The life path of Sanela Zekic from Sjenica took her to all four corners of the world. She is an extremely successful woman, who invested all her energy in being successful.
Her current address is in Frankfurt, Germany. Zekic opened a boutique there, but not one with modern imported goods from who knows what country.
A sad fate
Sanela decided to be unique. She opened a unique boutique with folk costumes from all over the former Yugoslavia, including specific wedding dresses.
“I have been doing this since I was eighteen, and at the age of 23, I opened my first tailor’s shop. It was in Kosovska Mitrovica. My fate is as interesting as it is sad. I moved from town to town. At one time I lived in Kosovo, so I went to Novi Pazar because of the war, and then the pandemic came, which made me move to Frankfurt,” said Zekic.
Why Frankfurt?
“First of all, I have many clients and business associates in that city, generally from all over Germany. Frankfurt was an option because of the great connection with others, and from that city, I wanted to return to Novi Pazar after the pandemic because I have my shops there. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had as many as five, but I had to close them all. I had the most clients from Germany, for whom my name and my craft mean a lot, so that’s why I came to Frankfurt. In that city, I finished my visa and papers and, here, I realized another dream of mine, which is to open the “Sanela” salon.”
Where does the love for folk costumes come from?
“I am a traditional woman, I love everything that has the prefix traditional in its name, and folk costumes are our tradition. In a way, our identification, especially in the diaspora. I never thought of opening a boutique and tailor shops with some other kind of wardrobe, because I see myself only in this world – of maintaining our integrity and tradition. My daughter Selma is also engaged in this business, I passed this love on to her, but she stayed in Novi Pazar.”
Conscious risk
Who makes the creations?
“We do it ourselves, our “dimije” (loose trousers) are traditional, but we have modernized the entire costume in a decent way. We use different types of materials, sometimes lace, and sometimes satin. We can’t change much, only the embroidery or some small things. On our premises, we will also have a facility for creating and sewing, that is, for production. I get most of the material for production from Dubai.”
Were you afraid when embarking on this project in Frankfurt?
“I really don’t know what to answer. Before the pandemic, as I said, I had five shops for which I had to pay rent and seven insured workers. I came to Frankfurt with nothing, and now I am where I am. The fear was present, but I consciously took the risk.”
A positive shock
One cultural and artistic society in Frankfurt particularly delighted her.
“On this occasion, I would like to mention the DBHKV “Sevdah” from Frankfurt, who recently, when the singer Elvira Rahic was their guest, gave me a wonderful and unforgettable surprise. I was in a positive shock, and on this occasion, I thank them from the bottom of my heart, especially their women, who are wonderful,” Zekic emphasized.
Among the 30 most successful entrepreneurs
In 2015, Sanela Zekic was among the 30 most successful entrepreneurs in Serbia, and she was the first in Sandzak, so she was visited by a delegation from Belgrade, led by Minister Zorana Mihajlovic and Minister Rasim Ljajic.
Zekic revealed that she had no support, she created everything with her ten fingers, so today she is very proud of herself, Avaz reports.
E.Dz.
