Gleb Kovyrnov 
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Fashion design
 “Engineered efficiency”
“Carnivora”
“Krok do zmin”
 “Alchemy”
“Transhirtmation”
Graphic design
Stedelijk Museum x Pierre Cardin
Typography experiments
about
Fashion designer & pattern maker specialized in digital / 3D design. I focus on product, concept and collection development with an emphasis on visual identities, functionality and wearability.

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“Krok do zmin” — a step towards change
Modular footwear collection inspired by the Ukrainian national trident symbol (Tryzub)

Step Toward Change marks a new path in footwear design and Ukrainian culture. Each step leaves a cultural footprint, shaping an evolving identity and future by redefining tradition through a blend of functionality and pride in heritage.

This collection responds to two overlapping challenges: the limited versatility of conventional footwear and the historical suppression of individual and national identity in Ukraine. From decades of Soviet repression to Russian imperialism, Ukrainians have been forced into systems that silence individuality.

The moodboard of the collection

The promo video of the collection


Modules 1A/1B: Sole

Modules 2A/3A: Front (upper) / Back (heel counter)

Modules 2B/3B: Front (toebox) / Back (upper)
In response, this project blends heritage with a modern perspective, offering a fresh view of Ukrainian culture fueled by volia — the will to freedom, resisting oppression and shaping our own future. Inspired by the Ukrainian national trident symbol (Tryzub) and Mother Ukraine statue (Ukraina Maty), the shoe’s sculptural brutalist forms honors the past while embracing the future.

Building on this cultural foundation, functionality lies at the heart of the shoe design. The shoes are constructed through a modular dovetail joint system developed using parametric modeling in Fusion 360. Based on the wearer’s needs and preferences, different sole, toebox, and heel counter designs can be assembled seamlessly to create a variety of interchanging shoe combinations.

This modular system supports sustainable, circular wear as each component is built to adapt and evolve over time, just like the culture it reflects. Crafted from recyclable TPU, each part can be melted and reprinted, giving worn components a second life as every reconfiguration leaves a cultural footprint instead of an ecological one.