At a fashion show in Stockholm inspired by the events in Srebrenica, pop icon Madonna wore the creation by Lamija Suljevic from Foca, which was embroidered by Halida Susa from Donja Luka near Ilijas. Her intricate designs featured on creations worn by models on the world runways, including those in London, Paris, Barcelona, and New York.
This self-taught designer embroidered slippers, more informally known as “Aladdin slippers”, for the Italian designer Roberto Cavalli as well. She managed to do this all thanks to persistence, working both day and night, and a desire to show her talent.
She has been making handicrafts intensively for around 15 years, but she has been embroidering, crocheting, and inventing new designs for several decades. She mainly gave away her handicrafts, which were sent to various parts of the world, and in that way she managed to develop relationships with famous fashion brands.
Susa cooperated with the BH designers Manuela Filipovic from Sarajevo and Lamija Suljevic from Foca, as well as with the fashion house Granoff.
“I have never asked anyone to work with me. After hearing about me, they contact me in order to collaborate. I succeeded in everything else thanks to persistence, bringing every work to perfection, or in no way”, Susa pointed out, emphasizing that her hobby for a long time used to be a job she did for up to 15 hours a day, of which she could make more than a decent salary.
According to her, that helped her not to work in a company and, with the assistance of her husband, provide everything she needed. Today, she is not working on big projects, but she still manages to ensure some profit.
“Maybe it is still a profitable job, but I cannot work that much anymore, for hours, days, nights, now it is again my hobby, but I make some wedding dresses here and there, a scarf, hat, bracelet, some gifts, decorations and the like”, said Susa.
Each of her works is unique, regardless of the number. She said she designed 3000 Aladdin slippers for Cavalli, and none were the same. She is not working by a pattern, and each work is a new inspiration.
Susa does not like going to places if she cannot bring the materials for the creation of her handicrafts, she takes the materials on vacation, and she said that women always gather around her at the beach to watch her working, and from this has developed numerous friendships.
(Source: novovrijeme.ba/ photo radiosarajevo)
