Winter wardrobes needn’t be as dreary as the weather.
Serbian fashion label Ivko is known for creating brightly coloured clothing for every season, and its fall/winter 2017 collection is no different. Designed in Belgrade, the line of women’s clothing and accessories specializes in knitted garments made from natural fabrics and fibres (such as cotton, linen, silk and wool). The pieces are often embellished with intricate embroidery, folk motifs and artisanal prints.
Ivko was established in 1986 when Danica Komnenic opened a small knitting shop in Sarajevo. She later moved production to Belgrade in the 1990s and grew her small business into a fashion brand.
The line is stocked in major fashion stores in Europe and the U.S., but Canadian shoppers will have a hard time getting their hands on Ivko apparel.
That’s where North Vancouver resident Neda Abkari comes in. Abkari recently launched a retail website that sells Ivko clothing to the Western Canadian market.
“It’s a very unique type of clothing. I mean, it’s unusual in Vancouver because there’s lots of colours,” she says.
Prices in range from C$135 for a tank top, to $388 for a merino wool jacquard jacket adorned with floral embroidery, to $499 for a printed oversized coat.
Over the past year, Abkari has recruited her daughter and her daughter’s high school friends to put on an Ivko fashion presentation at their home in order to showcase the line to interested buyers.
They just do an awesome job,” Abkari says.
This weekend, the teens are putting on their third Ivko fashion show and the public is invited to come take a look at the latest collection.
The event takes place Saturday, Nov. 18, 5-8 p.m. at 695 Kerry Place, North Vancouver. RSVP to Neda 604-312-8080.
Shop Abkari’s website at hermisapparel.com.
