Archive

FIRST TEN YEARS

In fall 1996 I found an invitation on my desk for a press conference for the occasion of starting the Belgrade Fashion Week by Click Fashion Studio. For the sake of truth - as it is custom for jubilees and anniversaries - I have to admit that idea seemed to be very brave at the very least. Than again for the sake of truth, I still remember the skeptic comments of journalists of Belgrade media and doubts that enthusiasm of the future manifestation organizers was confronted with. The young team which since its beginnings in 1991 clearly stated that it thinks about fashion in a completely new and different way, was determined to organize the manifestation which was usual for other world's capitals, but in a country that was falling apart in every respect.

Aleksandar Protić

Alexandra Moura

Ana Ljubinković

Ateks

Once again, for the sake of truth, looking back from the point of view of the reality we were living in on a daily basis, the idea of seven days fashion-cultural-business manifestation which will present all important domestic designers and fashion companies at one place, really seemed like a "mission impossible". Not to mention some comments about the sense of the whole project when we "already had the Fashion Fair" and about "no need to copy the world" ...
Today, exactly 10 years later, I believe that everyone understands what Nenad Radujevic wanted to say. And why. The road he had traveled along Fashion Week during this decade was long and only he and his team know how thorny it was. If this idea about Fashion Week after all these years will be judged as a dream, enthusiasm or even visionary, doesn't really matters. What matters is that future fashion industry from this part of the world will remember the fact that Click Fashion Studio was the first to have and idea and to realize it.
Conceived as a fashion-business-cultural manifestation where all relevant players of domestic fashion will present their collections twice a year, and which will support the development of domestic fashion and textile industry, Belgrade Fashion Week built its road and profile. For 10 years with all unavoidable oscillations in the program, it grew up in the most relevant fashion event not only in the country but in the region too. I believe that the judgment about its ranges and especially its importance should be made for every single segment separately.
From the fashion point of view it is more than clear that Fashion Week has become an institution which is of use to all players from the domestic fashion scene. When I say "all" I primarily mean on fashion designers. While for the established designers Fashion Week was the place for presentation of their latest collections, for young designers it was much more - an opportunity to present their ideas, sensibility and way of thinking to the broad public. That fact - that it helped the generations of "young lions" to make their dreams true, to take the first step toward affirmation - I take as one of the top qualities of the Fashion Week. After all, let's not forget that Danilo Žižic, Iva Stefanovic, Roksanda Ilincic, Aleksandar Protic had their first professional fashion shows within Fashion Week. It's quite another question why most of them live and work abroad now where they are praised for what they do.
Further, what is often forgotten when we talk about Fashion Week importance is the fact that it positively influenced the affirmation of the whole string of other professions essentially important for every serious fashion scene. I am talking about make-up artists, back stage managers, stylists, hair dressers, models, fashion photographers ... And I am talking about their work and importance of it which we realize with every new season. Looking back on those ten years I think I am not overstating if I say that Fashion Week was certain kind of catalyst of scattered fashion ideas, aspirations, wishes and energies which were evident during nineties and that it helped in creating of what we now call domestic fashion scene.
The contribution of the Fashion Week for the culture will certainly be the most important and the most challenging part for the analysts who will study "the spirit of the times". There are so many aspect they have to focus on: the cooperation with foreign cultural institutions in Belgrade (British Council, French Cultural Center, embassies of Mexico and Brazil ...), cooperation with domestic cultural institutions (Belgrade Cultural Center, The Museum of Applied Arts), cooperation with world's fashion centers (thanks to which our public and people from fashion industry were able to see fashion shows of Costume National, Veronique Leroy, Maurizio Galante and designers from Milan, Antwerpen, London and Mexico ... ). Further, they will have to pay attention on other aspects too: that Fashion Week made visible "Belgrade's other face" by rediscovering some alternative and "forgotten" city venues each season; that Fashion Week is a phenomenon which is meritorious for bringing some glamour, beauty and illusion of normal life during gray nineties. These future analysts will come to the same conclusion - that Fashion Week succeeded to give the Belgrade's image that last piece of mosaic which is, among other things, indispensable for all big cities.
The business aspect of the Fashion Week was always shadowed by the previous two. However, business oriented people who recognized Fashion Week as a meeting point with their like-minded persons, place for information exchange and place for effective presentation of marketing messages, marked it by red letters from the very beginning in their bookkeping journals. And of course, no matter how many designers got jobs in fashion companies, no matter how many items were ordered, no matter how many presentations were held - it is not enough. And it will never be enough because that's what the business is all about!
So, that's why I think that instead of any conclusion I should retell the dialog between me and Nenad Radujevic. At the very beginning of the Fashion Week I told him - "when the stage for photo reporters becomes too small that will be the sign that Fashion Week established itself". And soon, it was.
Than I told him - "When Fashion Week opening becomes prime time TV news that will be the sign that it succeeded". And soon it was.
Today I say - "When front rows become occupied by buyers we shall know that mission impossible is accomplished".

