[ad_1]
BUDAPEST, April 7 – Erika Varga, a Hungarian romance fashion designer, says her label is about combining cultural traditions and breaking stereotypes as much as sewing.
"Fashion is a branch of art that interests and connects people, non-Roma and Roma," said the founder of Romani Design.
Often accused of petty crime, the Roma, Hungary's largest ethnic minority, face widespread discrimination, poverty and exclusion from society.
"In most cases, Roma appear pejoratively in the media.
"Many are turning away from their own culture … But people need positive role models, not only of the majority of society, but also of the Roma themselves," said the 47-year-old designer.
Founded in 2010 by Varga to promote Roman fashion and identity, his studio Romani Design released its first collection the same year.
At present, her evening dresses can sell up to € 1,000 (RMB 4,594).
"As a Roma-run social enterprise, it is unique in the world," Varga told AFP on the occasion of International Roma Day on Monday.
"We do not manufacture mbad-produced t-shirts but clothes that carry messages, such as on minority rights and integration," she added.
& # 39; Rebel Spirit & # 39;
Varga's latest line, called Rebel Spirit, is inspired by strong female figures, including her mother, grandmother and 20-year-old.th Mexican artist of the century, Frida Kahlo, one of his heroes.
The small designer with long hair asked "non-conforming women who have overcome challenges in their lives" to model the range.
"It's important to be open in what you wear," said one of the models, Adel Onodi, 23, who became the first transgender woman to appear on the front cover. a Hungarian fashion magazine last year.
After leaving school in eastern Hungary, Varga quickly established his own jewelry manufacturing business before embarking on fashion design.
Today, she employs five people, including her sister folk singer, who designs and makes dresses in her personal studio in Varga, a suburb of Budapest, where she lives with her husband and two dogs.
According to Varga, the conventional attitudes of the Roma community on the role of women in society do not prevent it from running a business.
"All my life, my own mother has been involved in the clothing business. It is therefore perfectly normal for me to be both a Roma and a businesswoman, "she said.
The traditional Roma motifs such as flowers are a typical feature of her creations, especially one of her favorite, the rose – symbol of femininity – that even adorns the slippers that she wears while pedaling into her sewing machine.
Most of his skirts and dresses are long, according to the Roman tradition.
Bold combinations of bright colors – "she has brought over the centuries India and Asia" over the centuries, also characterize her outfits.
Rozina Patkai, a Hungarian singer who wears Varga's clothes during her performances, says that they often attract compliments.
"The bottom line is that I feel confident in these clothes," she told AFP.
Supervising young Roma
Roma make up about seven percent of Hungary's 10 million population, but according to Varga they are "barely represented in the industry as models, hairdressers or photographers".
His studio runs mentorship programs to help more young Roma get into the fashion business.
According to her, many local craftspeople consider the company to be a "gypsy brand", even though for centuries Hungarian and Roma traditions and dress patterns have overlapped.
Most of its buyers are "socially conscious", middle-clbad, non-Roma, who buy online, she explains, or foreigners at three or four foreign trade shows to which the studio participates every year.
A recent event in Qatar was particularly successful when Arab women bought colorful clothes for indoor clothes, Varga said.
Small business also depends on the funding it receives for its educational projects from public and private donors and other sources.
Insight
In Budapest, guests are invited to the workshop to be equipped with tailor-made clothing.
"They have a glimpse of the life of a Roma family. So it's a cultural interaction to buy a piece in person, "says Varga.
"It's also part of our social mission, that people get to know and meet Roma women."
After the appearance of his clothes at a lavish fashion show in Budapest last week, Hungarian TV designer Mark Lakatos was enthusiastic about the motives.
"For me, they represent tradition and the freedom to experiment," he told AFP.
"The colors are exciting and vibrant, I'm a big fan." – AFP
Source link
