The Italian Embassy in Belgrade hosted the fashion show presenting “Balestra Reload”, the first ready-to-wear collection of the historical Italian fashion brand. The event – the first of a series dedicated to Italian fashion in Serbia – was attended by Federica Balestra, as a testimony to a brand that is going through an important generational transition, with women only at the helm.
Presenting the event, Italy’s Ambassador to Serbia, Luca Gori, pointed out that “in the first six months of 2022, the Italian fashion sector’s turnover was up 16% and is expected to reach a record-breaking figure of 92 billion euros by the end of the year”. Ambassador Gori also added that the event celebrates “a special relation between Balestra and Serbia, which is now being revived in terms of innovation, sustainability and inclusiveness”.
The show, thought up alongside Vesna Mandic’s Fabrika Agency and featuring a performance by opera singer Jadranka Jovanovic, was attended by several political, fashion and cultural figures from Serbia. On the same day, the Embassy organised – together with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce – a training and bilateral collaboration event related to fashion. Indeed, a number of Serbian debutant fashion designers got the chance to participate in a workshop held by Federica Balestra, witnessing all the preparation stages of the fashion show.