Marina Kosanovic Stefanovic, editor in chief of the Serbian edition of ELLE magazine

Avanguardia

Bata Spasojević

Didier Grumbach - the president of the French Fashion Chamber
It's interesting to be in Belgrade, in this part of the world. But it's important to say that there are no boundaries today, we live in one world. It doesn't matter where do you come from, India, China or Europe. In that kind of the world it is hard to be visible. Fashion used to be French and everything that came from Paris, high fashion specially, used to lead the fashion world wide. During seventies things started to change. All of a sudden Italian and American brands showed up making international expansion. Than English and Japanese that lead Japanese fashion. The folklore is also here and it shouldn't be ignored.
That's why I think designers nowadays should stick to their roots and it's important for them to be supported by industry, like Belgium designers were supported by Belgium industry. It was inconceivable until few years ago that fashion could be Belgium. And it happened that Belgium fashion became revolutionary and what is very important: they export in France nowadays. So, you too should keep producing here because it will keep your roots where they should be. And that's something that could single you out. New designers, if they want to survive, have to sell world wide, but at the same time to produce world wide. Because there are no boundaries anymore. There are things which can be manufactured in China, no problem, but first of all you have to manufacture here, that's how you stay on your own.
The only message I have for you is: stay Slavs.

Maria Luisa Poumaillou,"Maria Luisa" Paris
In general, my opinion is that the quality of this fashion event is at high level. The last evening with the fashion show which was a kind of summary of this jubilee Fit Fashion Week was great because I was able to see everything I missed previous evenings. What I've noticed is that fashion is very important for you.
As for the models, all is very subjective after all, so I liked some designers more than the others, but that's my taste only. Your knitted fabrics is obviously very good, as well as all handwork. I also like that you prefer black color. Fashion nowadays is really international, really global. What is characteristic for Serbia is the quality of the handwork. Slobodan Mihajlovic had those embroider details, Doda Komad too. That's my idea about specific qualities of East Europe and Serbia. As for the rest to tell you the truth, these designers live in a global world, in this time, and they are not going to make ethno fashion only which differs from the other countries, since they are exposed to the same pictures and same influences, and they also follow trends for this winter along with that specific ornamentation, handwork and all that. I would single out Slobodan Mihajlovic and Bogomir Doringer. I wish I could see the work of Dragana Ognjenovic. At the streets I've noticed you tend more to French than Italian style. Your street fashion is like everywhere else in the world: jeans, boots, short jackets. I didn't expect girls to wear ethno costumes on the streets anyway. You already speak the universal language of Zara, Mango ... whose stores you have in Belgrade's downtown. I think that Serbian fashion has a future.
People from the fashion world are often accused of being superficial and single minded, thinking on fashion only. I'll tell you what: in this country one can see how important and vital are those superficial things. Because, it's true that fashion is an universal language just like music. Everyone can understand it. And as long we talk about beauty and aesthetics we don't fight each other, we don't make wars. Ok? That's why I think fashion is so important.

BLAAK

Bogomir Dorniger

Bogomir Doringer

Xavier Chaumette, Mod'Art International, Paris
I am very glad I was in Belgrade. After ten years I notice a lot of changes in the city itself, which is very busy now and offers a lot of interesting events and beautiful places for going out ... I really notice evolution of this country and this city, having in mind the things that have happened here. As for the Fashion Week, all is very well organized and very professional. I think it's exceptional, these eight hard days of work, fashion shows, all is fitted well, the variety of designers is great. I think that evolution is under the way in the fashion itself too. There is a lot of creativity and you became much more sensitive for world's fashion trends. Ten years ago you were a bit out of European fashion trends, now you are more involved in it.
I am very touched I was invited as a special guest of this Fashion Week because I tried to support you ten years ago and I am very happy now that you do it so well.

