“If you are looking for designer clothing at the best possible price, you are at the best place in Hungary,” says Stacey Kosachova, who has been living in the country for six years. The young woman from Ukraine has been running her own fashion blog for almost just as long, and it is one of the few in Hungary dealing with the topic in English.
Kosachova is a regular at Budapest fashion shows. The ambitious 23-year-old earns her living as a style advisor and personal shopper, and she recently started her very own “Exchange Point” trading second-hand high-value clothing.
You have to cross the courtyard first to reach the backyard apartment in Falk Miksa utca, where Kosachova regularly holds her so-called “Gardróbvásár“ – a sort of privately organised clothing exchange. These events are gaining popularity in Budapest, with at least three each weekend at different points of the city.
The thing that makes Kosachova’s second-hand shop so special is that she primarily offers clothes with famous brands, such as Ted Baker, Miss Sixty, Replay, Ferre or Dolce & Gabbana. The clothes are not from her own wardrobe but from her well-situated clients.
The Ukrainian, who moved to Budapest two years ago, works as a shopping- and style-advisor. However, the women to whom she gives advice often have to make space in their wardrobes first.
“You would hardly believe how many things some people collect in their closets,” she says. “Clothes that have never been worn, since they don’t fit or their owners don’t like them any more.” Kosachova finds new owners for these items at her designer clothing exchanges.
At Debrecen University at 16
Born in Kiev, she arrived in Debrecen in 2010 aged 16 to continue her studies. “When I tell that to anyone, they all react very surprised,” she says, as it is quite a common phenomenon among her generation in Ukraine. “For some time there has been no fourth grade in Ukraine any more, so many of my classmates finished school at 17. However, I already started primary school when I was five.”
It sounds like a good story to tell at a party but at that time it was difficult for her to choose her studies. “I had known for years that after finishing high school I wanted to go to school abroad. However, it was possible only in Hungary and in the Czech Republic to enrol to a university when 16 years old.”
Kosachova decided on Hungary because her big sister was already living here and her family had a close relationship with the country, and because of the education system. “In Ukraine it’s impossible to study without bribing your teacher in some way,” she says.
The friendliness and openness of Hungarians and the relaxed atmosphere of Debrecen were other convincing factors for her.
“Fashion is a form of communication”
Ever since she has been able to think, fashion has always fascinated her a great deal. “I think that my mother had a large influence on me in that. She is a very creative person who collects art, designer clothing pieces and even vintage handbags. In her everyday job she works as a gallerist but she has always been working as a stylist on the side. She always gave me styling tips, even when I was just a child. Some of those tips are ones that I am still benefiting from even today.”
Fashion is a form of communication for Kosachova. “Of course there are some obvious reasons why we wear clothes. We want to cover ourselves and protect ourselves from the cold, however I think that clothing is often also a statement. Sometimes it helps people to connect with each other.
“For example, I am kind of shy, especially when I meet new people, but when I meet someone who is wearing a great vest then I simply walk over and tell him, and this already starts a conversation.”
She started her own fashion blog after moving to Hungary and she presents on Instagram, which “was relatively new in Hungary at that time, and so I was one of the first to add the #Debrecen beside my pictures. After some time I got more and more followers.”
“Many people are open for a style counselling”
One day a reader contacted her for help choosing a ball gown. “I was a little bit shocked. After all, we didn’t know each other.” Still, she decided to help the woman in this fashion-emergency situation. This was not an easy thing to do in Debrecen.
“There are not that many shops there and only one that specialises in party dresses. That was the first time when I started taking the second-hand shops under the loop. Finally we found a vintage designer dress for her that made her look like Audrey Hepburn.”
Since then Kosachova has helped more women to find clothing for a special occasion, or in finding their own personal style. “Many people, and especially internationals, are surprisingly open for a personal style counselling,” she has learned.
However, she never wanted to become a fashion designer herself. “I don’t want to be the person who plans and tailors the dresses, but I want to dress people and give them tips on how to find their own personal style.”
Kosachova says all that matters is for people to feel good about themselves. “The clothing that suits you makes you appear more self-confident.” On the other hand it’s also important that everyone should dress according to their lifestyle and age. “Many people want to look younger and they dress in a way that does not fit their age group. What they don’t realise is that this makes them appear even older.”
“Capsule wardrobe” after clearing out
When she meets a new client they first go to drink a coffee together. “We discuss how her life looks like. Is she a mother, does she have to go to the office every day, does she do sports? This helps to decide how her wardrobe should be set up.
“We also talk about her preferences, her favourite colours and about which parts of her body she would like to emphasise and which would she like to hide. On the next occasion we meet at her house and we take a look what she already has and what else does she need.
“We often have to do a lot of clearing out. You should always look around in your own closet before you go shopping. We look at each and every piece of clothing and we ask ourselves: does this still fit, what does it match, does it match my own personal style?”
Not every woman can be persuaded to get rid of a piece of clothing that she paid for. “But some people are really radical and they can decide in a second to get rid of half of their clothes. Others are unable to say goodbye to even a single piece, even when it does not fit any more or when it’s ruined.”
She advises her clients to build a “capsule wardrobe”, meaning a basically equipped closet. According to her this should contain 40 pieces of clothing, which are all easily combined with each other. “The advantage is that you will never stand in front of your closet again not knowing what to wear because nothing goes with anything else.” With a “capsule wardrobe” you always have two or three options to choose from.
Finding hidden treasures
Once the domestic stock of clothes is “cleared out”, the young Ukrainian goes pre-shopping. She chooses clothes that she thinks would fit the client and be a good match with the clothing she already has, and she reserves them at the store in the right size.
“Usually I go with the women together to the shop to try on the things. Of course there are women who do not have the time for that. For them I bring the clothes to their home and they can try them on there. But it’s better to have them in the shop. I let them pick some pieces of clothing and I explain why a piece is a good choice or another one is not so good for them.”
Besides the international brands Kosachova also likes the Budapest design labels, such as Kata Szegedi, Used Unused, Napsvgar or Anh Tuan. However, her favourite places for shopping are the second-hand stores. “You can find hidden treasures in there, for example vintage designer pieces.”
Her numerous expeditions to second-hand shops have taught her a lot that she can utilise during her own clothing exchanges. “It’s important to create a good atmosphere where people feel good. I decorate the place and I try to arrange the products as attractively as possible. I take care of good lighting and I offer drinks.
“People like my concept since they know that they can find really high-value things here, which are not coming from some plastic bag but from people who I have got to know. In addition, most things that are offered at my clothing exchange are still in never-worn condition.
“I pay attention to that and I pre-select all the pieces in advance. Besides that I also organise thematic sales events, for example for more expensive designer pieces or for vintage clothing.”
Follow Stacey Kosachova at her fashion blog called MYOFS (Make Your Own Fashion Show) at www.staceyko.blogspot.hu/ or on Instagram under the username stacey_ko. See these sites for the date of her next Gardróbvásár at 7 Falk Mika utca, District V. For a personal style counselling, contact her at myofs.blog@gmail.com
