Verica Rakočević, the most eminent designer of the former Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia. Born on March 23, 1948 in Podujevo, Kosovo and Metohija. In 1993, during the greatest sanctions, under the auspices of UNESCO she brought the fashion world to Belgrade, led by the famous Jasmin Gauri, when she presented the Prayer for Peace collection and donated all proceeds to incubators for babies up to a year old (at a time when babies died in Banja Luka due to a lack of them). While her country and citizens were under sanctions, her collections were shown in Los Angeles, Athens, Nicosia, Vienna, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Dubai, Havana and Sicily. In 1999, at the invitation of the Chamber of Commerce of Rome, she went as the only designer from the Balkans to show the first Haute Couture collection at this prestigious Haute Couture Week. The collection was inspired by the old Serbian city costume. in Rome, she promoted the art of Serbian crafts and rich heritage with her collections. This was followed by fashion shows at the Milan Fashion Week and several collections in Italy. In 2007, she returned to Belgrade. She decided on the concept of the Atelier, in which she deals with fashion in the sense that it touches art without pretensions to be a business in which material things are more important than creative ones. In Balkan society, she is a symbol of intelligence, indomitable courage and expressive femininity.
CDH TALKS: Your collections have brought to life Simone de Beauvoir, Isadora Duncan, Čučuk Stana, Frida Kahlo, Lou Salomé… What unites them at their core?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: Without sounding pretentious, I have intuitively identified with women who challenged societal norms, defied clichés, and earned their place in history. This distinct feminine strength resonated deeply with me and influenced my approach to design, which diverged from conventional fashion paths, particularly those that perceive fashion solely as a business. In my youth, I was a skilled writer, and I have always been deeply drawn to art in all its forms. Reading Mona’s Eyes now, I find myself reliving suppressed artistic impressions, especially regarding visual arts, and reclaiming them in my consciousness.
CDH TALK: Can you give us a closer look into your creative process and work?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: The way I have crafted my collections has always extended beyond fashion; I sought to infuse my work with depth. In Ready to Wear, a book about my creative journey by Vanja Čobanov, there is an insightful narrative on how I build collections that offer not only aesthetic value but also a historical and character-driven dimension. Vanja beautifully encapsulated this in one sentence: “Creating a collection inspired by Lou Salomé, there was a magnificent brown muslin silk fabric, sprinkled with bronze sequins—a metaphor for the tears Nietzsche shed over Lou.” Through design, I aimed to weave together Andreas, Nietzsche, and Lou Salomé, translating their relationships into form and color.
CDH TALKS: How would you define your own fashion style?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: As a personal signature that elevates and celebrates the essence of femininity.
CDH TALKS: What is the essence of femininity?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: The beauty of freedom that a woman embodies. It is the beauty of femininity in its most subtle and refined sense. When contemplating my fashion direction at the beginning of my career, I was deeply moved by the way my work was perceived. Sedjero once called me the Coco Chanel of the Balkans because they recognized my guiding principle: “A dress should never overshadow the woman wearing it.”
CDH TALKS: What, in your opinion, defines the category of beauty?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: Anything that evokes emotion. You see, even looking out the window now—this tree, though no longer green, remains beautiful because it symbolizes life. Come spring, it will blossom anew, marking the start of another cycle. Anything that stirs my emotions is, to me, beautiful.
CDH TALKS: Does fashion truly live on the streets?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: We readily embrace every trend originating from America and Europe. However, I must express my deep concern about a trend that saddens me greatly and which I have been outspoken about recently. The unfortunate reality is that Kardashianism has become a global phenomenon, especially evident in smaller communities. The moment Anna Wintour placed Kim Kardashian on the cover of Vogue, she legitimized an entire lifestyle, ideology, and approach to femininity and beauty—something that truly discerning individuals should question.
CDH TALKS: This highlights the immense role fashion plays in shaping societal values and moral landscapes. Can we point to some positive influences dictated by fashion?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: What truly encourages me is the rise of the sustainable fashion movement, which is gaining significant momentum. I have been committed to sustainable fashion for 40 years. It heartens me to see an increasing number of advocates supporting creativity, handmade craftsmanship, and a shift towards quality over mass production. I know that great changes do not happen overnight, but I hope that robots will not consume us entirely and that this movement will endure. As a designer, I find this evolution reassuring.
CDH TALKS: If fashion had a face, what would its name be?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: The answer may seem simple, but I would name it after a designer: Coco Chanel.
CDH TALKS: Which aspects of contemporary fashion should be preserved as part of cultural heritage?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: This is a complex question that demands a nuanced answer. As you know, in recent times, fashion has almost reached the point of absurdity. Runway shows no longer showcase the beauty of the unconventional but rather delve into complete nonsense. What holds meaning today often stems from recycling styles from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. If I were to predict what should be preserved for future generations—perhaps one day stored digitally and transferred to Mars—it would be the notion that every culture must encapsulate its heritage in a modern form. It should evolve with time while retaining elements that serve as a record of the past within contemporary expression.
CDH TALKS: What is the one creation you are most proud of?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: My wedding gown showcased during my debut at Rome’s Haute Couture Week. It was worn by actress Ramona Bădescu, who, instead of carrying a bridal bouquet, held a Slava bread, while her veil was embroidered with pearls depicting Gračanica Monastery.
CDH TALKS: Can you reveal the deeper meaning behind this masterpiece? You seamlessly integrated tradition with modernity in a truly authentic way.
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: This was the most defining moment of my career. The show took place in July, following the NATO aggression against Serbia. I was an unknown designer among fashion industry giants, presenting a collection inspired by old Serbian craftsmanship. The Slava bread held profound symbolism. Just before Ramona appeared on the runway with it, five models walked, representing the last five survivors, with hair matted in blood and tears, praying for peace. Europe, and specifically Eastern Europe, had just emerged from bombings. The message was clear: it was time for the suffering to end, for love to triumph, for us all to respect and embrace one another—regardless of skin color, religion, gender identity, or nationality. When Ramona stepped forward, she offered a piece of Slava bread to a woman in the audience. At that moment, 400 people rose to their feet, applauding and weeping. That moment—that collective emotional response—is why we create.
CDH TALKS: Your professional success testifies to the power of personal achievement amid significant geopolitical struggles, navigating dynamics of power and oppression. From the standpoint of cultural diplomacy, you—an artist from Kosovo—delivered a message of peace and love in the very country from which the first planes bombed Yugoslavia. Now, 26 years later, how do you reflect on that moment?
VERICA RAKOCEVIC: Essence is to preserve dignity, but that does not imply denying your own mistakes. I have never been involved in politics; someone who is truly engaged in art must not get involved in politics. They must remain themselves in order to have the satisfaction that everything they do must be done exclusively thanks to their mind, strength, artistic and creative potential. However, we live in a very volatile area where all kinds of ugly things have happened from all sides, and it is logical that a person who admits, “yes, there is a part of the blame,” expects the other side to say that too. And when they don’t get that confirmation, feelings of bitterness arise. We must avoid that bitterness. And simply, when we are aware that the beauty of emotion and freedom of spirit must prevail over anger, with no desire to respond to ugliness with ugliness, then it will start to circulate according to cosmic laws. Many bad things happen to us because people have become bitter and angry, not realizing that this does not bring good. It might sound like a cliché, but only the circulation of good ideas, thoughts, and emotions can save the world. We must not have prejudices about people based on geopolitical positions or on experiences that might have been in someone’s spectrum of vision; there is a completely different story. Let’s try to see the good in each other. It’s a path that fewer take, but it’s the right one.
Sources we used: https://vericarakocevic.com/