Respect for one’s cultural identity is undeniably fitting for every Ukrainian, and high-quality, modern Ukrainian ethnic clothing is an essential part of it. A striking example of such stylish attire is Gaptuvalnya, a clothing brand featuring elements of Ukrainian embroidery. Its founder, Nataliia Herhelyuk, is one of the 65 winners of the “CREATE!” program, who received grants to scale their businesses.
Born in Ivano-Frankivsk, the embroidered clothing brand Gaptuvalnya celebrates the authenticity of traditional Ukrainian embroidery. The company specializes in producing exquisite embroidered shirts, dresses, blouses, skirts, and corsets—production volumes of which have increased thanks to the “CREATE!” grant program. The entrepreneur used the grant funds to purchase an embroidery machine with an extended embroidery field, which significantly saves production time.
“With the grant funds, we purchased a Tajima embroidery machine, which not only saves production time but ultimately increases the quantity of products we can make,” says Nataliia Herhelyuk.
In the video, the entrepreneur shares how her business transformed after participating in the “CREATE!” initiative, implemented by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, UMAEF, and the KSE Foundation, with support from OschadBusiness and the KSE Graduate Business School.