OLESIA MAKHONKO

Growing up in the family knitwear business, it is no surprise that Olesia Makhonko has a phenomenal understanding of pattern cutting and fabric. From the age of two she practised what she calls ‘stone-age pattern cutting’ from scraps of fabric and, by the age of eight, assisted her mother in appliquéing the knitwear to be sold. Olesia developed her natural talent by attending weekend schooling from the age of twelve at the local Fashion and Design school and created prize winning collections during her degree at The Kiev National University of Technology and Design. Spotted by David Foley of Oxford Media and Business School, Olesia was invited over to study in Britain and took an internship at Alexander McQueen, working closely on his Paris SS06 collection. It was no surprise that work soon followed designing and pattern cutting for several bridalwear companies, where Olesia’s talent at creating beautifully fitted clothing flourished. In 2007 the Molessa brand was born, as Olesia says “to explore and reach my maximum potential as a designer”. In the hands of a designer so talented and driven, Molessa is the hot new brand to watch.In 2008 the label went through rebranding and designer decided to use her full name "Olesia Makhonko" for the main line, and leave "Molessa" for the diffusion range.