It is impossible not to notice Samka and Hatidza on the street, and these retired ladies have become fashion icons of Sarajevo due to their striking outfits. They recently opened an Instagram profile to inspire others, and on that occasion they gave interview.
Samka Ceric (70) and Hatidza Colakovic (81) are recognizable ladies from Sarajevo who stand out with their unique style and fashion combinations, and they also created a joint Instagram profile where they publish photos of their daily looks.
Noting that they want to be an inspiration to their generation, but also to women in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in general, this very impressive duo spoke about fashion, inspiration, Sarajevo women, shared advice on dressing along with some life wisdom.
Journalists waited for Samka and Hatidza near the Sarajevo Cathedral where they took photos, and it was not difficult to spot them in the crowded environment and among the many passers-by on the street. Samka in a pink combination with a white fur coat and Hatidza in a black and gold combination walked proudly at the same time attracting the eyes of curious tourists who wondered who it was.
“We met in the Donji Vakuf in Vrbas and since then we have not been separated in the sense that we contact each other even when we are far away,” they said at the very beginning of the conversation, emphasizing that Samka is from this town, while Hatidza from Derventa arrived in Sarajevo to study and stayed there.
Ceric then states that her life took her far away from Sarajevo and Donji Vakuf, when she went to the United States (U.S.) because of the war, and spent her time between Phoenix and Los Angeles, where her daughters live. After retirement, she decided to return to BiH, and points out that she was disappointed by how women look today, especially in Sarajevo.
“I can’t believe that women have lost their will so much. They have to wake up. Before the war, it was a fact that Sarajevo women were the most beautiful and well-dressed women, and there was always a competition Sarajevo Split. However, it is not the same after the war. That the Sarajevo women of that time are walking today on Ferhadija, me and Mrs. Hatidza would not have been noticed,” she says at the beginning.
“This is the current situation here. If you passed by Ferhadija in the 1975, you wouldn’t know which woman was better dressed, the Sarajevo women were wonderful. No one can deny that. The first fashion was on the Sarajevo women,” they add.
Considering that these are ladies who attract attention wherever they appear, Hatidza noted that they stand out just because they are different – nothing else. What contributes to making them stand out is the “uniformity” of today’s women and girls who blindly follow trends and wear identical clothes.
“At this age, I don’t have to explain anything to anyone,” says Samka and continues: “I know perfectly well who I am and what I am. I know even better what I don’t want. I don’t try to be young, I try to be satisfied. There is a famous saying – someone ages like shoes, someone like the Cathedral”.
Their photo, recorded by Bakir Niksic in April this year, became viral on social networks, and was briefly described with the words: “Sarajevo ladies on a walk”, however, Samka points out that she does not like that term.
“Well look, I’m not a lady. I’m an average Bosnian woman, ladies live in castles, ladies don’t get up at 4 a.m., a lady doesn’t cook, a lady doesn’t work. I’m just a woman who likes to be dressed up, for her own sake. I enjoy it and think that it is enough to address a woman as Mrs.,” she explained.
Money doesn’t equal style, you need to have an affinity
As it is impossible not to notice Samka and Hatidza while walking down the street, these ladies believe that it is not always what they wear that makes them stand out, but that it is also due to their posture. They also note that style does not mean expensive things.
“You don’t even need money for that, but only an affinity. And that woman will feel better when she is dressed up, that’s my opinion. I always say, a woman was not born to be behind the stove and clean. She has to take care of herself. As long as you love yourself, it means you love the people around you,” says Samka.
When asked what advice they would give to young women, they point out that blindly following trends can be the biggest mistake they make, and Samka says: “I will never buy when they say something is fashionable – if it suits you, it doesn’t mean it suits me. Many women make mistakes with choosing their hair color. That’s the biggest problem because your hair color also determines what colors of clothes you can wear.”
In fact, all of this prompted them to open a joint Instagram page “so it would give our women at least some idea when they see those colors on us”.
Mrs. Hatidza studied at the Faculty of Law, worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, held responsible positions, and at the end of her career she was consul in Istanbul, and she states that she does not like monotony.
“I like that it’s different than the other people. It can be worse sometimes, but I prefer it, because it’s not the same,” she pointed out.
She says she got her style from her mother and that even in her Derventa, she took care of her clothes. She shared another piece of wisdom, criticizing the frequent appearance of obesity among young people, pointing out that our physical appearance is a reflection of how much we actually love ourselves.
“I think you should love yourself so you will love others,” he adds.
It doesn’t matter if you have one T-shirt, but it’s important that you are satisfied in your soul
Stating further advice and fashion rules that she adheres to, Samka says: “I’ll start with myself, I like expensive and high-quality things because my budget allows it. I spend a lot on handbags and shoes, and I think that’s very important for a woman. When a woman walks towards me, I look at her shoes and purse, she doesn’t have to take out her ID card, I know who she is.”
As women in Bosnia usually cannot afford expensive luxury brands, Samka points out that she has one piece of advice.
“I would advise women – at least each of them has five/ten pairs of shoes that they don’t wear even twice a year. It is better for them to buy good quality ones, not to take them off their feet and they will always look good. It is important for me that shoes, handbag and fur coat are high quality. It shows who and what you are. I would not advise women to shop at Zara and other high street brands, they are expensive and we all look the same. You have wonderful things in the market, it just takes an effort. The younger generations are on the internet, let them follow fashion houses to get an idea,” she says.
In addition to all that, she reflected on what often hinders BiH women in society: “I was born like that, someone loves me, I irritate the crowd, but I never lived for the world. I live my life. I would advise our women whose lives pass because of the question: ‘What will the people say?’ It doesn’t matter what will people say, live as you like. May you have one T-shirt and one skirt, but be satisfied and smiling in your soul”.
Speaking again about fashion, Hatidza points out that colors are the most important to her, and it doesn’t matter where the “cloth” came from or how much it cost.
“I like when I wake up to see cheerful, bright colors. They used to call me a white woman – in the middle of winter, white fur coats, white everything. I love yellow, white, orange, green, and where did all that come from. I got it from my mother, my mother knew how to sew, my father was a shoemaker. I made things up, I knew what I wanted, I also knew how to draw. When I came to Sarajevo, they said: ‘Look at her,’ and I had 12-centimeter heels and shorts on my feet. I don’t even like some fashion houses, for me it’s the color that determines everything. I don’t pay attention to the fact that it is this or that company. I shop wherever I like something,” says Mrs. Hatidza.
With a cheerful spirit that belies their age, Hatidza and Sami, what is her nickname, say that they often swear to “stop each other shopping.”
In the end, they repeat that the key to being interesting and striking is to be different, and that this cannot happen if ten of us pass by in the same coats.