The Sandra and Sabrina Fashion Show took place on March 8, 2026, at Compass Arena in Willowbrook, IL in celebration of International Women’s Day. The gala brought together over 750 guests and featured presentations from nine upscale designers, showcasing primarily women’s and girls’ evening wear, bridal, and special occasion dresses.
Recognized as the largest fashion show in Chicago, the event featured over 150 participants who took part in this remarkable celebration of fashion, creativity, and empowerment.
Guests were welcomed with champagne, a red carpet experience, and an array of sweet treats provided by Bonjour, Glazur Bakery, Same Berry, Mariia Pankivska and Yulia Zhuk, setting an elegant and festive tone for the evening.
Sandra and Sabrina unveiled more than one hundred couture special occasion gowns for women and girls, each meticulously crafted over the course of several months.
The event had two meaningful missions. First, it aimed to raise funds for children in Ukraine through Misto Dobra. In partnership with UWAA, a total of $9,000 was raised for charity. Second, the show created an empowering opportunity for women and girls of all ages—many of whom were not professional models—to step onto the stage and experience the spotlight.
To bring this vision to life, the Sandra and Sabrina team—including professional modeling coaches, hairstylists, and makeup artists—worked closely with participants to prepare them for the runway, helping each one feel confident and celebrated.
A special highlight of the evening was the recognition of four outstanding participants who were crowned by the jury: Lina Survilaite, Mia Tosa, Margaryta Zhuk, and Olesya Klym. The winners received generous gifts from sponsors, including Orising, Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Photo Milaa Photography, Malkari Jewerly, SkinLab Medspa and Yellow Blue Medspa.
The event was made possible thanks to the support of numerous sponsors, including Selfreliance Credit Union, LD Events decoration company, Crystal Way Trucking, Nakone Law Office, Oksana Bilichak with New York Life Insurance, Aspen Insurance, Joanna Kierys State Farm, AP Gymnastics, UA Radio, UA Independent Radio, Kite Entertainment, Vitalina Bench Realtor and Labelle Aesthetics.
Guests also enjoyed a vibrant entertainment program featuring performances by singer Cristina Croitoru, Olha Humenyak, AP Rhythmic Academy, Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Timeless Dance, Creative Kids, and a professional aerialist, Megan. The evening was gracefully hosted by Mrs. Illinois America 2025 Tracy Drost and Greg DeKalb.
The Sandra and Sabrina team behind this large-scale production included General Manager Natalia Terletska, along with key team members Alina Yasinska, Kseniia Zubakina, Mariia Bohdanova, and Oleksandra Bodnar, whose dedication and coordination helped bring the event to life.
Sandra and Sabrina is a brand created by a mother and daughter, dedicated to designing upscale couture dresses for women and girls. The brand was founded by Sandra, Oleksandra Nakonechna-Holenko, when her daughter Sabrina celebrated her first birthday. For that special occasion, Sandra created a matching mother-and-daughter look—and continued the tradition each year thereafter.
As demand for these luxurious matching designs grew, Sandra decided to establish a company and share her creations with other mothers and daughters. The brand quickly expanded to include custom couture wedding gowns, first communion dresses, and elegant designs for mothers of the bride, becoming known for its refined craftsmanship and timeless style.
Photo credit: Maksym Prokopiv
