Fashion Icons of the Past: Queen Maria
Even during her upbringing, Queen Maria, as a member of the European aristocracy, developed a poised and elegant fashion style, which in our environment was kindly interpreted as an expression of modesty. Thus, at the beginning of 1941, in the magazine Nedeljne ilustracije, Queen’s visit to a charitable book exhibition was recounted, during which she, with a modest hairstyle and even more modestly dressed, left speechless luxuriously dressed ladies from the best Belgrade houses. However, documentation related to the procurement of the Queen’s clothing, preserved in the Archives of Yugoslavia in Belgrade, shows that she, in line with her status of ruler’s wife, purchased clothing from leading Parisian haute couture houses such as Worth, Redfern, Drecoll, Patou, Martial & Armand, and Lelong. Queen Maria’s wedding dress was tailored at the Maison Nouvelle fashion salon in Bucharest, along with several other ceremonial dresses she brought with her upon arrival in Belgrade in 1922. Queen Maria’s mother, Queen Maria of Romania, was also considered a style icon, and, when it comes to fashion, one should not overlook the fact that Romania is one of the countries with a long and rich tradition of clothing, which occupied an important place in the public representation of elite social strata. Since she shared the same name as her mother, the Yugoslav queen was also known by the nickname Mignon. During the interwar period, fur clothing was an obligatory part of women’s wardrobes. Queen Maria purchased fur in Paris, and it is known that in 1927, she bought a Siberian squirrel coat at the famous Belgrade shop of Đura Janošević, located on Knez Mihailova Street, at the site of today’s bookstore in the building of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. In 1922 and 1923, she ordered from the fashion house Redfern a ceremonial velvet coat with ermine and 13 evening dresses made of velvet, lame, and lace, in black, gray, beige, gold, red, pink, and green, as well as in strawberry and fuchsia colors. From the same fashion house, in 1926, the queen received two boxes of clothes, while during her stay in Paris in 1928, she ordered from Redfern 13 dresses in gray, white, and beige, including models Ole, Artemia, Fantasque, and Come Again, as well as gray and white sweaters, a coat, and an astrakhan fur coat. Two coats, an astrakhan set, fox fur, and one fur were acquired by the queen from Redfern in 1930. Interestingly, the talented Belgrade dressmaker Katarina Mladenović, active in the 1920s and known for her models adorned with various ornaments, worked for a while in the fashion house Redfern. Mladenović executed the ornaments with an original technique she devised and patented, painting the fabric with melted metals and synthetic gemstones. The Redfern house was not only recognizable for the luxurious creations intended for members of high society. The house is also significant in the history of fashion as a pioneer in the production of clothing tailored to the needs of modern women and outdoor activities such as walking, driving cars, playing tennis, cycling, or equestrian sports. Queen Maria herself was an excellent driver and a great lover of driving. She primarily ordered practical clothing from the fashion house Patou. In 1926, the queen bought a Caprice dress and a white felt hat from Patou, while the same year, a package of clothes was delivered to her in Belgrade by the Orient Express train from this fashion house. A representative of Patou, Miss Richard, came to Belgrade in 1927 to receive new orders from Queen Maria. Also, three packages with sports costumes for the queen arrived in 1925 from London. In the fashion house Worth, the oldest Parisian haute couture house, Queen Maria bought an evening dress made of lame with a cloak and fur in 1934. That same year, after the assassination of King Alexander in Marseille, she ordered mourning attire from this fashion house – a crêpe georgette dress, an afternoon coat, two hats, two veils, a Roman dress, and a Roman cloak. Numerous preserved photographs and painted portraits testify to the elegance of Queen Maria, who was exceptionally beloved and respected by the people. Draginja Maskareli Museum advisor – Art and Fashion Historian 1. Wedding photograph of King Alexander and Queen Maria, 1922; photo: Wikimedia Commons / public domain / Library of Congress 2.Romanian Queen Maria, mother of Yugoslav Queen Maria, at the baptism of Crown Prince Peter, 1923; photo: Wikimedia Commons / public domain / Gallica 3.Milena Pavlović – Barilli, Queen Maria, 1923; photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED / Milena Pavlović – Barilli Gallery 4.Queen Maria on the cover of the magazine Žena i svet, Belgrade, 1928; photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0 DEED / Digital National Library of Serbia 5.Queen Maria, 1931; photo: Wikimedia Commons / public domain / Digital Library of Slovenia
Fashion Icons of the Past: Queen Natalija
Serbian Queen Natalija had a deep interest in fashion. Although her penchant for luxury was criticized by many in Serbia, including King Milan, she was considered a fashion icon of her time, having a significant following among women. After her exile from Serbia in 1891, a dress she left behind was reportedly preserved as a cult object on the premises of the Women’s Society of Belgrade. The most well-known and exemplary visual depiction of Queen Natalija is the portrait from 1882 painted by Vlaho Bukovac, which is displayed in the National Museum of Serbia. In this portrait, the queen is dressed in a sumptuous bustle dress, in line with European fashion trends of the 1870s and 1880s. Evolving from crinolines that spread the lower part of the dress around the body, the bustle was a support structure worn at the back to expand only the rear part of the skirt. The fashion of this period was characterized by decorative elements such as ribbons, flounces, elastic fabrics, and pleats, while the fabrics used for the bustle included