Whenever I can, I try to wear locally designed shirts. Usually those shirts have some sort of Buffalo motif, mainly because a lot of designers know that Buffalonians like to sport clothing that promotes hometown pride. Over the holidays I stopped in to SplashPanic! (FB) on Elmwood to do some shopping, and I ended up picking up a long sleeve t-shirt that really spoke to me. At the time, I had no idea that the shirt was made by a local design outfit called EuroStyle Apparel. Upon learning the news, I decided to go to EuroStyle’s website to see what other designs they were offering… it turns out that there are a bunch of current, progressive and edgy styles. Before long I found myself reaching out to EuroStyle co-founder Yuri Polyachenko.
Who are the owners and designers behind EuroStyle Apparel?
-The owners are my brother Roman Polyachenko and myself Yuri Polyachenko. As far as the designers go, we involve people with artistic capabilities that find our projects intriguing challenges. Most recent have been Melissa Smith, Jess Saddleson, and Jerrica Thompson. My brother also makes and involves himself with many of the designs.
What are some of the inspirations for the designs?
-Everything is an inspiration when it comes to our shirts. I know it sounds cliché but we have no boundaries. If something inspires us and we think it would make a great design, we roll with it. Right now were doing pin-up style designs, which is a lot of fun and allows us to do a couple of creative things.
Are you from Buffalo?
-I was born in the Ukraine and came to Buffalo in 1989 (3 years old). I’ve been here ever since so I consider myself a true Buffalonian.
Why is it so hard to find beautiful long-sleeve t-shirts?
-That’s a good question. It’s easy to print on T-shirts, we like to try to print on different apparel pieces to keep things different. It’s a risk you take by trying something different but hopefully it catches on.
How long have you been in business?
-We started in October 2010.
Who are your design heroes?
-My inspiration doesn’t come so much from fashion designers as it does artists. I love art deco styled art. Old sketches from Leonardo Da Vinci fascinate me. I think those can be made into some killer shirts. I’ve seen some actually made in the same style and love it.
Other than t-shirts, what other products do you produce?
-Right now it’s just graphic t-shirts. We would like to eventually make prints of our designs and sell them as posters. We would have to see what the demand and interest would be like.
What local fashion shows have you been featured in? When is the next one?
-We have been featured in a couple of the Oo La La Boutiques fashion shows, which is located in East Aurora. We did the Incite A Riot fashion show at the Lofts. Most recently we did Mass Appeal, which was a lot of fun and a big honor to be a part of.
Do you sell your designs to shops outside of Buffalo?
-We are planning on expanding outside of Buffalo. Our goal was to try and establish us locally and then begin venturing out. Crossing our fingers!
Do you do custom work?
-We do, do custom work. We have done a ton of work for schools, sports teams, and colleges. Many people don’t know that, but it’s a big part of our business and allows us to evolve our EuroStyle brand.
You sell at Splash Panic. How many other stores do you work with?
-We sell at Oo La La Boutique located in East Aurora and online at
www.eurostyleapparel.com. Both stores were awesome at giving us an opportunity and a chance with no previous background in the first place. Big props to both of them, plus they’re both amazing stores with fantastic fashion sense.
Have you ever been involved with a public art project?
-We haven’t but if the opportunity came up we would jump on it!
Did you go to school for design?
-No, I actually graduated from the University at Buffalo with an International Business degree. Many of our artists have though and I commend them for listening to my ideas and being able to physically create them. Imagination is key.
What’s your favorite restaurant in Buffalo?
-Left Bank, hands down. Also Lloyd Tacos! Nom Nom Nom…
What’s your next big project?
-Were actually talking to a tattoo artist that got in touch with us. His designs are influenced by Lowbrow art and would make for some amazing shirts. I also have a couple more ideas in our pin-up series. We have some time till we launch our next set of shirts so stay tuned!
Describe your target customer.
-It’s hard to pinpoint one target audience. We want everyone wearing our clothes. Our demographic is primarily between the ages of 20-30 yrs old. Besides that, I would like to think we do a good job of offering something for everyone regardless of his or her fashion preferences.
Do you ever show at local galleries?
-No we haven’t. We have a lot of talented artist who have lots of wonderful art outside of our shirts. If we were ever asked it would definitely be cool to showcase their talent. A local artists showcase presented by EuroStyle Apparel…hmm?
Is there a local design collaborative or group that you belong to?
-No, just us! =)~
How many designs do you currently have for sale?
-I believe it’s between 15
-20. Couples have sold out. We try not to do to many reprints unless in high demand. We want to keep things original and fresh.
Where would you like to be positioned in the industry five years from now?
-Sailing on one of my gigantic yachts. Realistically though I would love if we were just still around creating different shirts for people that enjoy them. A ton of work but a lot of fun and we hope to keep moving forward with it.