Born from the mind of Kyiv-based stylist, photographer, and creative Anna Lavlenskaya, and co-run with model and stylist Tanya Serbina (@tanyaserbina) emerges the vintage project and boutique Distinctive. Taking an artistic approach to archival designer curation, Distinctive caters towards a young, fashion-forward milieu in both Ukraine and abroad. The result is an unapologetic and deliciously eclectic vision. Its cutting-edge style taps into the heart of Kyiv’s creative pulse.
The idea for Distinctive first came to Anna eight years ago when an old boyfriend complimented her innate styling ability. Whilst working as an assistant, Anna sourced statement vintage pieces in her free time for her then boyfriend. Now, after over 10 years of industry experience working for some of Ukraine’s top designers like BEVZA, Dafna May, and HVÓYA, Anna’s sartorial instincts have become razor-sharp. She soon began posting her vintage pieces online, styling them in photoshoots with an avant-garde touch. Her ex “saw this ability in me to make people better, or make people look better through clothing,” she tells COLD.
Anna’s creative direction is refreshingly unexpected. She loves to play with unlikely combinations across various shoots, focusing on colour, material, texture. Vintage Chloé heels are paired with gold spandex bloomers. Elsewhere we see Royal blue Christian Dior stockings, a delicate set of pearl earrings balanced atop a dusty pink seashell, and an antique gold necklace of the Virgin Mary. Each piece carries its own “wow” factor, which is blended with a steadfast conviction. “It’s like in childhood, drawing and choosing the colours.”
Inspired by dreams, nature, and her surroundings, Anna observes the world as it appears without sugarcoating: her creativity exists alongside her country’s struggle. “Kyiv has changed a lot since the war,” she says. “But still, even in the midst of all this heavy atmosphere, I am inspired by the little things. Just a flower can be inspirational. It can be anything, patterns, or just seeing a puddle or dirt on the ground.” For Anna, joy is found through paying attention to the smallest details. “I always see beautiful things everywhere,” she adds.
Distinctive’s first showroom ran from autumn 2022 to the spring of 2024 on Reitarska St, in downtown Kyiv, an area known for its bohemian, stylish atmosphere. That first showroom was Anna’s aesthetic vision embodied. A tie-dyed fabric tapestry was draped across plywood dividers, whilst trinkets, vases, and candles lined the shelves. Black and white retro photos hung tacked to the wall in clusters and surrounded the racks of vintage clothing. “The intersection of art and fashion is very important to me,” she says. The showroom space soon became a beloved meeting point for Kyiv’s young, dynamic creative energy, and Distinctive’s clothes became a vehicle to help foster self-expression and bold authenticity in the face of hardship. “It’s about personality, which I love,” she says. “We have a lot of really cool young people who have really nice taste and are very unique… and we are. I think it’s because we are poor, and we wanna say something.”
Seven years ago, Anna attended a downtown party one night in the trendy then-open Parakolo bar, located on the first floor of the contemporary BURSA Hotel, Kyiv. It was there that she was introduced to Tanya Serbina, a well-known fashion model from Kyiv who was dating a friend of hers at the time. Immediately recognizing Anna from Distinctive’s social media presence, Tanya mentioned how much she loved Anna’s style. “A week later, she texted me “I want to buy something from you”,” said Anna. The girls made a plan to meet at Anna’s old apartment in Obolon, an industrial neighborhood outside central Kyiv. During that first visit, Tanya shopped around, tried things on, and Anna snapped a few photos of her in Distinctive pieces. Taken by Tanya’s charm, Anna knew she had met her muse.
A few years later, after Tanya had recently purchased one of Distinctive’s signature technicolor furs, Anna asked her to collaborate on a shoot again. The two met up to shoot Distinctive’s upcoming collection, and Tanya included a few choice pieces of her own. “That’s when we discovered that our styles actually worked really well together. My personal style is quite unusual. I like strange pieces, spikes, bright colors, weird T-shirts, and things that are a little unexpected,” said Tanya. “So somehow, our styles created this really crazy but interesting combination.”
