Region, Identity and Cultural Production: Yugoslav Fashion in the »National Style«
Region, Identity and Cultural Production: Yugoslav Fashion in the »National Style«

Summary/Abstract: Fashion in the “national style”, as mostly referred to in the print media, left its mark on the Yugoslav fashion production of the 1960s. It was a fashion which followed current Western fashion codes, but in addition built its distinctive style by incorporating exotic motifs taken from the thesaurus of regional culture. This provided Yugoslav fashion with distinctive features. The article analyses three different fashion productions, which directly demonstrate the regional identity of Yugoslav fashion: the socialist version of the haute couture of Aleksandar Joksimović, the handmade knitted products “Sirogojno”, and the production of the “National Salon”. The article studies the social and cultural factors that were favourable for reviving the clothing practices expressing authenticity and exoticism. It also attempts to answer the question whether the regional identity of the fashion industry was linked to the special character of Yugoslavia’s political and social situation as a socialist and non-aligned country.

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