I entered fashion without education, a trade, or a sense of style — with 10 000 UAH in my pocket
My name is Serhii Shyrokostup, and today I am — an entrepreneur and designer building Tur Wear — a brand of technological, functional clothing inspired by Japanese aesthetics and futurism.
My business grew out of a very practical need: after graduating from university, I had to earn a living on my own. I entered the fashion industry without a trade, without formal training, and without «an innate» sense of style. Instead, I had experience organizing student activities, the ability to learn quickly, and a willingness to get results with minimal resources.
My path was not linear. I entered business during the crisis of 2014–2015, then went through COVID and the full-scale war. Each of these crises initially hit operations and my psychological well-being, but over time became a point of growth. They forced me to make decisions I could have put off for months and to restructure the business model much faster than would happen in stable conditions.
I felt this especially acutely in 2022, when I had to quickly relocate part of our production, office, and warehouse from Kharkiv to Rivne, and later — partially move them back. At the same time, I had to establish remote work with a team spread across different cities in Ukraine and abroad.
Alongside developing my main brand, I became a partner in a second venture — the Ukrainian denim factory Road Builder, which produces jeans for local brands. This turned out to be one of the key decisions for me. Not so much because of the product itself, but because of the partnership with a more experienced entrepreneur and access to systems thinking, which gave me a completely different perspective on the scale of business.
People cannot want what they have never seen — that is how Urban Samurai was born
How did the business idea come about?
After university, I earned money from student events: football matches, the student section, parties. But I quickly realized that this income depended directly on my involvement in university life and had no long-term prospects.
My first attempt was reselling secondhand clothes on VKontakte — it was 2014. But the model had low margins and required a lot of effort: getting up at 5–6 in the morning, waiting in lines, and essentially competing for quality goods. It wasn't for me.
Then I moved into dropshipping and small-scale wholesale: I started buying suppliers' goods and reselling them. As local Ukrainian brands surged in 2014–2015, with men's clothing (cargo pants, anoraks) becoming popular, I took the next step — with 10 000 UAH in startup capital, I ordered the first batch of pants (about 50 items) and began selling them.
Later, I started looking beyond what was standard in the local market and discovered ACRONYM and the idea of techwear. In this direction, I saw a reflection of everything that had shaped me: heavy music, video games, futuristic aesthetics, and cinema. That's how I consciously moved away from «dressing like everyone else» and began shaping my own segment, which I called Urban Samurai.
Starting in 2019–2020, we began working systematically in this style, effectively educating the market and showcasing the product. I follow a simple logic: people cannot want what they have not yet seen.
Making something out of nothing: three skills that got the start off the ground
What key skills helped you launch your business?
First — the ability to get results with minimal resources. In a manner of speaking, «to make something out of nothing». This was critical at the start, when you have only 10 000 UAH and cannot afford to make a mistake.
Second — resilience and the ability to see things through. If I've taken something on — I have to push it through. I developed this quality at university through organizing processes and taking responsibility for people.
Third — learning quickly and flexible thinking. I can quickly immerse myself in a new subject, adapt solutions along the way, and explain to the team why yesterday things were one way and today — another. This is critically important in times of crisis.
No experience, 10 000 UAH, and no strategy for the first four years
What were the 3 most difficult challenges you addressed in the early years?
A complete lack of experience in garment manufacturing and the fashion industry — I was starting from zero.
Limited resources: starting with 10 000 UAH meant every batch — was a risk «sell it or stop».
No strategy during the first 2–3 years (in reality, up to 4 years): there was a lot of activity but little management. This cost me time that could have been converted into faster growth.
Masks during COVID, relocation from Kharkiv, and three waves of turbulence
What crises has your business faced, and how did you overcome them?
I went through three major waves of turbulence, and each was both a challenge and a point of growth.
First — 2014–2015: launching against the backdrop of the war in Donbas and currency fluctuations. The exchange rate changed very quickly. At the same time, this was a window of opportunity: manufacturers that had not previously worked with small clients began accepting orders.
Second — COVID. We opened our production facility, and literally the next day a lockdown was announced. Clothing sales fell sharply, but demand for masks emerged. We already had them as a fashion accessory, so we quickly scaled up that line. I even brought in acquaintances who had lost their jobs to help pack orders.
Third — the full-scale war. It forced us to restructure our operating model: relocations between Kharkiv and Rivne, a distributed team, production facilities in different cities, and remote management. This forced me to move away from the «personal presence» model and build systematic coordination.
My conclusion: a crisis initially creates intense pressure, but at the same time forces you to make quick decisions that open up new opportunities for growth.
Leading Ukraine's techwear market and a million in revenue with the right product
What decisions proved most effective in growing the company?
First — a strategic focus on the product. I consciously moved away from mass-market men's clothing and into the technological, futuristic segment (techwear, Urban Samurai). It was a difficult path because we had to shape the market, but as a result, we became leaders in our segment in Ukraine.
Second — adapting quickly in times of crisis. During COVID — we switched to masks. In 2022 — we switched to remote management.
Third — focusing on product availability. In product-based businesses, sometimes having a product in stock is more important than perfecting it. If the season arrives and the product is available — it sells even with minimal advertising.
Chronic lack of focus: a women's brand, physical stores, and business-to-business all at once
Which of your mistakes do you now consider your most valuable experience?
My most valuable mistake — was chronic lack of focus. I tried to develop several major areas at once without a sufficiently strong management system.
I opened physical stores, launched additional brands (including a women's brand), and developed business-to-business dropshipping — in the end, this took up energy and resources without a corresponding return.
Most importantly — this pattern keeps repeating. Even recently, I caught myself doing the same thing. The conclusion is simple: scaling and entering foreign markets — are a separate, complex undertaking, and launching new projects in parallel without a strong team — risks losing momentum.
