Local designers showcased at Royal Fashion Show

Montenegro’s most acclaimed fashion designer, Marina Banovic-Nikolic, presented ten new creations during this year’s Prijestonica Royal Fashion Show on May 10, at the Government Palace in Cetinje.
Banovic-Nikolic, who is known for creations which encompass and are inspired by ethnic motifs, surprised the show’s attendants by presenting an array of completely original garments, sans ethnic flavouring. The fashionista told the Montenegro Times, “I wanted to do something new.” Banovic-Nikolic, who recently impressed some of the world’s most hard to impress fashion industry leaders during Rome’s Fashion Week, accomplished that and more, judging from the barely audible gasps and sighs that escaped from fashion followers who were fortunate enough to be in attendance.

All of her creations in the Cetinje show were elegant and dramatic and 100% hand stitched. Several of them used as many as 15 different fabrics.
Montenegrins can thank Banovic-Nikolic for the hard work she has put into establishing a fashion community in the country. It was only a couple of years ago that the married mother of one got together with others to start organising shows.
Today, Banovic-Nikolic can concentrate on what she does best – designing – because others have been caught up in the excitement and are more than willing to do the organising. This year’s Prijestonica Royal Fashion Show was produced by the Cosmopolitan Agency and Montenegrin broadcast journalist Srdja Lubarda.
Lubarda told the Montenegro Times that he was, “extremely pleased,” with the show, particularly because it was very close to a totally, “made in Montenegro,” event. All of the models and organisers were Montenegrin and a significant percentage of the designs were also made in Montenegro.
Italian houses Moschino and Fornarina presented their collections, which the audience reacted very favourably to. But as thrilled as the crowd was about the Italian display of quality fashion, it was even more thrilled to discover that Montenegro has another designer that may soon illicit ‘oohs” and ‘ahhs’ in the international fashion world.
Branka Djuraskovic, who hails from the coastal town of Bar, presented ten of her newest creations and left the audience smiling. Following the show, Djuraskovic was inundated by inquisitive and appreciative new fans of her artistic daring and savvy.
The first face to grace the runway was the young Montenegrin Ana Covic, whose hair and makeup were done by a team from Salon Zoran. Following Covic down the catwalk were Sandra Mitrovic, Natasa Djurovic, Ana Medenica, Andjela Cavor, Ivana Culjkovc, Marina Mihajlovic, Dasa Zivkovic and team of male models lead by Vesko Ninkovic and Filip Kapisoda.
Organisers were happy to embrace Montenegrin musical artists and the crowd was demonstrably pleased with the decision to do so. Ana Masanovic, a pop star from Cetinje, opened the musical offerings and was followed by Nina Zizic. Dijana Hodzic performed her new single Zastava for the first time and it was, to put it mildly, a crowd pleaser.
Atlas TV brought the show into living rooms across the country and into Serbia.
The Cosmopolitan Agency will present another elaborate and awe-inspiring fashion show at the Hotel Grand in November.