).