Kachorovska’s founder is changing her role in the company: what is known about the decision
9 April 12:28
Alina Kachorovska, co-founder of the Kacho Group fashion holding and founder of the Kachorovska brand, has announced her resignation as the company’s CEO after 13 years at the helm. She shared her decision on social media, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
Alina Kachorovska stated that she plans to focus on her role as creative director, a position she previously combined with her duties as CEO.
What is known about Alina Kachorovska’s decision
In her Instagram post, Alina Kachorovska attributed this decision to the personal and professional culmination of a major phase in her life.
She shared that two weeks ago she received the “UP-100: The Power of Women” award from Ukrainska Pravda, which honors women shaping modern Ukraine. According to the entrepreneur, this award symbolically marked the end of her 20-year business journey.
“It so happened that this award very symbolically marked the end of a 20-year business chapter in my life. It came at a time when I decided to step down from the CEO position and pursue a role as creative director,” Kachorovska wrote.
She also noted that this recognition prompted her to look back on her journey and reflect on her own professional history.
In her post, Kachorovska quoted one of the award’s experts, Nastya Ivchenko, who assessed her business journey as follows:
“Alina never took the obvious path; she didn’t go where everyone else goes; she did everything her own way. And the path she devised turned out to be so brilliant that the entire market in which she operates had to follow it.”
Separately, Alina Kachorovska thanked the award’s experts, as well as her business partners—Olena Kachorovska and Ruslan Ocheretny—and everyone who works with her to build Kachorovska.
At the end of her post, she emphasized that she views this decision as the conclusion of one important stage and the beginning of a new one.
“For me, this is both a logical conclusion and a sign that it’s time to move on. And I’m ready to move on,” Kachorovska wrote.
How the Kachorovska brand evolved
Kachorovska is a Ukrainian family-owned footwear and accessories brand that evolved from a home atelier in 1957 into a large-scale production operation with its own stores and brand. Rooted in a tradition of quality, the brand has evolved from custom tailoring to creating ready-to-wear collections, blending modern design, comfort, and the family values of three generations.
Key stages in the brand’s development:
- 1957–1990s: The beginning: Alina Kachorovska’s grandparents sewed custom-made shoes.
- 1990s: Transition to professional custom tailoring (atelier in Zhytomyr).
- 2000s: Alina Kachorovska launched her business, taking orders in Kyiv and sending measurements to Zhytomyr.
- 2010: Ruslan Ocheretny (Alina’s husband) joined the business; the first office and warehouse was established in Kyiv.
- Growth: Transition from a tailor shop to a ready-to-wear footwear brand, launch of collections, and scaling up production in Zhytomyr.
- In 2020, the Kacho Group was established, uniting the Kachorovska brand, the Mistrika art gallery, and the Vavylon media platform.
Over time, the brand became one of the most prominent Ukrainian players in the footwear, accessories, and apparel segment, and Kachorovska herself—one of the most prominent figures in the Ukrainian fashion industry.
What is Kacho Group
In 2020, Alina Kachorovska and her husband Ruslan Ocheretny founded the fashion holding company Kacho Group. It included the Kachorovska brand, the Mistrika art gallery, and the Vavylon media platform. New lines were also launched, including the footwear brand Melly and the clothing brand K.everywear.
In 2022, the clothing line was integrated into the main Kachorovska brand, and Melly’s operations were put on hold in January 2025. Thus, the company continued to restructure even before the current change in leadership.
Why this news matters to the market
Alina Kachorovska’s departure from the CEO position is significant not only for the company itself but also for the Ukrainian fashion market as a whole. Kachorovska is one of the most well-known local brands, having evolved in recent years from a family-run operation into a major fashion business with multiple lines of development.
Kachorovska’s decision to focus on the role of creative director means the brand is entering a new phase where strategic creative vision is separated from operational management. For fashion companies, this is a typical stage of growth, where the founder increasingly concentrates on the product, aesthetics, and the brand’s long-term identity.
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