Olena Huseva, from Lviv, has been working in clothing production for over twenty years. She began with a small atelier making custom garments. Over time, the atelier grew into her own fashion brand. Her professional background also played a significant role: Olena is a trained fashion designer, and she has consistently approached the development of her business with care and precision.
“Before the war, I worked in fashion design, and about 80% of my products were exported. Before the full-scale invasion, I was engaged in industrial design. In my studio, we produced small batches of clothing, from developing designs and patterns to sewing and delivering finished products to customers. We made dresses from eucalyptus fibre, hemp and flax. In 2022, fashion orders came to a halt. European and American partners stopped working with Ukraine because logistics became much more complicated,” Olena recalls.
The war, however, did not stop her. She simply adapted to new needs. At first, she produced pouches and textile components for body armour. Later, tactical suits for military personnel were added. Today, her brand MILIGUS focuses specifically on tactical suits for women – a distinctive feature of her work. The women’s line continues to be refined and expanded.
“For more than three years now, we have been producing tactical suits for women. It’s a small niche in Ukraine, but one that is in demand and genuinely interesting for us. Few manufacturers focus on women, but we see this as an opportunity. We still create fashionable clothing, but during the war, this has taken the form of tactical fashion. We have always worked with woven fabrics, but I had long wanted to work with knitwear. To expand our range, enter new markets and become more competitive, we needed specialised equipment – sewing machines capable of handling knitwear. A grant made it possible to purchase them,” Olena explains.
Olena took part in a grant competition organised by the Ukrainian Women’s Fund to expand her business and create jobs for women in the Khmelnytskyi and Lviv regions, within the framework of the project “Women. Peace. Security: Acting Together”, supported by the British government. With the grant funding, she purchased a sewing machine and materials for knitwear production.
The production team has already developed new designs and plans to begin sewing underwear made from knitwear for both women and men. They also intend to produce garments that combine knitwear and woven fabric.
As part of the grant requirements, Olena hired three additional employees. Three women joined her existing team of twelve: a veteran, an internally displaced woman, and the wife of a serviceman.
“Finding employees right now is difficult. On the one hand, there are many vacancies, but on the other hand, people have specific expectations and requirements. Everything has to align. One of the women who joined my team has a disability; she is also a veteran. I was initially concerned about how people returning from the front would adapt to civilian work, but I am very pleased with her as an employee. I am now arranging her workspace so she can work comfortably,” Olena says.
Each month, the factory produces between 2,000 and 3,000 tactical suits and up to 6,000 T-shirts. The garments are made to order for retailers that specialise in military clothing. The company also works with territorial defence units that seek donors to purchase uniforms for their personnel. The clothing is of high quality and affordable, positioned in the economy segment and priced lower than comparable European products. Recently, the company signed a contract with an American client who is interested in supporting small businesses in Ukraine.
“Small businesses constantly need funding, which is why grants are so important. But a grant is only an opportunity. After that, you must continue to develop your business to succeed. I see real potential for growth. Next year, we plan to develop a franchise,” Olena shares.
The entrepreneur is also interested in expanding into European markets. Her clothing is already represented in Poland, and she has experience exporting to Finland. Interest has also come from the Baltic states, Poland and Scandinavia.