The Morning That Cancelled All Plans
Her career path began 14 years ago in Mykolaiv. Oleksandra Volkova built her modelling and event agency as a system where aesthetics met education. A week before February 2022, she made a strategic move - making the first payment to purchase her own premises in the city centre. But the morning of the invasion shifted her trajectory: instead of preparing for a floral-themed photoshoot and a pageant in Odesa, Oleksandra woke to the sounds of strikes on the airport.
"Mykolaiv smelt of petrol and burning. I lived right in the centre: two blocks from the office, three blocks from the river. Some said, 'It’ll be over in a week,' but I knew reality had shattered. The last of the salary money—about 150 euros—was at the office. I fetched it, stocked the fridge with food, and sat down to wait, trying to grasp the scale of what was happening."
The departure was swift. Five days on the road through Vinnytsia to the border, where a symbolic meeting with the Moldovan President, Maia Sandu, took place at a crossing point. The embrace, captured by the media, was Oleksandra’s first sign: she was now part of a global history where the personal becomes public.
The Swiss Interlude: Recharging in the Silence
Oleksandra’s first refuge was Switzerland. It was a period of sharp contrasts: from the status of a successful businesswoman to life in the small town of Fislisbach near Basel. There, amidst the stillness of the Alps, she learned to accept a new role, often falling asleep on a mattress by the fireplace alongside the dog of the Swiss family who hosted her.
"Switzerland was my moment of calm before the storm. I was taken in by an incredible woman called Katrin, a pharmacist. She gave me her room, even though she owed me nothing. There, I realised: to move forward, you have to let go of the past. I started learning German and went to classes, but I felt my heart belonged to the dynamic world of fashion. I began writing to agencies all over the world. When my UK visa arrived, I knew it was my chance."
During this time, a significant professional meeting took place in Basel. Despite a clash of views with a potential employer, the experience served as an inoculation against illusions. Oleksandra realised that in Europe, she wasn't expected as a "ready-made director," but as a specialist who would have to prove her credentials every single day.
London Mettle: Adaptation Through Action
On 5 April 2022, Oleksandra flew into London. She consciously accepted an assistant position at a modelling agency to learn the British market from the inside. However, her executive experience often outpaced her job description.
"For the locals, it was strange that an assistant could single-handedly manage content, website admin, and strategy. I worked from nine in the morning until the job was done, while my colleagues stuck to a strict schedule. This difference in mindset was a challenge: I wanted scale; they wanted stability. Ultimately, this led to my decision to start my own business."
The period after leaving the agency was a test of grit. She found herself alone in a metropolis where every day is expensive. But instead of taking a step back, Oleksandra founded a community that eventually grew into a full-scale structure for promoting Ukrainian talent.
Building Bridges: London Fashion Week
Today, Oleksandra Volkova is an architect of projects that fuse Ukrainian creativity with British business. She organises shows at London Fashion Week, where every model’s walk is the result of complex diplomacy and logistics.
"The art of doing Fashion Week is a daily audition for endurance. When issues with funding or equipment arise a week before the show, you don’t have the right to be emotional. You are the leader. My job is to present Ukrainian brands so that buyers and the press see them as equal partners, not as objects of pity."
Oleksandra is mentoring a new generation of influencers and models, implementing rigorous professional standards. She is convinced that success in the Western market is impossible without investment in PR and respect for the industry's rules.
New Stature: The Results of Resilience
In four years, Oleksandra has travelled the path from forced relocation to becoming an official partner of the JCA (Jimmy Choo Academy) and a member of the advisory board for the Metropolitan Institute and Westminster Council.
"In Ukraine, I’d hardly have met the heads of global brands at arm's length. Here, it’s a reality. When Jimmy Choo comes to our joint show, jokes around, and films our models on his phone, I know we’ve done everything right. We haven't just integrated—мы have brought our own energy to this market."
Today, Oleksandra Volkova continues to develop her "boutique" agency, focusing on quality and substance. She no longer proves her worth with words—her realised projects on the London runways speak for her.
"Resilience is the ability to stay focused on the goal when there is chaos all around. I know exactly what I don’t want, and that gives me the strength to move forward. There are new seasons ahead, new castings, and new victories. And this is only the beginning."