cushions filled with horsehair, stiffly starched cloth, and frames of whalebone, bamboo, and rattan. In his memoirs, Vlaho Bukovac recollected a conversation with Queen Natalija regarding her intention to be represented in a bustle gown. On that occasion, she told him she disliked her ceremonial attire (national costume) because it included too much jewelry and diverse accessories. By preferring fashionable dress over national costume and emphasizing her fashion-conscious image, Queen Natalija was directly involved in remodeling the public representation of the ruler’s wife, which significantly differed from the previous norms. Historically, the central point of the official representation of the wives of Serbian rulers, Princesses Ljubica, Persida, and Julija, was a dress with national traits. Of course, as the ruler’s wife, Queen Natalia also used the national costume to constitute her national image. Portraits of the Queen in national costume have been preserved, including a watercolor by Carl Goebel from 1881, painted while she was still a princess and exhibited in the Residence of Princess Ljubica. Like Princess Julia in her official portrait from around 1865, Princess Natalia at this time combined elements of the national costume, such as the jacket – libade and cap – tepeluk, with modern, European clothing – the bustle dress. An important part of the national costume at the public representations of the Serbian rulers’ wives, especially in the case of Princess Persida and Queen Natalija, was lavish jewelry, including a large brooch in the form of a flower bouquet – grana, worn as headgear. Another portrait of Queen Natalija, a work by Uroš Predić from 1890, attracted public attention when it appeared at a 2008 auction at Bonhams in London. In the portrait, which was painted in the queen’s private salon – boudoir, besides luxurious and fashionable clothes, various carefully selected interior elements played a crucial role in constructing the image, like Oriental carpets and Pirot kilims, books, domestic and foreign newspapers, a photograph of Crown Prince Alexander, an icon of the Virgin Mary, a palm tree, and a samovar. This may be the very portrait, for which Queen Natalija wrote in 1904 it should have been sent to the writer Pierre Loti in Istanbul. Following her divorce from King Milan and departure from Serbia in 1891, Queen Natalija lived in Biarritz, at Villa Sacchino. There she organized social gatherings and hosted prominent persons from the political, social, and artistic circles. She wrote to geologist and politician Jovan Žujović in 1897 and 1898 that she was in the spotlight of fashionable events, leading a high-society life. In 1897, the British fashion magazine The Queen, which regularly reported on women from high society, announced that Queen Nathalie of Servia had purchased numerous chef d’oeuvres in the Paris branch of the Redfern fashion house. This renowned fashion house later supplied clothing to the Yugoslav queen Maria. Interestingly, the only high-fashion item preserved in Serbian museum collections was created in the Paris branch of Redfern. It is an evening dress worn by Elena Ristić, granddaughter of politician and historian Jovan Ristić, at her engagement party in Paris in 1909. In the same year, the dress, now a part of the Belgrade Museum of Applied Art’s collection, was featured in the prestigious French fashion magazine Les Modes, both in the July and November issues. Draginja MaskareliMuseum advisor – Art and Fashion Historian Vlaho Bukovac, Queen Natalija, 1882; photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED / National Museum of Serbia Queen Natalija; photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED / Museum of the Rudnik and Takovo Region Princess Julija, circa 1865, National Museum of Serbia; photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain Uroš Predić, Queen Natalija, 1890; photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain Evening Gown, Redfern fashion house, Les Modes magazine, Paris, July 1909; photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain / Gallica Digital Library
History of Fashion and Street Style
In 1994, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London hosted an exhibition titled “Streetstyle: From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow,” curated by Amy de la Haye. The exhibition showcased nearly 300 items representing British and American subcultures and countercultures, aiming to illustrate their influential role in Britain. The exhibition offered fresh interpretations of the dynamics of clothing by placing items in a cultural context, featuring attire from biker, surfer, rockabilly, hipster, rocker, punk, goth, and other subcultures. Leather jackets, denim, kaftans, baseball caps, cowboy boots, and psychedelic shirts were presented alongside music, photography, video, and fashion details, providing visibility to the complex factors that influenced the development of street style. “Streetstyle” was the first fashion exhibition with the concept of highlighting the diversity of subcultures in which young people created distinctive identities through clothing and music of their choice. Pioneers of street fashion like Jimmy Jumble, Sarah Ratty, Oz, Clare Tranter, and Craig Morrison were showcased alongside renowned high fashion names, such as Karl Lagerfeld, Donna Karan, Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood, Calvin Klein, and Gianni Versace. Even these high fashion designers considered street fashion a powerful source of inspiration. Due to its innovative approach and high attendance, the exhibition was met with criticism, from questions about the appropriateness of such clothing in a prestigious British art institution to critiques claiming it was too academic or failed to connect clothing with other aspects of subcultures, such as music and politics, or to keep pace with the rapid evolution of street styles. Today, nearly thirty years later, the connection between street style and mainstream fashion