Uniform-inspired womenswear: Batakovic brings Belgrade chic to New York

Batakovic Belgrade focuses on uniform-inspired womenswear and fabrics from Loro Piana. With this, the Serbian luxury brand now wants to inspire New Yorkers as well.

The brand plays with various uniforms that founder Ivana Batakovic has always been fascinated by, she says in an interview with FashionUnited. She translates the associated aura of power into statement pieces such as coats and blazers to create strong, feminine looks. Wide shoulders and details such as straps and the precise placement of jacket pockets round off the concept. Belgrade and its brutalist architecture also play an important role in the collection.

Batakovic founded the label around two years ago to bring her home country and the Balkan countries into the fashion spotlight. With her own store in the Serbian capital, she was also able to attract many international customers and then started the expansion, explained the former model.

She presented her collection for the Autumn/Winter 2025 season in a showroom during Milan Fashion Week. In terms of visibility and sales, Italy is one of the key markets alongside France, where the brand is represented with ten and three points of sale respectively. Batakovic Belgrade also has one trading partnership each in Spain, Switzerland and China.

From Belgrade to Broadway

The brand's next goal is the US market, and in particular the metropolis of New York City, because Batakovic also sees the overlap between her collection and the aesthetics of the customers there. She is focusing in particular on physical retail, as the brand's online trade is made more difficult by the need for customers to physically experience the fabrics.

The fabrics come in part from the Italian luxury fabric manufacturer Loro Piana and are processed into the final product in Serbia. In the long term, the range, which currently consists of outerwear, blazers, trousers, dresses and other statement pieces, is to be further expanded. Accessories that complement the looks are also to be added to the portfolio.

According to its own information, Batakovic Belgrade generated sales of around one million euros last year. For 2025, the brand expects growth of between 35 and 40 percent. These expectations are based on the expansion plans and ongoing collaborations.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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