I don’t want to be limited by pre-set rules.
Fashion designer Aleksandra Stamenić spoke to “Vijesti” about the “Unity in Diversity” collection she presented at the Montenegrin Fashion Week, as well as her victory at last year’s Fashion Incubator competition, as part of Belgrade Fashion Week, and the importance of mutual support among regional fashion designers.
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Photo: Mihajlo Božović
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.Mirela Zogović
07.11.2026. 13:51h
Serbian fashion designer Aleksandra Stamenić, last year’s winner of the competition held as part of the Belgrade Fashion Week event, presented her models to the Montenegrin audience for the first time under the AkicaS brand as part of this year’s jubilee 40th edition of Montenegro Fashion Week.
Stamenić spoke to Vijesti about the Unity
Stamenić spoke to “Vijesti” about the “Unity in Diversity” collection that she presented on that occasion, her impressions from Montenegrin Fashion Week, the importance of the award for fashion designers, but also for the Montenegrin fashion scene.
We had the opportunity to see your collection “Unity in Diversity” in Montenegro, after its presentation at Belgrade Fashion Week. How did this collection come about and what was the main inspiration while working on it?
The “Unity in Diversity” collection was born from my desire to explore and connect diversity through fashion. For me, this idea does not only apply to clothes, but also to people, their characters, experiences, professions, but also to materials that at first glance do not have much in common. I believe that it is precisely in diversity that the potential for creating something new and authentic lies.
It is particularly important to me that through
It is particularly important to me that through my work I connect materials with their original purposes with textiles that are usually intended for clothing. One example is a material for upholstery that my grandmother bought about fifty years ago, which I included in the collection and gave it a completely new life. In this way, a material gets a new function, but also retains part of its previous story.
Since its first presentation in Belgrade in April, the collection has continued to travel and meet different fashion scenes and audiences. After Belgrade, it was presented in Slovakia in June, and then in Ljubljana, Skopje and Podgorica. Each new presentation brought certain changes, additions and different stylizations, so that the collection did not remain static, but developed throughout the entire process.
The next stop is Sarajevo, after which the collection returns home. I am especially glad that I have the opportunity to connect different cities, people and experiences through one authorial project. In a way, the journey of the collection itself has become part of its story – just as its name suggests, “Unity in Diversity”. However, the story does not end there. It continues in Belgrade, at Belgrade Fashion Week, in a completely new edition.
The choice of colors for the collection,
The choice of colors for the collection, as well as their combination, attracted special attention – can you tell us more about that, as well as the materials you used during the creation?
Colors have always been an integral part of my creativity. I love experimenting with colors, textures and patterns and I think that this is something that will always be present in my work. I have the ability to play with contrasts and combinations that may not be expected at first glance, but together they create a harmonious whole. This time I may have even approached the stylization a little more tamely than usual (laughs).
Accessories are certainly an indispensable part of every runway appearance. I am especially glad that in this segment I collaborate with Balkan brands that help me upgrade the overall visual impression. There are KAST socks, HAWE chest straps and Niland Shoes.
When it comes to materials, I used
When it comes to materials, I used a variety of textiles, including those that were not originally intended for clothing. The collection includes pieces made from upholstery, but also from curtains and draperies. One dress and three blouses were made from curtains.
I am a textile and clothing designer by training, and perhaps that is why I look at materials in a slightly different way. I am not necessarily interested in their original purpose, but rather in their quality, structure and potential. I love the freedom that fashion gives me and I don’t want to limit myself to pre-set rules. I am interested in what a material can become when we approach it from a different angle.
1 / 14 Foto: Deshive Creative Studio
The collection includes clothing for women, but also for men. Generally, designers in the Balkans rarely decide to create models for men, outside of classic suits. How did you decide to take that step, and on the other hand, how challenging is it to create clothing for men?
I really love men’s fashion and I think
I really love men’s fashion and I think the fact that it’s not as well represented on the regional fashion scene has made me stand out. I’ve always loved exploring the possibilities that men’s clothing offers, especially when you step outside the confines of classic suits.
When I create a piece, I don’t start from whether it’s intended for a man or a woman. I’m primarily interested in how the piece fits, what its construction is, what effect I want to achieve with a certain cut, and what material that model can best be made of. It’s important to me to find a solution that can be universal and adaptable to different bodies.
One example is the way I design trousers. I have found a solution where all my trousers can be adjusted at the waist, so that they can be worn by both women and men of different sizes. I believe that this is also a sustainable approach to creating unique pieces – that one garment can fit multiple people and adapt to their needs.
You wouldn’t believe how many men like
You wouldn’t believe how many men like to dress urban and interesting for a certain occasion, without it being just a classic suit or something we can find in fast fashion stores. I think there is a lot of room for a different approach to men’s fashion and I would like to explore it further with my work.
1 / 11 Photo: Mihajlo Božović
How do you achieve balance in a collection that has both male and female models, while ensuring that all creations follow the inspiration and story of the collection?
For me, the most important thing is that the collection has a unique identity, regardless of who the individual piece is intended for. I achieve balance through a common aesthetic, color combinations, materials, cuts, and styling.
I don’t see male and female models
I don’t see male and female models as two separate entities, but as different interpretations of the same idea. I don’t want to lose either masculinity or femininity, and that’s where stylization plays an important role. The way we present an authentic piece can completely change its character without losing its original idea.