is clear and recognizable to all clothing enthusiasts. Therefore, it’s no surprise that this theme has gained a prominent place in one of the notable fashion exhibitions in 2023, “Beyond the Little Black Dress.” Curated by Georgina Ripley, this exhibition took place at the National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh. By tracing the history of the little black dress through more than 60 clothing items from Coco Chanel and the 1920s to the present day, the exhibition deconstructed this essential piece of women’s clothing, viewing it as a blank canvas onto which various identities and cultural meanings have been projected over a century. A segment of the “Beyond the Little Black Dress” exhibition, titled “Subcultural Black,” focused on the symbolism of the color black in the clothing of different 20th-century subcultural movements and their influence on mainstream fashion. Within this segment, models by British designers Zandra Rhodes and Gareth Pugh, inspired by punk, were featured, as well as those by British designer Theresa Coburn and Belgian designer Olivier Theyskens, inspired by the goth subculture. The source of inspiration for mainstream fashion was the subculture of streetwear, rooted in the 1970s hip-hop scene and Afro-Caribbean, Latino, and African-American neighborhoods in New York, such as the Bronx. One of the brands known for luxury clothing inspired by street style is the Italian brand Off-White, founded in Milan in 2013 by American fashion designer Virgil Abloh. In the “Beyond the Little Black Dress” exhibition, this brand was represented by a black dress from the pre-fall 2018 collection. The short Off-White dress, made of viscose and polyester, featured the text “Little black dress” in quotation marks. Abloh’s use of quoted references to popular culture and fashion history is a recognizable element of his brand and design. By presenting the words “Little black dress” as a quotation, Abloh simultaneously questions their validity and satirizes the cultural currency of the little black dress. Sources of inspiration play a significant role in the contemporary fashion system, involving interactions among various factors, including fashion houses, fabric and clothing manufacturers, distributors, and consumers. In this regard, references to street style and popular culture allow fashion designers to successfully mediate between these factors, creating fashion trends that reflect the spirit of the times. Draginja Maskareli Museum advisor – Art and Fashion Historian Images: 1–3. Beyond the Little Black Dress Exhibition, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, September 25, 2023; Photo: D. Maskareli Virgil Abloh, Paris Fashion Week, Fall/Winter 2019; Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED / Myles Kalus Anak Jihem Nike and Off-White Air Force 1 Sneakers, 2017; Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED / Puppyc
Story of Cashmere
When we mention cashmere, elegance and luxury are among the first associations that come to mind. This fine animal fiber is obtained from the short, soft hairs of mountain goats and is known as one of the most expensive fibers in the world. Various breeds of cashmere goats, named after the Kashmir region in northwest India, inhabit the mountainous areas of Asia, primarily in Mongolia, China, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The Kashmir region is also associated with the production of cashmere shawls, which played a significant role in European fashion in the 19th century. They were made from the wool of a specific type of cashmere goat known as pashmina. Cashmere is highly sought after in the world of fashion. Warm, comfortable, and lightweight cashmere fabrics are exceptionally pleasant to wear, with excellent drape and a soft texture. Due to its fineness, cashmere requires careful maintenance. At the same time, it is a very limited resource: one cashmere goat can produce around 200 grams of fiber annually, meaning that crafting a single sweater requires the fiber from several sheep. The history of cashmere production spans centuries, and today, China and Mongolia are the leading producers. Modern cashmere clothing draws attention with its simple, classic lines and high craftsmanship standards. Cashmere is most commonly used to make elegant coats, suits, and high-quality knitwear. Since the mid-20th century, cashmere sweaters have become one of the most popular cashmere fashion items. Soft, comfortable, and warm, they are available in various colors and styles, making them suitable for various occasions. It’s important to note that genuine cashmere quality comes with a corresponding price tag. Numerous cashmere shawls, wraps, coats, sweaters, and other clothing items are preserved in museum collections worldwide, bearing witness to luxury, style, elegance, and enduring fashion trends. In the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), an interesting cashmere item is preserved: a little boy’s dress adorned with silk embroidery and tassels, made in Kashmir for the Western market around 1855. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, such dresses made of various materials were common attire for very young boys up to the age of four, and they can be seen in family photographs of Serbian bourgeoisie from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Cashmere clothing was a recognizable part of the wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth II. Cashmere coats and cardigans held a special place among the queen’s attire, and it is known that she loved to wear cashmere sweaters from the famous Scottish brand Pringle, which has held the title of a Royal Warrant holder since 1956. Another well-known cashmere clothing manufacturer, Ballantyne, was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 1967. Princess Grace of Monaco also adored wearing Pringle sweaters. The “King of Cashmere,” Brunello Cucinelli, is favored by Prince William of Wales and actor Daniel Craig. Prince William posed in Cucinelli’s sweater in