A woman from Murakami's literature transformed into models

Serbian fashion designer Ana Vasiljević, who lives and works in Barcelona and teaches at the UDG Faculty of Multimedia and Design in Podgorica, will present her new collection to the Montenegrin audience as part of Montenegrin Fashion Week, which takes place from November 18 to 20.

As she points out, this is her first fashion show in front of a fashion audience in Podgorica, although she exhibited her work in Montenegro in 2006, and she reveals to "Vijesti" why now is the right time to "fix" it.

"Even though I've been at UDG for two full years, I've been living in Spain for more than three, and somehow my attention is focused on working there and placing my line further, so that's the standard cooperation I have with events in Serbia, where I come from, honestly I didn't even think about performing here," she explains, and then reveals why the situation changed.

"At the invitation of the organizers of Montenegro Fashion Week, and at the recommendation of some of the participants from Serbia who performed, I accepted the invitation, because what I do can certainly be interesting for the audience here. The production quality of the event is extremely important to me, and I think MFW has everything needed to make it look like world fashion events", explained Vasiljević, who also reveals what she has prepared for the first presentation in the capital of Montenegro.

"The name of the collection 'Silence Under Lines' is somewhat a continuation of my previous collections and is very symbolically layered. It examines the role of women in the contemporary digital environment of Japan through the literature of Murakami, who describes it excellently through his literary works. On the one hand, they are modern samurai of the new age, but on the other hand, they are still drawn to the traditional role," explained the fashion designer.

"That struggle is manifested through contemporary and futuristic forms, inspired to some extent in the kimono, which for me precisely represents that traditional note, and on the other hand, the layering, geometry and deconstruction that are otherwise specific to me have the role of emphasizing the complexity of the topic and research" , points out the interlocutor of "Vijesti". As Vasiljević points out, in the last years of her work, she has not been burdened by seasons, but if she wanted to define "Silence Under Lines" this time, it would be autumn/winter.

"I am not burdened by the seasons, because my line is sold all over the world through foreign shops, so the seasons are not an imperative in the work process," she claims, and then emphasizes that the black and white colors she uses as a basis are specific to her work.

"But this time magenta was also included, because I needed some typical feminine note that would break the concept of clear and somewhat strict lines within the framework of deconstructed forms and models. As for the material, it's really a layered story that varies from cotton minimalist structures to crepe georgette, velor, knitwear, coated twill...", hints the designer.

"Given that this collection is a continuation of the story of the previous two collections, this will be a combined story where of course most of the models are new and in the end there will be about 15 exits. For me, quantity is not an obligation, it is extremely important for me to respect the concept of my story, that high-quality styling emphasizes everything as much as necessary and that a sufficient number of models can support it, and I think that this capsule collection is quite enough to tell everything that is necessary", continues Vasiljević, who, as she says, has worked creatively on this line for a year.

At the end of the conversation, the Serbian fashion designer assessed how fashion events in Spain can be compared to those on the Montenegrin scene.

"In Spain, the main fashion scene, as far as the high production of fashion shows is concerned, takes place in Madrid, which in recent years has become an extremely important fashion center in Western Europe. For quite a long time, Spain had a distinctly stylistically defined work of designers, and for that they were recognizable, rich color, artistic approach and freedom of expression as an imperative, however, I see that this is also changing a little and that they are adapting to trends. The production performance at such an official event as Madrid Fashion Week is extremely serious and there is actually a selection of those who can fulfill it both financially and production-wise", she explained.

"I live and work in Barcelona, ​​my work is presented in an extremely popular Art and Fashion gallery where I show my work and for now I am more than satisfied. Shows in the global fashion industry are no longer the only imperative and way of communicating with the audience, given that we are part of the digital era, so there are various ways to creatively present your work in a modern concept to a wider audience," emphasizes Vasiljević.

"Honestly, I'm not that familiar with the work of Montenegrin designers, I know those who exhibited in Belgrade as well, such as Boris Ćalić, Marta Miljanić... and I like their work, and I hope to get acquainted with the work of the others soon," she said. is she.

Working with young people is inspiring

Ana Vasiljević has been working with future Montenegrin fashion designers at the Faculty of Multimedia and Design for two years, and when asked if she recognizes talent among them, she says:

"Certainly, talents are all around us and I look forward to every start of the new school year, considering that I also led the fashion design department in Belgrade. Pedagogical work with young people is extremely inspiring, because every time you meet something new. Such an exchange in creative work is extremely important and I enjoy being part of the process of maturation and development of young people who have decided to engage in this demanding work. This year, UDG had a lot of success with fashion design students who went outside the borders of Montenegro, and I sincerely hope that there will be more and more of them".