Romanian dressmakers are in big demand – thanks to Dior’s embroidered folk coat
There is a rise in demand for Bihor region’s traditional waistcoat after Dior showed a similar coat in its collection
They may feel aggrieved at not obtaining an official seal of approval, but traditional Romanian dressmakers are riding a wave of demand for their folk designs after a top fashion house inadvertently showcased their craft.
Clothes makers from the northwestern Bihor region were more than a little bemused when they got wind of a 2017 Dior collection.
Their jaws notably dropped when they saw an embroidered folk coat which looked strikingly similar to the “cojocel binsenesc” waistcoat their region has been producing for around a century.
A Romanian version of the garment, historically worn on important occasions, sells at home and abroad for around €500 (US$580) – almost a month’s salary in one of the European Union’s poorest countries.
The Dior coat did not go unnoticed among the wider population either, after a resident of the regional city of Beius spotted it in a Singapore shop and posted it on Facebook, sparking a strong response from users which was picked up by the media.
“That day, I posted my first comment on Facebook, thanking the Dior fashion house for appreciating this beautiful item,” said Dorina Hanza, a 52-year-old embroiderer who cottoned on to the similarity.
La Blouse Roumaine, which promotes the Romanian blouse to encourage women to wear it, juxtaposed the different versions side by side on Twitter, adding #givecredit.
Yet Dior, which did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment, may well have done the Bihor designers a favour.