one of his official engagement photos, while Craig wore Cucinelli clothing even in his role as British secret agent James Bond in the films “Spectre” and “No Time to Die.” Luxury and high-quality cashmere clothing brands include Bramani Cashmere, Loro Piana, and Malo. Wearing cashmere clothing is a sign of refined taste and style. Whether dressed up for a night out, a business meeting, or everyday activities, cashmere adds an elegant touch to any outfit, making us feel confident, comfortable, and chic. Draginja Maskareli Museum advisor – Art and Fashion Historian Images: Cashmere Goats; photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Ishana Verma Cashmere Coat, fashion illustration, 1830s, G. & C. Franke collection; photo: Wikimedia Commons / public domain Little Boy’s Dress, Kashmir, circa 1855, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); photo: Wikimedia Commons / public domain Queen Elizabeth II with Family, Illustrated Politics, Belgrade, October 17, 1972; photo: Wikimedia Commons / public domain Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Mother, and Princess Beatrice, Balmoral, 1988, National Archives of New Zealand; photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
Kashmir Shawls: Luxury and Status
Since the second half of the 17th century, the Levant has been the main route through which printed cotton fabrics from India reached Europe. Cities such as Venice, Genova, Livorno, and Marseille began to develop local production that imitated the imported Indian textiles. The intricate patterns and vibrant colors made these fabrics attractive to both European and Ottoman buyers, paving the way for the fashion of Kashmir shawls. Kashmir shawls originate from the region of Kashmir in northwest India. They are handmade from fine Kashmiri wool, known as pashmina, and often adorned with the distinctive tear-shaped motif with a curled tip. Their import into modern Europe began in the late 18th century and became a luxurious status symbol and fashion item in the early 19th century. Shawls inspired by Kashmiri designs started to be produced in France and England. The highest-quality European shawls were made in Lyon, while Paisley in Scotland became known for cheaper imitations. Kashmir shawls, especially those of large dimensions, also had a practical purpose: they were worn as comfortable wraps over the oversized dresses of the mid-19th century, known as crinolines. From the 1870s, as dress dimensions decreased, Kashmir shawls slowly went out of fashion and were often repurposed, used as material for making coats, jackets, dresses, and other clothing items. Fashion history had long been centered on Western Europe, perceiving the fashion of Kashmir shawls exclusively in this part of the world. However, these shawls, along with other luxury fabrics, reached trading routes to Istanbul, Alexandria, Russia, and the Balkans, finding their place in different fashion systems. Wealthy Christians in the Ottoman Empire wore expensive shawls with striped and floral patterns around their heads, known as “çalma.” Two portraits painted by the artist Pavel Đurković, one of the Wallachian boyar Constantin Cantacuzino from around 1820 and one of Serbian Prince Miloš Obrenović from 1824, are well-known examples of the use of çalma for visual representation. These head coverings, resembling turbans, defied strict Ottoman laws requiring differentiation in clothing between Muslims and non-Muslims, so Turks reluctantly viewed Christians wearing çalma. Belgrade Turk Rašid-bej recorded that during the reading of a decree, the Belgrade pasha ordered that a fine Kashmir shawl with stripes and floral patterns be brought, and then one of the finest Kashmir shawls was tied around Prince Miloš’s head, while other Serbian leaders were given one each. The event caused dissatisfaction among the present Turks, who, upon seeing what had been done, left the assembly and returned to their homes. In Serbia, before the issuance of the Hatt-i Sharif in 1830 and the acquisition of autonomy, wearing a shawl around the head was considered the epitome of male elegance. One of the reasons for this was undoubtedly the fact that wearing shawls signified a certain degree of freedom. People’s deputy Sava Ljotić wrote from Istanbul in 1819 that the people of Serbia were criticized for carrying weapons and wearing shawls, to which Prince Miloš replied that the people did not commit any evil with their weapons but carried them to defend themselves against criminals and troublemakers, while wearing shawls was a way to show off and display the freedom bestowed upon us by the Sultan. In the documents of the time in Serbia, luxury shawls were most commonly referred to as “lahor-šal,” which indicates another important center of shawl production, the Pakistani city of Lahore. As part of the wedding gifts for his nieces Jelka and Simka, the daughters of Jevrem Obrenović, Prince Miloš ordered at least six Lahore shawls from Istanbul in 1833. It is also recorded that in 1824, when his daughter Petrija got married, he intended to give two Lahore shawls as gifts to the groom’s sisters. Considering the value of these shawls, the pragmatic prince ordered that on this occasion, Princess Ljubica should part with her shawl, but if she was reluctant to do so, she should find another one, while the second shawl could be given to Đorđe Popović Ćeleš’s wife. Draginja Maskareli Museum advisor – Art and Fashion Historian
The Magic of Wool
