Jelena of Savoy as an inexhaustible inspiration

Jelena of Savoy, the Montenegrin princess and Italian queen, was a humanitarian of sorts, and today she can also serve as an inexhaustible source of inspiration for various types of art, agreed the fashion designers who participated in the exhibition of models inspired by this historical figure.

The exhibition was organized as part of the opening of the Blanc Fashion Week Montenegro event, and will be available to the general public during Fashion Week at the Big Fashion shopping center.

Anastazija Miranović, Anđela Popović, Ana Mont Suevalova, Bojana Čelebić, Edita Nimanbegu, Ivana Murišić, Jelena Vratnica, Jelena Roganović Đurić, Lidija Burić, Marina Banović, Radojka Gardašević Tepavac, Sanela Đoković and Senka Tujković participated in the exhibition by displaying their models.

"The character and work of Jelena Petrović of Savoy transcend time, borders and the roles that history has assigned to her. Born as a Montenegrin princess and living as an Italian queen, Jelena was much more than a title. She was a symbol of modesty in a world of luxury, humanity in times of challenge and the strength of a woman who understood that true greatness does not lie in power - but in kindness," said Srđan Lubarda, president of the Fashion Chamber of Montenegro, which organizes Montenegrin Fashion Week.

Jelena Roganović, who for this occasion selected three models from the previously created collection European Fashion at the Montenegrin Court, speaks similarly.

"I made the collection of the same name for the National Museum of Montenegro, on the occasion of the exhibition and the publication of the monograph. The dresses were actually made from originals. Then I had the opportunity to see and feel what materials were used at the time. The models are quite authentic. We tried as much as possible to make them similar to the originals, especially because we used materials like those from that time, silk, cotton, embroidered lace, there is a lot of handwork on the dresses, a lot of people worked on them, because it requires a lot of time. An exhaustive work, but the inspiration is eternal," she concludes.

"There is still more research and work to be done on this topic, and I am always happy when I present dresses from that collection, especially because Montenegro, princess dresses and folk costumes, I think are an inspiration for all designers that can be returned to and processed in many ways," added Roganović.

Like her, Anastazija Miranović also exhibited a model from an earlier collection.

"It wasn't difficult, because I dealt with Helena of Savoy a few years ago when I created an entire collection dedicated to her. The premiere was in Belgrade at the Italian Embassy on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the embassy's opening in that very place. They invited an Italian designer and me from Montenegro, and it was truly a challenge, a pleasure, but also a great responsibility to create a collection dedicated to Helena the Great. I would rather call her that than a queen, because she was a queen in every sense of the word, and not just because of the crown she wore, because she was a great benefactor, a humanitarian worker, she was a doctor and a nurse...", explains Miranović.

"I believe that Montenegro has not paid her enough, nor the other princesses, especially Jelena Petrović Njegoš, which is why I wanted to dedicate a collection to her that can go directly to the museum. These are all handmade motifs of gold embroidery that are protected as intangible cultural heritage, the Niti od zlata workshop from Bijelo Polje made me an entire collection of 20 models with handmade gold embroidery. One of those models is on display tonight," she said.

Marina Banović also participated in the exhibition, and it is characteristic of her that throughout her long career she draws inspiration from folk costumes and historical fashion pieces.

"My collections are quite on that theme, so I can draw inspiration from almost every one of them, including Queen Jelena. But I found the dialogue between the two Jelenas interesting, because in 2006 I did a collection at Alta Roma that was inspired by Jelena of Savoy, that's what the collection was called. Today, after 20 years, there's another exhibition under the same name, but in a different way because I've perhaps matured as a designer," reveals Banović.

"20 years ago, I thought that it had to have a historical record, that it had to have accuracy in the model itself, and even the jewelry made by the Žarković jewelry store from Belgrade was made as a fragment of a wedding crown. Today, 20 years later, my model recognizes recycling, 3D printing when it comes to jewelry, biodegradable materials, and the transformation, or deconstruction, of the koreta from the Montenegrin folk costume and its translation into a modern piece of clothing and new usability," the fashion designer further explains.

She was particularly interested in the fact that all the designers who participated in the exhibition experienced it in a different way.

"We all experienced Jelena differently. She doesn't have to be in the historical record, but how we see her, because she was not just a queen, but a great humanitarian, mother of the nation, a great daughter and princess. So that's why the models are different, because some saw her only as a queen, and some as a socially responsible person," she pointed out.

Although Ivana Murišić did not create a collection inspired by Jelena of Savoy, her latest line relied on the tradition of Montenegro, but for this occasion she created a special piece.

"I've definitely been on that topic for the last year. My last collection was inspired by historical figures and the tradition of Montenegro, so I really enjoyed it and I did all the techniques that I had wanted to explore for a long time last year, and this year when I saw what the theme was and what historical figure it was, I was really delighted. I decided to dedicate myself to that work with pleasure," Murišić told "Vijesti".

"This work is somewhat experimental, because it's the first time I've worked with this technique, it's about 3D tiles, and it required the work of a graphic designer, laser cutting, and a large amount of manual labor. This is the first time I've done this model in this way, and it was truly a great experience and enjoyment for me," she added, admitting that working on this model could inspire her for future collections.

Sanela Đoković also presented her vision of Jelena of Savoy, who found inspiration in a photograph of the Montenegrin princess.

"When I looked for photos of Elena of Savoy on the internet, it was very difficult, because at first glance it seems like the dresses she wore were simple, but in reality they were not. She wore special pieces, which may be slowly making a comeback. I chose a black dress because it can be combined. In her version, that golden lace fell over her shoulders, and I wanted the model to have a crown that she often wore. There is also a pearl, which is very expensive...", he said, adding that she tried not to make her creation just a copy of the aforementioned dress.

"I usually make similar dresses, this one ties in the back, so it's not just one size, but can be worn by fuller ladies or thinner ones," she added.

The second evening of Montenegrin Fashion Week was held last night, after the conclusion of the "Vijesti" pages, and the collection presentation part featured Anja Radulović, XYZ Fashion Houses, Hane Bihorac, SP Gentleman, Suzana and Predrag Murišić, Blanka Orlando and Timur Tursunkulov, and students of UDG (Faculty of Fashion Design).