Hutsul and Italian-American: what's the connection?

Browse through the March 2001 issue of House & Garden magazine and you will run across a full-page ad of fabric samples offered by Donghia Furniture/Textiles Ltd. What should catch your eye immediately is the shoe resting on the top of the stack - a traditional Hutsul slipper from the Carpathian mountain region of Ukraine. These unique slippers, postoly in Ukrainian, are crafted from leather and used primarily today by traditional dancers. A more subtle surprise in the picture, however, is the bolt of cloth on which the postil (singular), sits: a blue and gold stripe - the colors of independent Ukraine's flag. Did this happen by design, or by accident?

Despite its Italian name, Donghia is actually an American company based in New York City. What's the connection with things Ukrainian? There is none, according to Donghia's Director of Marketing, Vera Vandenbosch. "I wasn't even aware that the slipper used in the ad is Ukrainian. It was just a prop that was brought to the photoshoot by our stylist and that we all liked very much so it ended up in one of our Donghia ads."

Well, we're glad the Donghia marketing team liked the Ukrainian touch even though they were unaware of its significance. Now, about that stylist ….