Wool, a fiber obtained from sheep’s fleece, possesses numerous characteristics that set it apart from other natural fibers. Wool is elastic, strong, and water-repellent, capable of absorbing up to 30% of its weight without feeling damp. It serves as an excellent heat insulator, making clothing crafted from lightweight wool fabrics suitable even for summer wear. Furthermore, wool is notably fire-resistant, significantly reducing the risk of fire hazards in household use. The history of wool usage in clothing spans thousands of years. In addition to clothing, valuable artistic items such as blankets, carpets, and tapestries have been crafted from wool for centuries. Late Antique Coptic textiles, woven from wool and linen between the 4th and 8th centuries in Egypt, were often used as appliqués on clothing. They were adorned with various botanical and geometric motifs, and at times, figurative compositions. These Coptic textiles are now preserved in numerous public and private collections worldwide, including the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts in Belgrade. In the past, as well as today, creating an elegant men’s suit involved using high-quality and modern wool fabrics. In an advertisement published in the Serbian newspapers in 1879, Belgrade tailor Dimitrije M. Ilić advised against purchasing garments that would fade, wear out, get frayed, or tear within a month or two. He offered various types of men’s coats, trousers, and suits, such as a coat for a person of modest means for 25 dinars, a coat suitable for anyone for 34 dinars, and a coat made of fashionable fabric for 36 dinars… The price range for making a men’s suit at Ilić’s shop varied, depending on the chosen fabric, from 36 to 84 dinars. While Belgrade’s male tailors in their advertisements emphasized the availability of a rich selection of imported fabrics, often from England, France, and Brno, some fabric stores in Belgrade exclusively dealt with selling these fabrics in the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. Among them were the stores of Nikola S. Šopović, established in 1823, and Anastas Pavlović, founded in the 1890s. Wool holds a significant place both in the history of fashion and in the contemporary fashion industry. When it comes to wool quality, among more than 1,000 sheep breeds existing today, the Merino sheep stands out. This breed, which yields fine and soft wool, was cultivated in late medieval Spain, a country that monopolized wool production for a long time. Merino sheep were owned only by the wealthiest, and their export was strictly prohibited under the threat of the death penalty. In the 18th century, herds of Merino sheep began to arrive in other European countries. King Louis XVI of France purchased a Merino sheep herd in 1786 from his cousin, King Charles III of Spain, and started breeding them in Rambouillet. Thus, the breeding of Merino sheep spread to other parts of Europe, ultimately reaching Australia and New Zealand, which are now among the world’s largest wool producers. Contemporary fashion brands known for crafting luxury clothing from wool fabrics pay great attention to the production of high-quality wool. The company Ermenegildo Zegna awards various prizes to Merino wool producers, with the oldest being the Ermenegildo Zegna Perpetual Trophy, established as early as 1963. Since 2014, this company has owned its own Merino sheep farm, Achill, in Australia. The company Loro Piana established the Record Bale award for Merino wool producers in 1997. This company is also renowned for its products made from vicuña wool. This exceptionally fine and rare fiber is obtained from the vicuña, an animal from the camelid family that resides in the mountainous regions of the Andes in South America. Although in the time of the Incas, wearing clothing made from vicuña wool was allowed only to individuals of the highest rank, during the Spanish conquest, vicuñas became common prey for hunters, nearly leading to their extinction by the mid-20th century. Loro Piana has been supporting the Peruvian government for many years in the protection of vicuñas and is one of the few companies authorized to source vicuña wool in Peru while adhering to all conservation standards. The vicuña is also a national symbol of Peru, and its image is featured on the Peruvian coat of arms. Draginja Maskareli Museum advisor – Art and Fashion Historian Pictures: Greek vase – lekythos with a depiction of a woman extracting wool from a kalathos – a vessel used for storing wool, Tanagra, 480–470 BCE, photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5 / Μαρσύας / National Archaeological Museum of Athens Coptic textile, Egypt, 10th–11th century, photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Tropenmuseum / National Museum of World Cultures Advertisement by the male tailor Dimitrije M. Ilić, Serbian Newspaper, March 7, 1879. Merino sheep fleece, Australia, 2008, photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 / Cgoodwin Herd of vicuñas, Peru, 2017, photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Marshallhenrie
Belgrade Tailors and the Timeless Elegance of Men’s Suits
The French Revolution swept away the opulent, aristocratic men’s fashion of the 18th century from the European stage. Bright colors, embroidery, lace, ruffles, and cuffs made way for a new, elegant, and understated men’s suit of the 19th century. This suit evolved from the clothing worn by the English aristocracy, who spent a considerable amount of time hunting and tending to their estates, necessitating practical attire. Consequently, England, which had positioned itself as the hub of European men’s fashion in the 18th century, retained this status in the following period, with Italy joining in from the mid-20th century. The men’s suit of the 19th century not only expressed the new, modern values of civil society but also set the standards for classic men’s elegance that persist to this day – impeccable tailoring, the appropriate choice of shapes, colors, and high-quality fabrics for specific occasions. Changes in men’s fashion, unlike the dynamic shifts in women’s fashion silhouettes, can be traced through various subtle details – the length and cut of the jacket, its method of fastening, the number and arrangement of buttons, the shape and dimensions of lapels and collars, the number and arrangement of pockets, and the cut of trousers. This shift in men’s fashion also occurred in Serbia during the 19th century, where European men’s attire replaced the vibrant clothing of the previous era, characterized by layered Ottoman-Balkan urban garments in vivid colors, adorned with rich embroidery and trimmings. Since the 1840s, numerous advertisements for men’s tailors have appeared in the Serbian press. