About
Yulian Yaremenko is an activewear apparel designer with the unique combination of wide-ranging experience across multiple product categories and a deep specialization in the technical world of sport bras. Yulian combines their thorough understanding of technical construction and performance apparel with a keen eye for aesthetic beauty along with the experience of working for established brands from both the performance and fashion standpoints.
If I were to find any through-line in my creative life it would be the importance of personal expression. I am moved to express and what wants to move through me has taken form in wide-ranging mediums of art.
I started drawing when I was at least 5; or as far as I can remember. As a kid I mostly drew fantasy characters and even some comic books. My favorite part was designing the character’s looks and outfits, but at the time I hadn’t yet connected to fashion or clothing design.
In my teens I began to paint and explore three-dimensional expressions through sculpture. By this point the most common theme across almost all of my art was that of identity; not only in the sense of questioning “Who am I?” but more broadly and deeply “What is identity itself?”. Around this time I also began to experiment with my personal aesthetic, and this was when I began to connect with the creative medium of clothes. When I first saw video footage of runway shows by the likes of John Galliano and Alexander McQueen, it became undeniable to me that fashion can be a form of high art and a medium of artistic expression. This is when I decided to pursue a career in fashion design and study at the Wilson School of Design.
Later in life I came across a brilliant quotation by the legendary artist Jean Michel Basquiat: “Art is how we decorate space; music is how we decorate time”. I now entertain the concept that clothing is how we decorate our sense of self. Looking back I can see how my obsession with the concept of identity naturally evolved into my work with clothes.
2012 Graduating high school art collection; received scholarship & named one of top two graduating artists in local school district.
3D artwork from 2012 graduating art show of the International Baccalaureate visual arts program.
2D artwork from 2012 graduating art show of the International Baccalaureate visual arts program.
Throughout my studies at the Wilson School of Design- one of the highest ranked fashion schools in Canada- my interests shifted from high-end ready-to-wear to street fashion and subculture style, with a particular interest in tight-to-body clothing such as lingerie and swim.
I never expected to genuinely become interested in commercial product design, but the more I wanted to make work that is accessible and democratic, the more I began to see opportunities for art and creative expression everywhere. I wanted to create products that people could really live in- products that could support people’s lifestyles. So my graduating collection explored subculture-inspired and aesthetically -provocative lingerie with the comfort and durability to endure daily wear and an on-the-go lifestyle. This collection propelled me into my career in athleticwear apparel, beginning specifically in the world of sport bras, intimates, and swim.
2016 Graduating collection from the Wilson School of Design.
It wasn’t until well into my activewear career that my desire to serve others with my creativity really came alive, and that was when I began working directly with athletes. Through meeting real people who are passionate about performance products and whose lives have been transformed by active living, I experienced the power of truly functional apparel.
As part of my own exploration of active living, I’ve picked up a variety of activities including multi-day hiking and camping, road cycling, yoga asana, acro-yoga, and kiteboarding. More recently I’ve begun to explore creative expression through movement such as with flow arts and conscious dance.
Being a regular user of performance products myself has completely transformed my appreciation for good design and my ability to problem solve. But in addition to my interest in function, I haven’t lost sight of my roots in art, beauty, and aesthetics. I now seek to combine these elements into product that serves and inspires.
(left) Cypress Mountain bike climb 2022; 15.43km distance + 757m elevation (middle & right) Howe Sound Crest Trail 2021; 3 days 2 nights