Zoran Bosanac, fashion buyer "Maria Luisa" Paris
This is my sixth or seventh time to be at Fashion Week and things changed a lot. Manifestation itself has matured a lot, it became more serious. The organization has improved much, new venues are constantly discovered and that's good.
This time I brought Mr Didier Grumbach, the president of the French Fashion Chamber with me and his presence is a great honor. I have also brought Maria Luisa who was the president of Fashion Week in San Francisco and than in Athens ... I think she was amazed like the other guests from abroad that things here are like this since Fashion Weeks there are more hotel alike. I am also glad we managed to bring three so different designers from abroad - Maurizo Galante, who is pure poetry and high fashion, Veronique Leroy with a real prete - a - porter de luxe and Blaak, which is the most relevant indeed since that's the fashion for the social moment we live in. There were also great domestic designers starting with Slobodan Mihajlovic. Two years ago Maria Luisa was the first store that bought his models and that opened the all doors of the fashion world to him. I saw Bogomir Doringer for the first time and he is great. I'll do my best to help him abroad as much as it possible. As for Belgrade I am fan of Dragana Ognjenovic. Philosophically speaking I think she has done a lot for this country. I am also glad things has polarized here and that there are customers and for Dragana and for Bata Spasojevic and for Darko Kostic. Whatever you like - here you are. There are two kinds of designers - you either fight for your position in the fashion epicenter or you realized that this is your territory and you work here. Dragana is the best example for the latter. But that's only my taste. Nowadays it is very important that all collections posses their identities. Whether we like it or not, whether we can wear it or not, if something is done from the heart and not only for the sale, the result is quite different in the terms of magic and philosophy.
At Belgrade's streets I prefer to see winter than summer, despite it looks poorer at the first sight, because it's darker, the colors are calmed and there is less bad taste which I can't stand. Of course, that's not the case only here but in Paris and London too ...

Bora Filipović

Čedomir Čedomir

Dajana Momčilović

Ana Grebec

Robin Schulie, fashion buyer "Maria Luisa" Paris
This is my first time to be in Belgrade and I didn't know what to expect. I was surprised by the quality of the fashion shows. The only thing that was strange to me is the lack of real local market. It looks more like cultural event. But I think the fashion is important even without market. I liked very much the fashion show of Bogomir Doringer. There was something very interesting in it. Something is definitely going on here. I would gladly come again.

Aleksandra Moura, fashion designer, Lisbon
Compared to my last visit here some two and a half years ago, many things about Belgrade Fashion Week has improved. Especially when it comes to casting and organization. I would like to stress that it is very good that collections have a strong concept, which is very important, maybe even more important than single clothing items themselves. I especially enjoyed the collection of Doda Komad. The main difference between your and Lisbon Fashion Week is that Lisbon's is bigger in structure and it has better conditions but I believe you can achieve that too

Darko Kostić

Sirogojno - Dobrila Smiljanić

Centrotekstil - Gordana Ćirić

Sachiko Okada, fashion designer - Blaak
The last time I was here, back in 2004, I made friends with people from Click Fashion Studio. They are all very nice people. I think that organization is excellent. Blaak had and other fashion shows in Warsaw, Moscow and other places, but organization has never been as good as here. That's why we decided to come again when we were invited for the second time. I saw few fashion shows only and I liked very much the fashion show of Slobodan Mihajlovic. It was very well directed and his work is very poetic and technically perfect.
I think people here are more individualists when it comes to fashion. Europe, USA or Japan are very exposed to the strong influence of advertising. And thus you find yourself in the middle of a place, no matter which place, where all have the same information and the fashion is almost the same in many places. Belgrade has a lot of individuality and is less "polluted" by the media which is something I like very much.

Doda Komad

Dragana Ognjenović

Nada Momirovic, Mona
We have been working since 1989 and the first law regarding private companies and therefore we are witnesses that fashion here survived in the most difficult moments thanks to the resourcefulnesses. Despite everything people here have managed to win their place and their work deserve to be placed in a museum. They would certainly have what to display. One can see that in the other regional manifestations of this character. We were under embargo and we had the most difficult conditions and we were not able to attend foreign fashion fairs but not only that we survived but the 20th Fit Fashion Week has proved once again that Serbian fashion is the leading in this region. That's very important thing to underline for this jubilee Fashion Week. I think that Click Fashion Studio has a very important social role and it deserves the special attention from the state.

FPU - Ksenija Markoviić i Ana Reljin

FPU - Mina Crnčević

FPU - Tamara Opačić

FPU - Tijana Pavlov

Ivana Živkov, editor in chief of ANA magazine
The first fashion show that opened Fashion Week could easily be the most important event at this edition of Fashion Week along with all new collections presented that represent the current summary of the Serbian fashion. The first fashion show, the retrospective of Serbian fashion, is important for its idea at the the first place - to place all the models in the collection of the contemporary fashion in the Museum of Applied Arts in Belgrade. By this Fashion Week has accomplished one very important mission and that is to leave the historic heritage for the future. That's important for both - those who used to design and for those who will design in this country.
Thanks to the beginning and the following fashion shows we were able to see genesis of the Serbian fashion and it was of great importance for the loyal Fashion Week audience. This edition of Fashion Week was richer than any previous one and it really offered a variety of events and programs for its jubilee.