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, respected tailors such as Marko Petronijević, Lazarević, Jovanović, Sudarević, and Savković operated in Belgrade. Their activities, owing to the high quality and a large number of clients, can be traced through advertisements over an extended period. Marko Petronijević, a tailor born in Obrenovac, opened his shop on Kneza Mihaila Street in 1881. His concise and measured advertisements, sometimes published in French, indicate that he and his clients valued expert tailoring and a wide selection of high-quality fabrics with current fashion patterns from England and France. Trifun Jovanović, born in Vranje, learned the tailoring trade from Petronijević and then worked in Germany, completing his tailoring education in Vienna. At the end of the 19th century, tailor-made clothing for women, known as “tailor made,” entered the fashion scene – women’s costumes tailored along the same principles and from similar materials as men’s suits. Such clothing, adapted to modern lifestyles and a greater variety of outdoor activities, soon became available in Belgrade tailoring salons. Men’s tailor Života Lazarević, born in Paraćin, who had worked for many years in leading and trendsetting tailoring shops in Vienna, Berlin, Paris, London, and Petrograd, opened his shop in 1902 at the corner of Balkanska and Kraljice Natalije streets. In advertisements in the Mali Žurnal newspaper, he announced that, in addition to men’s suits made to the latest patterns and finest fabrics, he had mastered the art of creating the most modern women’s costumes known as “Genre Tailleur.” Života Lazarević and Trifun Jovanović co-founded the tailoring shop Lazarević and Jovanović on Kneza Mihaila Street in 1903. In the interwar period, they crafted an enviable reputation for the high standards of their men’s suits. In 1923, they crowned their business success with the construction of the renowned Hotel Splendid in Belgrade, whose building still stands in close proximity to the City Assembly of Belgrade today. Between the two World Wars, a significant place among the creators of Belgrade’s fashion scene was held by the men’s tailoring salon Sudarević and Savković. It was located on Topličin Venac, in the Čelebonović Palace, which now houses the Museum of Applied Arts. The museum’s collection preserves a tailcoat and two jackets made in this salon. Co-owner Nikola Sudarević, in addition to being a master tailor, was also involved in music. He composed choral songs and a liturgy that was performed in Šabac, and he sang in the choir of the Belgrade Opera for a long time. Sudarević was elected as a member of the examination board for master’s exams in the Tailors Section of the Craftsmen’s Association. Reflecting on Sudarević’s penchant for music, a journalist for the Nedeljne Ilustracije newspaper concluded in 1929 that he was an artist in tailoring and an amateur musician, demonstrating that the tailoring craft is an art and that we are not behind Paris because we have great tailors who are also artists. Written by Draginja Maskareli Museum advisor – Art and Fashion Historian Images:
Fashion in modern Serbia
In the history of European fashion, the mid-19th century marks the beginning of the era of modern fashion. Paris becomes the world’s fashion center where high fashion houses are established: Worth (1857), Doucet (1880), Redfern (1881), Rouff (1884), Paquin (1891), Calot Soeurs (1896), Lanvin (1909), and others. Parisian high fashion sets the trends that the ready-to-wear industry reproduces, making fashionable products available to broader social classes. In this way, fashion gains an international character and becomes democratized. Additionally, fashion finally gains the status of a fine art, leading to the establishment of renowned fashion designers – visual artists of international renown. During this period, as an important element in shaping the visual identity of individuals, members of ruling families, and the bourgeoisie, fashion occupies a prominent place in the culture of modern Serbia. The uprisings against the centuries-long Ottoman rule, raised in 1804 and 1815, led to the issuance of two sultan’s hatt-i-sherifs in 1830 and 1833, and the creation of the autonomous Principality of Serbia. After gaining full independence at the Berlin Congress in 1878, the Principality of Serbia was proclaimed a Kingdom in 1882. The significant changes that occurred in the political, social, cultural, and economic spheres were also reflected in fashion. By the late 19th century, around Knez Mihailova Street and Terazije in Belgrade, a large number of fashionable-galanterie and clothing shops were in operation, including Kosta Nikolić and Drug, Marko Vuletić and Gavrilović, Petar Petrović and Belović, Lazarević and Stojankić, Bradić and Karaulić, Savčić and Nikolić, Braća M. Isković, Kod pariskog šika Adanje and Demaja, Talvi and Mandilović, Natalija Mesaroš, and others. Travel writer Felix Kanitz noted that the best-stocked shops were located on Dubrovačka and Knez Mihailova streets, which were paved with large cobblestones, along with adjacent streets. Women’s and men’s clothing stores, accessories, jewelry, delicatessen shops, etc., attracted curious audiences with their rich displays. Alongside prominently displayed signs, mostly in Serbian and German, and sometimes in French, English, and Russian, popular names were often used, such as ‘Kod Bečlije’ (At the Viennese) or ‘Kičoš’ and others, all above ornate portals. Advertisements in newspapers provide insights into the rich and diverse offerings of Belgrade’s fashion shops. An important content of the advertisements of that time was the information that the offered goods were imported. Furthermore, contemporary transport and communication means such as printing and railways, as well as the phenomenon of globalization, played a