Dora fashion salon is a 30-year-old family-owned artisan store in the historical part of the city, right next to the Stone Gate. Owners and designers, a mother and daughter, create entire women’s fashion lines with a special emphasis on coats.
We are proudly introducing young fashion artisan, Miss Dora Rubić!
Dora fashion boutique is a 30-year old family-run artisan shop. Can you tell us more about the history and the development of your establishment?
Our fashion boutique was opened in 1986 by my mother Mirjana Rubić, while she was pregnant with me. As the salon is located next to the Stone Gate, it was named after Dora Krupić (a character from a famous Zagreb novel) whose sculpture is located right across the street, and since I was born a few months later, I can say that I was named after our boutique. Maybe my destiny was already sealed then! I took the job over in 2012 when my mom retired. Although my mum is officially retired, we are still working together and we are doing a great job of completing each other. Her experience and some of my new ideas have turned out to be a great combination to preserve the tradition and the tailoring craft with a modern touch. You often emphasize one of a kind fashion items you create and the importance of sustainable and fair production in the fashion industry.
How do you see the fashion industry today and what are the aims in your artisan production?
Today, we are literally overrun with clothing that is massively produced from season to season, advertised and sold worldwide. There is a constant need to buy new pieces of clothes and change styles and combinations to be trendy, but the joy of buying is only temporary. On the other hand, good fabric, high-quality design, and timeless style never come out of fashion. Our unique pieces are not standard consumer goods, because they can be worn at all times and combined in countless ways. As everything is produced in the workshop inside our salon, customers can see onsite where the item is designed, prepared, manufactured and who is creating it. Recently, I’ve noticed that more and more people appreciate it, and are interested in special pieces that do not feel like clones. More often on social networks, I see projects like Fashion revolution (#whomademyclothes) and labels “buy less, choose well, make it last” and I’m really happy because of it.
What can be found in your boutique at this time of year?
As always, you can find beautiful unique coats of cashmere, wool, alpaca… Because of the great interest, people come to us from all over the world, so we always have to have them in our offer. We also have light trench coats, of which I would particularly highlight unique pieces from the Atemporal – timeless canvases collection. In addition to his beautiful motifs, we also have some of our original prints. The newest addition is colorful fashion accessories – scarves, scrunchies, and handbags, which are a great gift or a memory from Zagreb.
Dora fashion salon – Kamenita 2, open Monday – Friday 8 am-8 pm, Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm