Sadak: “I Am a Good Socialist”

Currently based in Berlin, Sasha Kovacevic is a young Serbian designer who bases his concept on ethnographical studies, historical research, anthropology, and Balkan traditions with which he is so familiar.

The very meaning of his label Sadak, ‘a sleeveless jacket’ worn in the Balkans, points to this young man’s proud cultural heritage of Slavic mysticism, political ideologies, heroic warriors, magical symbols, and poetic objects.

For spring/summer 2011, Sasha explores socialist yearning of the former Yugoslavia during the 1960’s and set in context of southeastern Europe.

The masks point to heroic warriors, only to be replaced by the National Guard. Workers are represented by the color blue, while nationalistic fervor is incited with an array of military colors.

Have a look at the collection here.



Photos Copyright Sadak.

Bugatti—Hot Rods, Sexy Serbs & Underwear!

The original Bugatti was a top-notch race car that was manufactured in Molsheim (Alsace) France but designed by Ettore Bugatti of Milan, Italy. Founded in 1909, the company is now owned by the Volkswagen Group.

Ettore Bugatti designed racing cars with all the artistic mastery of his father, who was a designer of jewelry and art nouveau furniture designer. Little surprise, a Bugatti swept the gold at the first 3 editions of the Monaco Grand Prix!

Named after the Bugatti sports car, the Bugatti Company has been a hot rod for underwear, swim suits, and pajamas in the Serbian market since 2003.

Designed by Mladen Jovanović, the collection comprises more than 20 lines of both underwear and bathing suits, each model possessing its own name!

At the 25th Edition of Belgrade Fashion Week last month, the Bugatti Company revved up the crowd’s motors as some of the sexiest Serbian models made their circuit down the runway in all the sleekness and luster of the original Bugatti.



Slide show sent by Alexandar Lambos of Fashion Studio Click, Copyright Bugatti Company.
Photo top right by Manju Copyleft Wikipedia.

Photo center left by Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden Copyleft Wikipedia.

The 25th Edition of Belgrade Fashion Week, Featuring Bata Spasojević

I have always said it, the Balkans abounds in talent, and the 25th Edition of Belgrade Fashion Week proves the fact.

Although deprived of the Renaissance, Serbia has been wasting no time in watering the seeds of inherent artistry, showing the world the abundance of talent that would have sprouted then and is now in full bloom!

After graduating in costume design from the Academy of Applied Arts in 1999, Bata Spasojević began working at Centrotextil, one of the nation's oldest apparel companies in existence, which was founded in 1946 as a state-owned import-export company.

Since that time, Bata has been designing for several other fashion houses, both local and foreign, winning numerous awards for his collections.

Along with Tijana Pavlov and Dejan Despotović, Bata presented his most recent menswear collection at the 25th Edition of Belgrade Fashion Week, which was held less than a month ago.



Photo top right sent by Alexandar Lambos of Fashion Studio Click, Copyright Bata Spasojević.
Slide show sent by Alexandar Lambos of Fashion Studio Click, Copyright Bata Spasojević.

The 25th Edition of Belgrade Fashion Week, Featuring Tijana Pavlov

Belgrade translates as the “White City” for the white wall of protection that encircled the city. It is situated on two rivers, the Sava and the Danube, where locals and tourists alike dine on splavovi—'barges'—listening to the arrhythmic beats of Serbian folk music.

Belgraders are known for their joie de vivre, or love of life, which manifests itself daily in a vibrant café culture and active nightlife.

Their city has emerged as a cultural center in Southeastern Europe, holding 11,000 theatrical performances, concerts, artistic events, and exhibitions each year; that is, thanks to indigenous initiatives like Fashion Studio Click!

Fashion Studio Click was launched in 1991 by Nenad Radujević as the first model agency in Serbia, and has since set the stage for numerous fashion performances in the capital, Belgrade.

In 1996, Fashion Studio Click initiated Serbia’s premier fashion event: Belgrade Fashion Week, which has catapulted domestic Serbian talent onto the international fashion arena. One prime example is menswear designer, Tijana Pavlov.

Born 1980 in Belgrade, Tijana is a living personification of her birthplace! She prizes everything in life—sve! (I love the way that sounds)—and she enjoys all that which can please the senses: Turkish food, beer, tequila, the sun, and the sea.

Having graduated from the Department of Fashion Design at the University of Belgrade, Tijana was the recipient of the 2007 Pantene Beauty Award within the category of “Best Young Fashion Designer of the Year.”

Designing only menswear for the past year, Tijana is pushing the boundaries of men’s fashion, reflecting the recent historical trends of her male co-nationals' tastes!