crucial role in the development of modern fashion and strengthening its influence. Belgraders often purchased clothing during their travels abroad, with popular shopping destinations being Paris, Vienna, and Budapest. To successfully meet the demands of consumers who wanted to align their clothing style as closely as possible with European trends, tailors of women’s and men’s clothing, as well as other artisans in Serbia whose activities were related to the fashion industry, continuously improved their craft. Skilled artisans often traveled abroad, bringing back new ideas, methods, models, and magazines. The British magazine The Pall Mall Magazine reported the presence of Serbian masters who came to Paris in 1902 to see new models and find inspiration. The Orient Express, which arrived in Paris in the first week of March, was named the ‘train of high-fashion tailors’ because its passengers were exclusively the head tailors of prominent houses from Budapest, Belgrade, Sofia, and other cities along the route. Talented masters, owners of well-equipped salons, employed a large number of workers, and catered exclusively to wealthier clients. For visually representing the economic status of the bourgeoisie, it was essential that certain individuals could afford exclusive clothing, custom-made for them by top-notch masters. Among the esteemed masters in Belgrade were shoemaker Miloš Savić, men’s tailors Marko Petronijević, Života Lazarević, and Trifun Jovanović, as well as women’s tailors Berta Alkalaj and Sofija Švarc.
Fashion Print and Fashion Trends
During the last decades of the 19th century, various family and fashion magazines were accessible to the citizens of Serbia, sometimes in individual households, and to a greater extent at social gatherings – events and tailor shops. Starting from the beginning of the 20th century, the offerings of foreign fashion magazines could also be tracked through advertisements in print media. In 1909, the Gece Kona bookstore in Belgrade, through advertisements in the Politika newspaper, offered its readers 18 different French, German, and Viennese fashion magazines, including Die Modenwelt, Grosse Modenwelt, Der Bazar, Wiener Mode, Elegante Mode, Ilustrierte Frauenzeitung, La Mode Parisien, and others. Additionally, in 1912, L. M. Levenzon advertised as the representative for Serbia for as many as 74 imported fashion magazines. Among the magazines that stood out during that time in Serbia with fashion themes was “Mali žurnal” (The Small Journal). It even had a special edition dedicated exclusively to fashion, which was titled “Pariska moda” (Parisian Fashion) and was published in 1902. Unfortunately, already in 1903, “Mali žurnal” announced that “Pariska moda” had ceased publication due to immense expenses. However, there was a strong desire to relaunch this fashion magazine, as many ladies and young women pledged to become consistent subscribers, unlike in the past when one subscribed and fifty relied on one issue. The emergence of fashion magazines in Europe can be traced back to the 17th century. The French ruler Louis XIV, known as the Sun King, viewed fashion as a means to dominate European culture and actively encouraged the French fashion industry. His finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, famously stated that fashion was to France what Peruvian gold mines were to Spain. In France, from 1672 to 1832, one of the oldest fashion magazines, “Le Mercure galant,” was published. It was founded and edited by writer and historian Jean Donneau de Visé. During the time of the French Revolution, which temporarily disrupted the flow of French fashion, Germany also emerged as a publishing center for fashion magazines. The oldest German fashion magazine, “Journal des Luxus und der Moden,” was published in Weimar from 1786 to 1826, with its first publisher being Friedrich Justin Bertuch. Naturally, fashion in France soon reestablished its dominance, and the publication of fashion magazines continued. The fashion magazine “Journal des Dames et des Modes,” with its first editor being Professor Pierre de La Mesangère, was published in Paris from 1797 to 1839. One of the publications that continued the German tradition of producing high-quality fashion magazines in the 19th century was “Die Modenwelt: die Illustrierte Zeitung für Toilette und Handarbeiten” (The Fashion World: Illustrated Newspaper for Dress and Handicrafts). Founded by Franz von Lipperheide in Berlin in 1865, this magazine quickly achieved great success, being published in various countries in as many as 14 languages. It boasted the highest circulation among fashion magazines of that time and was even sold in Brazil. In the pages of “Die Modenwelt,” a magazine well-read in Serbia, fashion illustrations accompanied by pattern sheets were published. This facilitated ordering clothing in the latest fashion from skilled local craftsmen. Examples of fashion illustrations and pattern sheets from “Die Modenwelt” are preserved today in the Museum of Applied Arts in Belgrade and the Subotica City Museum. A significant leap in the history of fashion print was made by publisher Lucien Vogel when, in 1912, he began publishing “Gazette du bon ton” in Paris. This highly influential fashion magazine continued to be published even after World War I. Viewing fashion as a representative form of visual art, Vogel engaged a group of young artists, many of whom were educated at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris, including Paul Iribe and George Barbier, to create illustrations for the new magazine. In modern Europe and Serbia, fashion print played a crucial role in conveying information about contemporary fashion trends. Holding a prominent place among various books, magazines, and newspapers, whose expanded production marked the development of European society from the 18th century onward, fashion print contributed to the formation of civil society and public opinion. It emphasized the significance of fashion in shaping the visual identity of citizens.
The Middle Ages as Inspiration in Serbian Fashion
In today’s context, fashion stands as one of the most pervasive forms of visual expression within culture. This notion was underscored as far back as 1886 by the Swiss art historian Heinrich Wölfflin, who postulated that the design of a shoe could be as significant an indicator of the value of medieval art as the grand Gothic cathedrals of Western Europe. Although Wölfflin primarily aimed to emphasize the role of everyday objects in shaping a holistic cultural image of a society and era, the connection between fashion and medieval art has persisted through diverse manifestations. During the 19th century, a prevailing nationalistic sentiment swept across Europe, prompting advocates of this idea to seek inspiration from the past, particularly the medieval period, to create authentic national cultural models. Modern Parisian fashion often bore the brunt of their critique. Nevertheless, this inclination towards medieval influence also impacted contemporary fashion trends. By the late 19th century, purses made of metal mesh emerged in fashion, their appearance evoking, among other things, the armor of medieval knights. These mesh purses, which have been preserved in significant numbers within the legacies of Serbian bourgeois families, frequently featured frames shaped as recognizable elements of Gothic architecture—arches or quatrefoils. These accessories remained stylish even between the two World Wars, crafted from silver, as well as various silver-plated metals and alloys. Inspired by European proponents of nationalistic ideals, the youth association “Družina Mladeži Srpske” founded in 1847 in Belgrade sought to break away from German attire and adopt a Serbian national costume that would be (re)constructed by studying medieval models. The result of these clothing reform endeavors was the “dušanka,” a male jacket named after Emperor Dušan, intended to emphasize national identity and a connection to a glorious past. In reality, the dušanka was a hussar-style jacket, borrowed from European wardrobe, akin to what could be seen in portrayals of scenes and personalities from Serbian history in 18th-century Vojvodina paintings. Queen Draga Obrenović, in her effort to promote the image of being the first Serbian queen after Princess Milica, commissioned the creation of a special court costume inspired by medieval aristocratic attire. Designed by architect Vladislav Titelbah, the costume was crafted at the Women’s Radenička School and adorned with embroidery from the workshop of Svetislav J. Kostić. The official photographs of the queen from 1902 bear witness to its appearance. The notion of constructing a national costume based on medieval models also resonated in Serbian painting. The pursuit of an authentic national costume that would lend Serbian saints, national heroes, and historical figures an appropriate national character played a significant role in the development of national art. It is well-known that for this purpose, the painter Dimitrije Avramović traveled and visited old Serbian monasteries, exploring evidence of medieval clothing in historical heritage. The timeless splendor of regal and aristocratic mosaic ensembles from monastery frescoes did not fade even during the socialist Yugoslavia era. As such, the inspiration drawn from medieval art held a significant place in the work of Aleksandar Joksimović, a prominent Serbian and Yugoslav fashion designer. In March 1967, Joksimović presented the high fashion collection “Simonida” at a fashion show in the Gallery of Frescoes in Belgrade. This collection drew inspiration from the name and era of the medieval Serbian queen Simonida. This event held great importance for Yugoslav fashion, as the collection garnered acceptance and emulation by younger generations and garment manufacturers—something unprecedented in a socialist country. That same year, at the International Festival of Fashion in Moscow, where representatives from both the Eastern and Western political blocs performed together for the first time, “Simonida” was acclaimed as the most successful collection. At the Yugoslav Industry and Art Exhibition in Paris in 1969, Joksimović unveiled the high fashion collection “Prokleta Jerina,” also inspired by the local history of the medieval era, named after Despotess Jerina Branković. The models showcased were acclaimed during this event in the fashion capital as marvelously contemporary and international. Renowned fashion houses Pierre Cardin and Dior expressed particular respect for this collection. During that era, high fashion, which had been instrumental in shaping fashion trends since the mid-19th century, evolved into an elite institution tailored to individuals with the most discerning aesthetic demands and members of the wealthiest social strata.
