“We have to be doing everything we can until the war stops”

Amid the horrors contained within videos of the war in Ukraine there are some glimmers of almost comic hope. An unlikely ally has emerged from clips shared by Ukrainians on social media which show Geese flapping in the faces of Russian military, flying into enemy tanks and even marching, well, waddling, alongside Ukrainian soldiers. As a result Russian propaganda has spread news bizarrely claiming Ukraine is using genetically modified birds.

It is these geese — or gussi — that have provided the inspiration for and name of a fashion brand created by popstars Sonya and Anya Kupriienko: otherwise known as The Bloom Twins.

I meet the 27-year-old twins at W1Curates studio in east London where they’re preparing to launch their Gussi collection: the venture aimed at raising funds for charity We Help Ukrainians. They’ve spent the past few weeks enlisting celebrity supporters. While members of Rudimental have already modelled the scarves and t-shirts, they tell me they’ve had enthusiasm from across the pond too. ‘A lot of people loved it in LA. Tyga loved it and then Lil Wayne loved it. He was like: “What is this? What is this? Tell me the story,” Sonya says, breaking into a Lil Wayne impression, imitating his enthusiasm with a deep, southern drawl.

The twins split their time between America and the UK but grew up in Brovary, a city east of Kyiv. Aged 16 they moved to London, without their parents, to pursue a music career. And they have had a lively decade. They have toured with Duran Duran, modelled for Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger and Prada and have been interviewed by Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight. About a year ago the pair were in talks with Hollywood about creating a film inspired by their escapades in their industry. But now they dedicate all their time to helping people back in their home country, the war-zone.

‘It all went on pause as soon as the war started. Everything we do is about Ukraine now,’ Sonya tells me. Anya begins to list off the people they are unable to see: ‘Dad is still there, our grandparents are still there, our best friend who has given birth to a child. They’re all there.’ ‘We have to be doing everything we can until the war stops,’ Sonya adds resolutely: ‘And when it stops we need to raise funds to rebuild everything. This will never stop for us.’

Although, for the most part now, the twins feel Londoners are supportive of Ukraine, this hasn’t always been the case. Years before Putin invaded their country the twins met with the Ukrainian ambassador in the UK to discuss how to improve the country’s reputation among Brits. They say their eastern European accents, which are punctuated with enthusiastic American-sounding ‘so awesome,’ ‘so cool,’ ‘so crazy,’ have made their lives harder in the UK.

‘Now people like it more because everyone is looking at Ukraine as this heroic country. But back then it was this funny accent that doesn’t sound too exotic but you sound like you’re in the Mafia,’ Anya says. Sonya explains how music executives encouraged them to tone down their accents: ‘They said British people wouldn’t like it. If we wanted to be for the UK people we have to sound more like them, that’s what they said.’

Sonya starts to chuckle as she regales me with the wisdom from one exec. ‘He said you’re wasting your time in the UK and if you want to make it, with your look, you should either move to Berlin or move to LA and fuck somebody famous.’ ‘Sonya had a boyfriend at that time so she was like: “Anya has so much potential, she’s single,”’ Anya teases. ‘I think the Ukrainian situation stops them from saying things like that,’ Sonya deadpans. Still, they say many people aren’t supporting their country enough.

‘The Government could’ve done more in the beginning because they were not doing much,’ Sonya says. In the weeks after the invasion only 50 UK visas were given to Ukrainian refugees. Even now the twins think there should be less bureaucracy as it ought to be easier for Ukrainian refugees entering the UK. Sonya explains:

’There’s still not enough information. The Government could make it a little easier on people because it’s scary for them to travel.