The Romanian Association in Czech Republic, supported by Romanian Institute of Culture to organize between 30 of June and 3rd of July The Days of Universal Romanian Blouse–an amazing demonstration of old Romanian folklore costumes. The demonstration will take place at Muzaion – The Czech Ethnographic Museum where a tasteful beauty of over 50 inestimable traditional costumes from Banat and Muscel zones are displayed.
The event aims to demonstrate the ethnic identity and the historical and artistical value inherited by Romanians, and at the same time, the simplicity, spiritual wealth, imagination, beliefs and hopes of Romanians which trespassed the Romanian borders over time.
The Displayed Romanian costumes is specially organized in order to connect Romanian and Czech communities that are passioned by folklore garments.
A unique folclore collection,Marius Matei Etnographic Collection, combines a selection of over 30 unvaluable pieses of garmets from XIX century combined based on old pictures of Banat people which used to ware traditional folk costumes.
This collection demonstrates the multiculturality and diversity of the Banat society from that period of time. Marius Matei Etnographic Collection is an expression of old generation of Banat people, their social positions, their opulent orientation within Universe of Romanian Banat villages.
Every piece in this collection is masterfully embroidered using unbelievable fine sewed technics, in which predominates the floral and geometrical motives. The costumes are decorated with expensive silk, gold and silver threads, using bright colours.
Nowadays the old decoration technique is lost due to the society orientation to modernity and globalization. There are no more crafters to disseminate this old tradition and any trial to reproduce these costumes is still inaccessible due to complexity and at the same time the scale of the very fine decorations used in the past.
From Muscel Romanian ethnologic zone, 6 of the most well-known crafters, that used to tech multiple generations of folk passionate, will made a demonstration of the most expensive and beautiful Romanian Festivity Costumes. These are considered the most beautiful folkcostumes in Romania.
‘’Marie of Romania (Marie Alexandra Victoria; 29 October 1875 – 18 July 1938), also known as Marie of Edinburgh, the last Queen of Romania and the wife of King Ferdinand introduce the Muscel Folk Costume as mandatory at the Romanian Royal House. Made of high quality, delicate and expensive materials, using embroidery techniques and precious gold and silver threads, the Muscel Folk Costumes are a real celebration’’ declares Elena Iagar, the director of Popular Art School in Pitesti, Romania.
Due to perfect proportions that fits any silhouette, the Muscel Blouse has a special elegance The rich embroidery, sequins, gold and silver threads made the Muscel Blouse delicate and treasured. Also decorated with wealthy geometrical or floral repetitive motives, with more sober than bright colours, the Muscel Blouse has almost no white spaces.
The men folklore costume is simplest, practical and well-proportioned, taking into consideration the motives and colours used. Men used to wear hat or cap made of lamb leather, shirt sewn with silk and thread at the base of the sleeves while at the neck and on the ‘’poale’’. An alternative of the blouse is a blouse with ‘’barbure’’ (cross on the chest), ‘’cioreci’’, ‘’șai’’ pants, and standing ‘’opinci’’ or boots. In winter time the men wore jackets.
In the past they thought that the Romanian Costumes have special connotations, magical protective powers, deep meanings. Nowadays the Romanian Folk Costume is not a decorative one but a national pride.
During this temporary demonstration (only 4 days) the Romanian Association in Czech Republic will organize children and adult workshops sustained by well-known crafters that will teach the audience not only the correct way to wear a folk costume but also how to easily sew one for themselves.
At the same time, on Saturday starting with 10.00 the participants will be delighted with a Romanian FoodFest, a demonstration of Traditional Romanian cuisine.
The Romanian costume inspired the most important fashionist at international level.In 1981Yves Saint Laurent was the first to launch a collection inspired from the well-known Matisse painting, La Blouse Roumaine. In the next year, designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier, Oscar Della Renta, Carolina Herrera and Prada launched a successful collection inspired by Romanian Blouses.