At the end of 2021 Newborn K was launched as an online concept store, and in 2024 its team opened physical spaces — in Kyiv in the summer and in Warsaw in the fall. In the beginning, both stores offered both Ukrainian and international brands, but now the Kyiv store is rejecting local brands and developing the corresponding assortment in the Warsaw store.
Newborn K continues to actively expand the brand list, primarily using foreign brands, some of which, for example, are exclusively represented in Ukraine. Among them are New Amsterdam Surf Association, BAREEN, Babylon LA and Published by. ‘Now all foreign brands that we are interested in and that three years ago did not even reply to our emails, want to join us’, the founders of Newborn K, creative director Anton Busko and Dmytro Rudakov, an IT specialist and former military man, tell us in an interview.
DTF Magazine asked them more about the search for new brands and their willingness to cooperate with the Ukrainian team, as well as about the reasons for the rejection of local brands in the Kyiv store and competition in the two markets
ABOUT THE STORE OPENING IN WARSAW
— Did you plan to open the store in Warsaw from the very beginning of the Newborn K story, or did this idea emerge in the process?
— We opened the store a few months before the full-scale invasion and we thought that the future of the project would not be like this. So yes, the idea [of opening the store in Warsaw] emerged in the process, quite spontaneously.
We were inspired by some of our foreign partners, who said that we were forming a brand list that would still look modern and stylish in any big city in the world. We gathered a team in Warsaw and decided to go for broke.
— What are the main differences between stores in Kyiv and Warsaw? And what are the main brands represented in a Polish store?
— Conceptually, they are no different. The branding and content are the same. The only important difference is the brand list. The markets are completely different, and our brands are presented in different ways. Some partners do not want to come to us in Kyiv, and some partners on the contrary do not want to come to Warsaw.
The reasons are simple — representation in other concept stores and agreements with their other partners. For example, we have PLEASURES and Gramicci only in Kyiv, Études Studio or Arte Antwerp have joined us only in Warsaw so far. Besides, we represent in Warsaw our favorite Kyiv brands — RIOTDIVISION, KSENIASCHNAIDER (we have never worked with these two brands in Kyiv), m0d44, ACT.1 and Descapizm.
REJECTION OF UKRAINIAN BRANDS IN KYIV’S NEWBORN K
— In the Kyiv store, you decided to gradually reject Ukrainian brands. What is the reason for this?
— Honestly, we love local brands, started with them and are truly grateful to them.
But, unfortunately, our surveys show that the local audience comes to us for foreign brands. The reason is quite banal — they like to buy Ukrainian brands directly, it’s like touching them without intermediaries. And this is very logical, we support this approach.
It’s more interesting to write to the people who make them, talk to them and get to know them. And there are also problems with restocking, pricing, and often very short time of existence of brands.
— You say that people go directly to Ukrainian brands. Isn’t it more convenient to come to a store that has a certain selection of items by Ukrainian brands, rather than items by only one brand?
— It might be more convenient for some people, but we have a different model. It’s more about business. Although we do not rule out at all that there will be new local brands. And, very importantly, there are brands that we would never reject, because they are already our soulmates and we are comfortable with them.
— You have recently added the Danish brand Han Kjøbenhavn to your assortment of clothes. Which foreign brands do you plan to sell?
— Our brand list is growing every season. We don’t want to give away any spoilers, but now all the foreign brands that we are interested in and that three years ago didn’t even reply to our emails want to join us. If we talk about Kyiv, among them are ROA, new style UMBRO, Heliot Emil and various very powerful niche brands like Parel. In Warsaw — SUNNEI, Post Archive Faction and others.
— How do you generally form a selection and choose brands? Which brands are yours and which are not?
— The main thing is that they fit our buying team in terms of style, price and logistical conditions. We are all experienced not only in clothing, but in fashion retail in general.
At first we just ordered what we thought fit us, but now we’re working more with numbers and testing new brands.
It’s important for us to choose brands that have a story to tell, an interesting history, a unique concept or materials. It is critically important to realize that the brand matches with others.
— How open are the brands to you? Is it possible that for some of them you are unknown or small, especially if we are talking about a Kyiv store?
— The two of us often recall a situation when we called the manager of one of the brands we are currently working with. We got his contact information through a third-hand source, so he didn’t even watch the presentation. We were at Dima’s house, sitting on chairs in front of a laptop, we were shy and didn’t know what to say. And when that manager watched the presentation, he said that until normal brands join us, we have nothing to talk about. Now we are operating on a global level. Although, of course, some brands are out of our league, but this is temporary.
ABOUT COMPETITION
— Does Newborn K face competition in Kyiv?
— Yes, of course. Competition inspires us and pushes us to move forward. We respect all players, but when they steal our style or ideas, it’s disappointing.
— What about the competition in Warsaw? What challenges do you face there and how easy was it to enter such a market?
— The competition is slightly lower than in Kyiv, in our opinion. Everyone in this business knows that Ukraine has a very strong tradition of fashion retail and a lot of powerful players.
It is very difficult to enter the market, because we created the store based on the experience gained in Kyiv, and Poles have a completely different mentality and consumer behavior.
But this is normal, we are very actively building up a completely different marketing. There are advantages, because the level of Ukrainian service is different, and this is felt by the local audience. Our private parties are rousing, our targeted advertising is absolutely crazy. Almost everyone who visits us says many compliments.
— What can you say about the two stores in a business context? Where’s better? And why?
— So far, it is better in Kyiv, because in Warsaw we opened the physical space only in September, and the website — at the beginning of December 2024. In addition, we are just setting up networking, while in Kyiv everything is different. Nothing is clear there yet, but the trend is positive.
FOCUS ON UKRAINIAN BRANDS
— In Warsaw, you plan to focus on Ukrainian brands. Which brands will be prioritized — those that were in the Kyiv store or will you add others?
— We do not focus on anything at all. This is a concept store of clothes, shoes and accessories, not a project of Ukrainian brands, streetwear brands or anything else. It is just a place where you can buy a stylish product.
— How justified is the strategy to sell Ukrainian brands in Warsaw? Is there a demand for them?
— It’s a test. But Ukrainians are happy about it, and Poles buy it because they really like it. Besides, we don’t see any difference in the style and quality of the Ukrainian brands we represent, because they are on an international level.
— Are the main customers of the store in Warsaw Poles or Ukrainians?
— Most of them are Poles, but there are also a lot of Ukrainians. We are located in the Śródmieście district, where there are a lot of different government offices, embassies — a kind of quiet rich part of the center of Warsaw, so we also have a lot of foreigners.
— Dmytro, you have been on the front line since the beginning of the full-scale war. How involved are you in matters concerning the store now?
— I took part in combat operations as part of the Third Separate Assault Brigade and then was decommissioned for health reasons. I served as an assault platoon commander and had the rank of senior lieutenant. I am currently working full time on the project not only as a co-founder, but also as the director of the Kyiv store.
Anton and I have a clear division of responsibilities and, in our opinion, we have created an ideal creative and technical tandem. Although we are working in start-up mode, thanks to my very extensive experience in the IT industry, I am fully responsible for setting up the team’s processes, finalizing the website, implementing systems for turnover, managing the hall team, technical support and so on.
