These heroes wear capes: Warsaw label decks out volunteers aiding Ukrainian refugees

A Polish fashion brand is doing what it can to cut through the chaos at the border as refugees stream into the country from war-torn Ukraine. The company is producing unique, easy-to-spot hooded capes for volunteers working on the ground with the refugees at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland.

The project is a collaboration between RISK Made in Warsaw and Belarusian-Polish activist-artist Jana Szostak. RISK has a history of making statements with its designs: In 2014, The Times of Israel reported on the then-new brand’s bold Jewish pride line prominently featuring Jewish symbols and sayings printed on grey sweatshirts and other sportswear.

Co-founded by Antonina Samecka and Klara Kowtun in 2011, RISK came up with a prototype for the cape and is now in the process of producing dozens of these garments for Stewardesses of Peace, one of the many volunteer groups working with the refugees from Ukraine pouring into Poland. Over 1.4 million refugees had crossed into the country, according to the United Nations.

The designers are using one of RISK’s existing prints for the capes. The print, titled “Dreamworld,” looks like abstract clouds in calm blues, greys, greens and browns.

“It’s our most popular pattern, but it actually isn’t clouds. It’s the contours of landmasses, with the idea of a world without borders. You can easily spot the Norwegian coastline, for example. We were inspired by the lyrics of John Lennon’s iconic song ‘Imagine,'” Kowtun explained.

‘Dreamworld’ cape designed for volunteers with ‘Stewardesses of Peace’ on the Poland-Ukraine border. Joint project of RISK Made in Warsaw and artist-activist Jana Szostak. (Courtesy of RISK Made in Warsaw)

The print has been transferred to a thick sweatshirt-type material for the hooded capes, which can easily fit over the heavy winter jackets necessary for the region’s late-winter bitter cold weather. The designers added three colorful stripes: Two down each of the sleeves and one down the front zipper. They represent the flag of Ukraine, the flag of Poland, and the red and white flag used by opponents of the Lukashenko regime in Belarus.

“That last flag was important to Jana, because she is from Belarus,” Kowtun said.

This is the third collaboration between RISK and Szostak. Samecka and Kowtun previously designed for Szostak a red and white dress she wore to protest the Russia-aligned government of Belarus. Szostak also commissioned from RISK a custom-made dress from material printed with the photographs of 2,000 prisoners of the Lukashenko regime, which she wore to a major gala.

RISK has set up a special section of its e-commerce website devoted to Ukrainian relief. The company will donate 50 złoty ($11.50) from the proceeds of each item sold from its “Wolność” (Freedom) line to the “SOS UKRAINE” campaign of  Polish Humanitarian Action.

During a Zoom interview with The Times of Israel, Kowtun turned her computer’s camera to show how RISK’s offices, on the second floor of its store in Warsaw, are being converted into a comfortable shelter for 10 adults and several children.

“It should be ready by tomorrow. We are partnering with the JDC on this,” said Samecka, referring to the global Jewish humanitarian and relief organization, the Joint Distribution Committee.

Activist and artist Jana Szostak wearing a dress she designed with the RISK Made in Warsaw clothing brand. The outfit’s print is made from the photos of 2,000 political prisoners of the regime of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. The dress was worn to a major gala. (Courtesy of RISK Made in Warsaw)

Samecka and Kowtun are also working hard to move up the launch of a new campaign developed in cooperation with Russian-Belarusian-Polish educator and activist Marina Hulia that they had originally planned to unveil in April for Passover, Easter and Ramadan. The campaign, RISK for Real People, features refugees and immigrants from Chechnya, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia, and Afghanistan modeling RISK designs.

“We invited these people to do a photo shoot, and a lookbook of the photos should go up on our site very soon. We realized we had to strike while the iron is hot, when Poles’ hearts are open right now,” Kowtun said.

Samecka explained that the campaign aims to send a message that everyone should be welcome in Poland, and that a united, multicultural Polish society is desirable.

“Poland is not a very tolerant country. We want people to take a good look at the people who come here and give so much to Polish society, and who deserve to be welcome here,” Samecka said.

Like most businesses, RISK suffered setbacks during the COVID pandemic. Kowtun and Samecka had big plans to take the brand international in 2019 and 2020 after having attended trade shows in Europe and New York. They were scheduled to go to China in 2020.

An immigrant to Poland models for the ‘RISK for Real People’ campaign. (Irek Kamieniak)

The brand pulled through the last two years by continuing to have solid online sales. RISK is known for its soft, comfortable and light jersey materials. The fabrics are used for all their designs.

“There is no question that the dress code changed due to COVID. But our clothes are comfortable like a sweatsuit, but also fashionable. People could wear our clothes while stuck at home, and both feel good and look good,” Kowtun said.

When RISK launched a decade ago, it sold only items — from hoodies to ball gowns — made from heather, or grey sweatshirt material. The brand later branched out and added prints to its repertoire, including ones featuring flowers of Poland, birds of Warsaw, and still life oil paintings.

“We are are no longer only about the grey hoodie. We realized that we and everyone else needed some color in our lives,” Kowtun said.