Mememe Underwear – A Story of Love and Courage from Ukraine!

Finally…incredibly cute & comfy underwear by Mememe!

If there is anything positive that has come out of the war in Ukraine, it must be the reports of bravery, sacrifice, and the resilience shown by the Ukranian people which have kept us glued to the news, day after day (is it wrong to feel so happy when a Russian warship sinks?). The story of the Ukranian grandmother advising the Russian soldiers to carry sunflower seeds in their pockets has become legendary. Ukraine itself has become a worldwide stage and has united people everywhere like never before – and, somewhere along the way, we found another unexpected positive side effect: the discovery of lingerie designers from Ukraine -for example, Mememe Underwear! Unhooked was able to interview the founder and learn something about the brand, which we are thrilled to share with our readers.

The war story behind the whimsical Ukranian lingerie brand ‘Mememe‘ was brought to our attention by an article in Politico sent to us by our favorite Beverly Hills correspondent, Christopher St. James, owner of the celeb boutique “Luxe Lingerie”. (We have lately featured an up-close and personal interview with Christopher which you can read here.)

“We had to close our factory at the beginning of the war,” Vladislav Guristrimba, the founder and CEO of Mememe told Unhooked, on a WhatsApp call from Romania where he now volunteers as the manager of “Help Ukraine Center”, a warehouse for humanitarian relief supplies and distribution. After the Politico news article was released, he told us that he was contacted by many people who sent contributions to support the relief project. “Since then, I was able to re-open my factory in Dnipro, and we are shipping orders again. And I have launched a new website Mememe USA.”

Vladislav discussed his background as a CEO for a multimillion-dollar cleaning and household products manufacturer. “It was a 24/7 job,” he said, “After 20 years, I retired from big business completely in 2017.”

What was the inspiration behind starting Mememe Underwear in 2018?

“It was my wife’s idea,” he confessed, “She wanted me to create something convenient and comfortable but fun for everyday use for the ladies, with prints that make them feel happy!”

The business plan behind Mememe Underwear is genius IMHO: they stock just two styles of panties in white. The fabric is made a special hypo-allergenic polyester blend that took 9 months to develop in Turkey. The panties are custom printed with whimsical motifs, as ordered by their customers. Vladislav says that while they have no minimums and can print just one panty, his factory is able to produce 3000 pieces a day. For print inspiration, he collaborates with a freelance team of graphic designers and artists to create Mememe’s signature ‘pop culture’ images, such as Candy Shop, Flower Power, Comic Fans, and Donut. The sublimation printing technique withstands a hundred washes without fading.

Vladislav told Unhooked that it’s not about profit at this point- proceeds of the underwear sales goes to support Ukraine and he only pays his workers’ salaries and production costs. And it’s not just Mememe, he said. “All the businesses in Ukraine are only focused on how to help and how to win. It’s like a beehive. Bullet proof clothing is being mass produced in makeshift clothing and metalwork factories all over Ukraine. We are united like never before.”

And the name ‘Mememe’? What does that mean? “Well,” laughed Vladislav, “I’m the father of five children. And when kids want something, what do they say? Me, me, ME!”

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