Men and women, no matter how different they are, still function together. They cannot exist without each other, and so we return to the very idea of “Unity in Diversity”. These may be some broader life themes, but it is through fashion that I like to play with such relationships and show how differences can complement each other and together create a single whole.
We must also mention that you were last year’s winner of BFW. How important are such awards in the world of fashion design, but also for you personally?
I think that awards like this have
I think that awards like this have a special value precisely because of who they come from. Belgrade Fashion Week is an event with a long tradition, it is older than me, and I truly appreciate the years of experience and work of all the people who are part of it. It is especially important to me that the jury includes professors, designers and artists – people whose knowledge, experience and opinions carry weight.
I think it is very important who the awards and invitations come from, because today it may be easier than ever to present yourself as a designer, but it is much more demanding to build an authentic authorial expression. For me, design involves much more than following what is currently popular on the internet or what has worked well for someone. It is necessary to learn, observe, research materials, develop ideas, find your own source of inspiration and know how to translate your idea into a concrete piece. It is also important to be able to listen to people who have knowledge and experience, because this is an integral part of every creative process.
That is why the concept of the Fashion Incubator is particularly important to me, through which young designers from Serbia and the region get the opportunity to work with mentors and experts. During the competition, each participant has their own mentor, which I consider one of the most important parts of the program. When creating a collection, we encounter various challenges and obstacles, and it means a lot when we can share our ideas and dilemmas with people who can guide us with their knowledge.
My story with Belgrade Fashion Week began back
My story with Belgrade Fashion Week began back in 2020, when I first presented my work at that event. That’s why winning the Fashion Incubator 2025 is especially meaningful to me. I see it as a great recognition for my work so far, but also as additional motivation to continue exploring and developing my own creative expression.
What are your impressions of MNE FW in terms of the organization, but also the audience’s reaction to your collection? Will we have the opportunity to see your collections more often now?
I have visited Montenegro Fashion Week as a guest before and I really like the way it works. That is why I am especially glad that I now had the opportunity to be part of the program and present my work. I am grateful to Srđan Lubarda for the invitation and for recognizing my efforts and talent. It is especially significant to me that my first participation in Montenegro Fashion Week was in the year of its jubilee.
To the warm welcome from the MFW team,
In addition to the warm welcome from the MFW team, I must also highlight the beautifully decorated environment and the high level of production. These are things that I pay special attention to, because I believe that a fashion event is not only what the audience sees in person. It is also important how the entire experience will be presented through photos and video content, because that is how people who were not physically present at the event will also experience it.
Everyone was really great, and I’m especially glad that during this visit I collaborated with the wonderful team of Deshive Creative Studio, who took fantastic photos and presented my work in a completely new and interesting way. It’s always a pleasure for me to meet creative people who, in their own way, know how to recognize and convey someone’s authorial aesthetic.
I also wanted to adapt my presentation to the theme of this year’s event, which is the campaign dedicated to the fight against breast cancer. It was important to me that the show itself carried a specific message and fit into the broader context of the event.
That’s why I decided to have my wonderful
That’s why I decided to have my wonderful friend Anđela Ašanin, a journalist, open the show, while Tijana Vuletić, who works in digital marketing, also tried her hand at the role of model. The show was closed by Pavle Petković, a singer, whose appearance had a particularly symbolic meaning.
I wanted to include people from different professional spheres, because I believe that the idea of ”Unity in Diversity” applies not only to materials and clothing, but also to people, their characters, professions, and experiences.
Given the theme of the evening, I wanted the show to be dedicated to women, so female models made up the majority of it. Pavlo’s exit at the very end was a symbolic male moment – a message of support for women and a reminder that they are not alone in these struggles. I believe that support, understanding and discussion about these topics are important for all of us, regardless of gender. I wanted to show that the fight against breast cancer is not exclusively a women’s issue and that it is important for men to be part of the conversation and support.
I am glad that I had the opportunity
I am glad that I had the opportunity to present my collection to the Montenegrin audience and that this visit brought new acquaintances and experiences. Every presentation in a different environment brings a different energy and reactions, and that is precisely one of the reasons why I like my collections to travel.
I would definitely like AKICAS to be present at as many regional and international fashion events as possible. I love when collections have the opportunity to meet new audiences and continue to live on through different presentations.
How familiar are you in general with the work of your Montenegrin colleagues, and how much did you manage to follow the other fashion shows at MNE FW and what are your impressions?
I am generally familiar with the Montenegrin fashion
I am generally familiar with the Montenegrin fashion scene and have wonderful friends among my Montenegrin colleagues. I really like the way they think and create. We can always exchange ideas and experiences, and I think that is one of the most important aspects of relationships between designers.
I think it’s important that there is no vanity, but mutual support. I could never accept that designers are seen as competitors. Everyone has their own path, experience, inspiration and way of expressing themselves. No one can be in someone else’s shoes, and that’s why there’s not much point in constantly comparing ourselves – who did better, whose collection was more popular with the audience or who got more attention.
It is quite natural that the audience will like some work more and some less. We cannot all have the same taste, nor is that the goal. For me, it is much more important to remain consistent with ourselves and our authorial expression, to have a story behind what we create and to awaken some emotion in the people who observe our work.
I tried to follow as many shows
I tried to follow as many shows as possible during MNE FW and it is always inspiring to see different approaches, aesthetics and ways of thinking. I believe that the regional fashion scene has great potential and that it is important to get to know each other, support each other and create opportunities for new collaborations.
In the end, the most important thing is that the audience doesn’t forget us and that people feel something when they watch what we create. That’s always my guiding principle.
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