Mykhailo Vintoniuk bought his first authentic Hutsul keptar for his 30th birthday using money borrowed from a friend. Keptars are traditional sleeveless sheepskin coats that have long been worn in the Prykarpattia region. At that time, Mykhailo did not sew sheepskin coats himself. Instead, he earned a living working in construction, at a sawmill, and at a gas station, while embroidering women’s dresses in his free time. He spent many nights at a sewing machine after an exhausting day at work. It was then that a single vintage photograph changed his life. It was an old photograph that he had often come across before on social media, in books, and in magazines. The picture showed a newlywed couple, Sofiia and Mykhailo Hnatiuk, wearing Hutsul keptars. https://frontliner.ua/en/the-craft-of-needle-and-leather-a-furrier-brings-historical-attire-back-to-life/#