The founder and managing director of BUGARIC is Goran Bugaric from Bor, Serbia. The bespoke designer has been running his own label since October 2012 in “Schnittbogen”, one of the Vienna subway arches near the Gumpendorfergürtel.
BUGARIC stands for high-quality materials and first-class workmanship, for which the bespoke designer with his many years of training and experience (master’s certificate for ladies’ dressmaker) is responsible. The label is not only characterized by excellent craftsmanship. Customer satisfaction is also very important to Goran Bugaric, so that every customer feels comfortable in BUGARIC garments.
INTERVIEW WITH GORAN BUGARIC
How does your label position itself on the international market?
I am very new for the international market so at this time I don’t really know but I am trying hard to show what my brand stands for. I guess in a couple of years my position will be more specific.
How the label was born and where we can find it exactly?
BUGARIC was launched in October 2012 thanks to my personal wish to show to the world my vision and to express myself as a designer. You can find my label on Instagram at @bugaric_ , my main website under www.bugaric.com or you can come personally at my atelier in Vienna. It’s a part of co-working space Schnittbogen (www.schnittbogen.at) and that’s the place where the magic happens.
What do you think was/is the biggest challenge for you during the pandemic situation?
For me, personally, the biggest challenge was not to give up and keep reminding me that nothing is eternal. So I stayed focused. It was very challenging, but i guess when you are creative you just have to do it – to create even if the times get rough.
How do you want to achieve the long-lasting concept for your label?
When you work hard and are totally devoted to your job then basically your result is longevity. I, personally, still try to learn a lot and try to find new ways to reach new markets. But at the same time, the quality was always been a priority to me. Quality instead of quantity.
How do you determine what is durable design?
It’s hard to be very creative, at one hand, and on the other, to always think about durability. Some designs age well and other don’t. But again, if there is quality inside your garments and if you take care of the fabrics that you use and take care about proportions it will definitely be something that the customers will wear for a longer period. It is important to follow your artistic idea rather then trends.
What happens to those pieces that didn’t get sold?
It depends. If they don’t sell at the sample sale than there are different paths for the prices. Some of them lend in the archive, some to friends of mine that are stylists, some as gifts and some at the „rent a dress“ business. But nothing ever gets thrown away.
How far do you go in terms of sustainability?
I always think about my footprint. I try to work and live by the thought of respect. I respect the planet and everithing that lives. As a designer I try to work locally and try to avoid long shippings. I always buy the fabrics that are already there (over productions and remaining stocks) and try to work with natural fabrics. Also to work with people who have the same mind-set and think clever about sustainability. I don’t over-produce, I make one collection per year and the designs are only remade when ordered, so there is no huge stock. Custom-made is a big part of how I work and in that case there is not much waste because I only order or buy the fabrics that I need for a particular garment. Personally, I don’t eat meat, only use soap and don’t have a car (Vienna has an amazing transportation and logistic network). And whenever I think about growing, I always have a sustainability mind-set. I guess in the future I will work with factories, but in that case I will prefer just a few in Europe to avoid the long ways.
Credits: Jordan T. Farkas
Where could you serve as a role model for others?
This is a hard question. I guess i would love to inspire people to be kind, grateful and caring. I don’t know if that is enough to be a role model, but for me it is very important because I think that if you are like that, then your creativity will always contain that message. And I definitely think that we all can be more thoughtful.
How fashion industry nowadays can help more the creatives?
I guess when we talk about fashion industry it is very important to stay focused on sustainability and slow fashion. I am very focused on less collections and more quality and transparency. The focus should be always on creativity, on discovering new ways and supporting local brands. I think there are so many amazing and talented designers all around the globe who just need a push and a recognition in order to improve and maybe grow to become global. There is a lot of potential and I think people from fashion media as well are realizing that we also have to look carefully to places that are not Milan, Paris, London or New York. The focus is everywhere nowadays. Thera are amazing brands in Ukraine, Serbia, Austria, Korea, Morocco, Lebanon… Diversity and more flexible and fluid beauty standards are the future.
Credits: Stefan Kokovic
Can you tell us a little bit about your references for the last collection?
The last Collection is caled „Like a Virgin“ ( I know it is a little bit kinky). Beside me being a huge Madonna fan, the name just came to me because I did the collection in the middle of pandemic. And I felt like a little 6 years old Goran again. I created in the a moment where all of us were at home and nothing was going on anymore. I felt helpless, but at the same time the creation was my only freedom. So I started really naive. I designed regardless of anything. I just wanted to create garments that I like and dream of. So the collection ended up being very colourful and with a lot of different patterns. I worked together with a lot of people when was possible. My co-workers from Schnittbogen ( Maiko Sakurai & Barbara Pesendorfer), with Stephka Klaura (who owns a screen printing Atelier FabricFabrik ), Pleating Atelier Renate Houska and so many more. It was a dream coming true and together with other people creating something exciting. I started with a fuchsia wool coat that has a printed lining and acrylic details. Speaking about details, there are so many in this collection. Also a lot of denim that I also screen printed and gave a Bugaric twist to it. It is probably one of my favorite collections so far.
Which was the best-selling garment from your collections?
The best selling garment is the heart shaped corset dress from my 2017 „Cardio“ Collection.
What your label needs right now as a fine art brand in order to achieve the next goals?
Right now my brand would need a wider public and probably another opportunity to present at one of the major fashion weeks. I am working on that right now , let`s see what 2022 brings us.
Which market are you interested in right now for your brand?
I am very interested in expending to another European countries and I hope in the future I would be able to expand to US market, it would definitely be worth trying.
KREEP. 