Tonči Vladislavić and Katja Restović: Redefining Fashion on the Croatian Scene
Tonči Vladislavić is a clothing and textile designer, theorist, costume designer, creative director and retired university professor. For many years, he taught at the Faculty of Textile Technology in Zagreb and at the Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka, and as an author and pedagogue he shaped generations of young designers.
Fashion News, during the period when Vladislavić was one of its key participants, had strong professional connections and developed a serious approach to fashion as design. In addition, there was also the award of the Faculty of Textile Technology, through which the awarded designer did not have to take the entrance exam but received direct admission to the faculty — something that carried enormous motivational and professional value at the time.
Fashion News Collection was another distinctive element of the festival: each year, the winning collection entered a production process with a different textile factory, which, in agreement with the author, was responsible for executing the final collection. In this way, a serious attitude toward fashion as design was established, and not merely as a presentational event, emphasizes Katja Restović.
Collaboration with Tonči Vladislavić was exceptionally creative, consultative and inspiring. We both shared the same view — that fashion must be professional, thoughtful, dedicated to every detail, and grounded in a strong authorial identity. Working with Vladislavić was productive and stimulating, and the results were significant and substantial, concludes Restović.
