A renowned Serbian host can’t be imagined without a šajkača cap, a smile and some speed of thought and action. These proud men with šajkača caps on their heads can sometimes still be found on Belgrade’s mar- kets, but they are much more commonly found around the green villages of Šumadi- ja. However, the šajkača has continued its journey without them. It has broken into clubs, concerts and the outside world, and for itself, after many centuries, also chose to appear on women’s heads. The responsibility for this rebellious move of the traditional šajkača belongs to recognised, award-winning artist and cos- tume designer Zagorka Stojanović, who re- dressed this cap with modern designs and thus converted this traditionally male sym- bol into a female fashion detail. That’s how the chic šajkača emerged. - The šajkača is part of the identity of the Serbian man. Around the markets to this day I see that it is still worn by many older people. Living in the village, I met those el- derly people, who were dressed in a mod- ern way, with only the šajkača remaining as part of their costume. And I realised how the šajkača gives specificity to the facial expres- sion and overall appearance of the wearer. I realised that I would like to make šajkača caps from the most varied materials, with sequins and colours, says Zagorka.
retki, šik šajkače Zagorke Stojano- vić mogle bi da budu stilska i mod- na doskočica na autentičnost srpske tradicije. – Mislim da je naš problem to što nismo dovoljno otkrili svoj identitet, to što se stidimo svoje tradicije. Zato su žene koje danas žele da nose mo- je šajkače zaista posebne – kaže naša sagovornica. Ona nam priča da je prve šaj- kače izložila na reviji pre 12 godi- na i da je tako počeo nov život srp- ske kape. – Prva šajkača bila je bela sa pla- vim cvetovima, malo je izgledala por- celanski i zapadnjački. Posle sam se oslobodila, pa sad kreativno divljam. Inspirišu me najluđi materijali, jer uvek mogu da ih zamislim na neči- joj glavi. Volim da kreiram i mislim da je sve kreacija. I ručak je kreaci- ja i razgovor je kreacija – kaže ona. Zagorka Stojanović već pet go- dina živi i stvara u šumadijskom se- lu Rakari. Osim šajkača, izrađuje ta- piserije i podučava mlade žene tom starom umetničkom zanatu. Tokom leta organizuje pozorišne predstave pod lipom starom 150 godina. Živi radosno. U svojoj 79. godini svakog jutra pliva, moli se, meditira i širi šik i vesele vibracije oko sebe.
According to traditional folk belief, this cap represents a symbol of the heavenly vault. Some say that the šajkača is named after the šajka, a type of small boat, while others suggest it is named after the Russian word for seagull – chayka, because from the front it resembles a gull in flight. - There is a fresco on Mount Sinai, in Saint Catherine’s Monastery, where Saint John the Baptist is depicted wearing a ša- jkača. Confucius wore a šajkača, while it can also be seen in the national costumes of the Persians. The šajkača cap has special meaning for our nation. A Serb wants to do everything wearing a cap, even make children, with the exception of two things, eating and praying to God, explains our in- terlocutor. She points out that she is particu- larly keen on reviving and shedding light on our tradition. - My heart trembles the most when I see roses and bright colours, and I immediately imagine what kind of šajkača it could be. I’ve made them from every possible material, fur, pure silk, completely sequined material. All these šajkača caps are beautiful because they are unexpected, says Zagorka, stressing that many of her šajkača caps have flown aboard planes and arrived in the most dis- tant places on the planet as gifts from Serbia. And while Parisiennes brought the glory of berets to the world, Zagorka’s chic šajkača could become a stylish and fash- ionable springboard to the authenticity of Serbian tradition. - I think our problem is that we hav- en’t sufficiently discovered our own iden- tity, that we are shy about our traditions. That’s why women who want to wear my šajkača caps today are really special, says our interlocutor. She tells us that she exhibited her first ša- jkača at a fashion show 12 years ago, and that’s how the new life of this Serbian cap began. - My first šajkača was white with blue flowers, it looked slightly porcelain and West- ern. After that I liberated myself, and now I’m going wild creatively. I’m inspired by the cra- ziest materials, because I can always imagine them on someone’s head. I love to create and think that everything is creation. Even lunch is a creation, and a conversation is al- so a creation. Zagorka has been living and creat- ing in the Šumadija village of Rakari for the last five years. Alongside šajkača caps, she also produces tapestries and teaches young women this old artistic craft. During summers she organises theatrical perfor- mances under a 150-year-old linden tree. She lives joyfully. Now in her 79 th year, she swims every morning, prays, meditates, and spreads chic and joyful vibes around herself.
Zagorka već pet godina živi i stvara u šumadijskom selu Rakari Zagorka has spent five years living and creating in the Šumadija village of Rakari
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