The team behind LELÉKA’s Eurovision outfit has revealed further details about its inspiration and concept.
Fashion designer Lilia Litkovska and stylist Margarita Shekel have shared insights into the design of LELÉKA’s outfit. The Ukrainian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will wear a design created by Litovska, founder of the LITKOVSKA brand. For this project, she joined forces with Shekel, a renowned Ukrainian stylist.
The concept for Vienna marks a complete departure from the look seen at the national selection. Working closely with LELÉKA, the team focused on the artist’s identity and music as the primary sources of inspiration. The centerpiece of the outfit is a corset constructed from eight different types of fabric, mostly natural materials like silk, viscose, and silk organza. In total, approximately 20 meters of fabric were used to create the corset.
A connection to the artist’s name, LELÉKA (meaning “stork”), is expressed through the silhouette and movement of the outfit, evoking the image of a bird in flight. Elongated lines and flowing elements create a sense of motion and lightness.
Lilia Litkovska: “This costume is about confession. I wanted the audience to see how the dress grows through the song, where every element is a personal symbol woven into the fabric of the performance. The “stork’s wing” is no accident here: it’s a visualization of the artist’s inner freedom and a reminder of just how powerful our natural energy is when we allow ourselves to spread our wings.”
The stylist, Margarita Shekel also drew her main inspiration for the outfiot from the artists herself.
Margarita Shekel: “LELÉKA is not just a performer. Behind her stage persona lies a very personal world, and my task was to balance that authenticity with the power of visual expression on the big stage. I saw the weaving of the corset as architecture, as precise and organic as the nests of storks or the weaving of vines in the wattle. It’s a craft that has existed outside the runways for centuries, and it’s here that it rises to the level of couture. We also built the look around the vocals and the stage performance—the costume had to come alive in motion, opening in different ways with and without wind. It was a challenge and, at the same time, a sacred work.”
Additionally, bandura player Yaroslav Dzhusya, who will join LELEKA on stage in Vienna, wears a costume inspired by the Cossack era, when musicians served as guardians of memory and the voice of the community. His outfit is based on hand-embroidered beading and woven fabrics.
LELÉKA will represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with “Ridnym”. She will perform slot 12 in the second semi-final on May 14.
Source: Eurovision.ua
Ukraine first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003, when Oleksandr Ponomariov performed “Hasta la vista”. The following year, Ruslana brought the country their first win with the song “Wild Dances”. It was a feat that would be replicated in 2016 by Jamala with her song “1944”, which scored 534 points to take victory in Stockholm. In 2017, O.Torvald represented the country on home soil with the song “Time”. The group finished in 24th place, Ukraine’s worst result at the contest to date. Kalush Orchestra gave Ukraine their third victory in 2022 with “Stefania”. Ukraine is one of only two remaining countries with a 100% semi-final qualification record.