Photo 2009 a/w collection Tijana Pavlov by Larapixie Talent Agency.
Slide show 2009 a/w collection Tijana Pavlov by Larapixie Talent Agency.

The 25th Edition of Belgrade Fashion Week, Featuring Dejan Despotović

Belgrade—capital of Serbia—is one of the oldest cities in Europe, dating back to the 6th millennium BC, to the largest prehistoric culture of Europe called the Vinča culture.

Strategically positioned, Belgrade has witnessed a turbulent history with 115 international conflicts, having been razed completely to the ground 44 times! The city has also been the possession of numerous empires, such as the ancient the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Franks, the Bulgarians, the Hungarians, the Ottomans, the Austrians, and—finally—the Serbians!

Belgrade is home to many cultural events like the Belgrade Film Festival, the Belgrade Theatre Festival, the Belgrade Beer Festival, the Belgrade Book Fair, the Belgrade Music Festival, and the Eurovision Song Contest of 2008.

In 1996, a man named Nenad Radujević of Fashion Studio Click launched Belgrade Fashion Week—Beogradska Nedelja Mode—which has since taken place twice a year, in October and April.

The 25th Edition of Belgrade Fashion Week was recently held last week, from April 23-29, and hosted designers from London, Rome, Antwerp, Mexico, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Greece, as well as 15,000 spectators!

One designer that attended was Serbian Dejan Despotović, whom I covered several weeks ago in an article entitled The Dominant Strength of Serbia's Dejan Despotović.

Here are a few photos of the collection that Dejan presented at the 25th Edition of Belgrade Fashion Week.



Photo 2009 a/w collection Dejan Despotović by Larapixie Talent Agency.
Slide show 2009 a/w collection Dejan Despotović by Larapixie Talent Agency.

The Dominant Strength of Serbia's Dejan Despotović

Back in the early 90’s I lived and worked in a Balkan country for 4 consecutive years, after which I was promoted to direct activities throughout the entire region for another ten. During this period, I fell in love with the Balkans and its cultures, cuisines, genres of folk music, histories, and languages.

Home to Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Muslims, as well as to variations of Latin and Cyrillic alphabets, the Balkan peninsula is a kaleidoscope of ethno-linguistic diversity. So, what countries constitute the Balkans?

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Yugoslavia, which has since become Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, (disputed) Kosovo, Slovenia, and Serbia. All have either joined or are in the process of acceding to the European Union.

One common thread that ties these nations together is the domination of the Ottoman Empire, which endured up to six centuries for some countries, diffusing Turkish culture, cuisine, rhythms, religion, and language throughout the region. In fact, the term Balkan is a Turkish word that means “a chain of wooded mountains.”

One of the most fascinating Balkan countries is actually one that has received quite a bum rap in recent years: Република Србија or the Republic of Serbia. Most Serbs are Orthodox Christians; they write with the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet ; and, when they see you, the say "Zdravo, kako ste?!"

Today I would like to introduce you to Dejan Despotović from Serbia—a 22-year-old designer who was born and grew up in Belgrade where he lives today.

As a student of Belgrade’s textile high school, Dejan was already designing for hair fairs and television shows, winning prizes like the Silver Doe Award at the Belgrade Fashion Fair. After graduation, he continued his studies of textiles and apparel design at the College of Design, Textiles, and Management in Belgrade.

Dejan launched his first individual collection at the age of 20 in both Berlin and his hometown, Belgrade. For the following two years, he was nominated best young designer by Pantene Beauty Awards, taking 1st prize for young designer at the Nokia Awards Fashion Selection and the Black & White competition at Belgrade Fashion Week.

Dejan is currently a stylist for the Serbian edition of Elle Magazine. He recently presented his first menswear collection, which was inspired by stylized religious symbolism, the Gothic period, and the music of Belgian composer, Wim Mertens.

The dominant theme in Dejan’s men’s line is “strength.” He explains that this menswear collection is for “strong men—men with a strong sense of self and strong individualism.”

Basing the collection on clean simple forms and strange details, Dejan writes, “On my jackets, for example, you can see golden flies. I also love scarves and knitwear—in upcoming collections, there will be more of them for sure. The silhouettes are slim."

Photo top right Skadarlija, Belgrade, by Zoran Životić Public Domain Wikipedia.

Photographer: Marko Sovilj
Model: Florian Pessenteiner @ Larapixie Talent Agency
Hair/make up: Dragan Vurdelja
Styling: Dejan Despotović @ Larapixie Talent Agency
Clothes: Dejan Despotović