Anna uploaded the photos from their shoot to Distinctive’s Instagram page, and the whole collection sold out. “We were honestly shocked,” said Tanya. “After that, Anna suggested that we continue collaborating. Doing shoots together, sourcing pieces, and building the project.” The two were off to the races, manning the operation out of Tanya’s apartment, which also functioned as Distinctive’s photo studio, storage space, and showroom. “At some point, we had so many clothes that they literally didn’t fit in my apartment anymore,” said Tanya. As inventory piled up and word of Distinctive circulated in Kyiv’s most fashionable circles, the girls soon realized they would need to expand the operation. “Girls were constantly coming over to try things on, so we realized we needed a proper space.” Tanya ran the idea of opening another showroom past Anna; she agreed, and the Modishhh store was created. “It was a birth,” Anna said.
The Modishhh store showroom opened at Hoholivska Street, 39 in the historic Shevchenkivskyi District of central Kyiv during the fall of 2024. Featuring the same boho whimsy of Distinctive’s original Reitarska St. location, the new space now featured elements of Tanya’s experimental edge too. The new showroom featured Distinctive’s vintage collections displayed alongside couture from independent Ukrainian brands, such as upcycled pieces from (@udp_project), ruched baguette handbags from (@kititsa), and even designs from Tanya’s own clothing brand (@undressedmuse).
Hosting brand pop-ups, closet sales, clothing swaps, photoshoots, and charity markets, the Modishhh store works both as a platform to amplify Ukrainian creativity and a community gathering space built on connection. “I want it to be a space with potential for creators where people, creative people, can come, be inspired, collaborate, and work together,” said Anna. “It’s not just about clothing, it’s about culture.” For them, fostering creativity and community is everything. “We have so many incredible Ukrainian brands that work at a very high level,” said Tanya. “There are also so many talented photographers, stylists, designers, and creative teams here that I think international brands could honestly be jealous of.”
Distinctive has become the go-to for local tastemakers looking to make a statement. “We lend our pieces to dancers, artists, people involved in Ukrainian Fashion Week, and different creative projects around Kyiv,” Tanya said. “I really like that our clothes can become part of someone’s event, performance, or creative project.” Recently, in a bit of a full-circle moment, Distinctive had the opportunity to collaborate with BURSA Hotel, Kyiv, where Anna and Tanya had first met, on a photoshoot featuring the hotel’s boutique interiors alongside selects from the showroom. Styled by Anna, shot by Kyiv-local photographer Mykyta Zhuravliov (@__zhuravlev), and modeled by Tanya, the shoot was a true pièce de résistance to Distinctive’s vision. Wearing various looks from the showroom, Tanya frolicked around the hotel, primping in the room, or having a drink at the bar.“The concept was about a girl changing, using the hotel room to have this makeover,” Anna said. “During the war you move around a lot, and something about the aesthetics of hotels seems comforting in a time like this.”
Projects like Distinctive are more important than ever as Ukraine’s creative industries suffer under the ongoing hardship of war. “Ukraine has become an unsafe place. People are living under constant attacks, and this has affected everyone mentally,” said Tanya. “So many people have left the country — photographers, artists, creatives, and talented people. We are losing them.” Maintaining the Modishhh showroom itself is a challenge amidst financial strain and frequent power blackouts in Kyiv. Nevertheless, Anna and Tanya persist, finding ways to adjust and keep the project alive. This last winter, Ukraine was experiencing prolonged power blackouts during the country’s coldest winter in 20 years. Still, the Modishhh store stayed open, lighting the showroom floor with scattered tea candles. Anna captioned a photo of the candlelit showroom on Instagram “no light but still beautiful 🥲.”
The duo have big plans for the future of Distinctive and the Modishhh store. “During wartime, there’s no time to wait, and you really don’t have another choice but to make your dreams come true. You can’t plan your life, you can’t plan ahead, and if you want something to happen, you need to make it happen no matter what’s going on,” said Anna. “The war helps you realize that there’s only now.” Staying true to their singular vision, the girls hope to expand the project internationally and expand their international clientele, showing the rest of the world what it means to be Distinctive. “It’s not about being a boring person in a perfect grey capsule wardrobe. It’s about being a little crazy, unexpected, and not being afraid to show it,” said Tanya. “For me, being distinctive means staying curious, being yourself, and moving forward with the world.”
