Do you know that small figurine you bought a couple of years ago, just laying there on the shelf in your living room? It's certainly nice to have such a piece of memorabilia. But wouldn't it be even better if you could use that object? If the souvenir you bought on your last year's trip to Portugal was a wearable one? Or if you could use a souvenir you got from that summer in Greece in your kitchen? This topic is dedicated to that viewpoint on souvenirs. Because let's face it. Isn't it so much better to have a memory with which you're in an occasional interaction? In this article, I'm going to present some very talented and creative people who have their own ateliers, workshops, shops, and crafts, and if you see something you like, you just might look it up when you're walking through the streets of our capital.

Photo Credit: Iva Habus/AVI geometric

Jewels of Zagreb

Photo Credit: Iva Habus/AVI geometric

Most of the very creative people I'm going to mention in this blog post have some contact points with crafting jewelry. A certified graphic artist Iva Habus is one of them. She showcased her work at many joint exhibitions in Croatia and abroad as well. She also showed her work alone, at an exhibit called Machina. Her brand is called AVI geometric. It represents a conjunction of two and threedimensional geometrical shapes, crafting them into wearable jewelry. Although I'm not an expert, I would recommend her unique jewelry to all the women who dare to be different and to nurture their own fashion style. She's also using unique materials such as wood covered in epoxy resin. If you like monochromatic colors with the addition of a bit of silver, gold, purple, and green, AVI is the way to go for you. 

Photo Credit: Vesna Zadro/Frajerica

Another Croatian jewelry brand with a designer Vesna Zadro standing behind it is "Frajerica Handcrafted Jewelry." Its main characteristics are statement pieces of jewelry intended for real hellraisers (Which is an indirect translation of the brand's name). I see strong, independent, and confident women wearing this kind of jewelry.

Photo Credit: Vesna Zadro/Frajerica

A woman wearing it says: "Everything is possible, I want to and dare to be happy, I'm living my life precisely as I want to, making the world a better place along the way." In her shop, Vesna is using semi-precious stones, silver, inox, wood, and other metals. Each piece of her jewelry is hand-crafted, with a special emphasis on details, and specifically for each customer. 

I remember visiting Thailand, and naturally, I had a list of people who asked for a souvenir. Most of them didn't ask for anything in specific, but they rather said: "I don't know, bring me something cool/nice." Of course, I didn't want to spend too much of my valuable Thailand time buying souvenirs for others, so the best solution at that time was to get some typical jewelry, and I must say, it was a proper bullseye. Some of my friends say it's the favorite piece of jewelry. (I was there 4 years ago). I guess it's what they say: "You can never go wrong with a piece of jewelry."

Photo Credit: Petar Grubić/Grubić design

An amazing jewelry brand you can get yourself while strolling through the streets of Zagreb is Grubić Design jewelry. The brand exists for over 30 years now, and it's special because the father, Mladen Grubić, transferred his love towards jewel crafting onto his son, Petar. Luckily for Mladen, his son has a developed sense for business, so today, the Grubić family has 6 stores to showcase their products. They aren't unfamiliar with collaborations with showbusiness clients as well. In recent times, they've been working with TV shows such as "The Voice," and with their expertise, they've also helped the director Barbara Vekić with her movie "Aleksi." So, I guess you could say that you'll feel like a real movie star wearing their beautiful jewelry. 

Photo Credit: Petar Grubić/Grubić design

notAjewelry is a peculiar name for an atelier crafting jewelry. But when you see the work of Petra Podnarčuk, a very talented artist standing behind the brand, things might become a little bit clearer to you. Artistic jewelry made of silver, copper, and brass with some alternative materials will really make you stand out in the crowd. In the collection, you will find some earrings, rings, broaches, and pins which will make any clothing combination lively. The playfulness and pure form of Petra's jewelry are the signature characteristics of wearable and exceptional but comfortable jewelry collection which will fit in your everyday life perfectly. You can see her work in person at her atelier at 13 Savski Gaj IX in Zagreb. 

Photo Credit: Petra Podnarčuk/notajewelry

A wearable memory

Photo Credit: Ivana Pavlović/Zmajevna

If you're not too big on jewelry, but you'd like to take something from Zagreb, home, these two wearable souvenirs will be perfect for you. Zmajevna, or if I can be so free to translate it, Dragon-like is a special store you can find at Ozaljska 25, and bring home a unique bag made of eco-leather. If you're just browsing through all these photos and can't decide, maybe you should go to Zmajevna first and get yourself a linen bag to carry all these items with you. Just as the name is mysterious, so is the story behind Zmajevna, so I think it's best you head straight to the previously given address, and see the entire array of products yourself.

Photo Credit: Ivana Pavlović/Zmajevna

If you happen to be in Zagreb at this time of year, and you're cold, Wolf arts&crafts may have just the thing for you. If I had to describe them in a few words, they would be Art, tradition, history...enjoyment. 

Photo Credit: Petar Feletar/Wolf arts&crafts

The story of Wolf is based on love towards those things. They are creating their story away from uniformity, impersonality, and general dullness. Their artistic side of the story has a background story from the time their grandmother used to be one of the rare women in Croatia with higher education in arts and crats. When you buy a scarf or some other product from Wolf, you're not buying just a memory. You're also getting a piece of history and tradition because their products are created on a genuine loom. Now, that's something you don't see every day in these, modern times.

Photo Credit: Petar Feletar/Wolf arts&crafts

Something entirely different

Photo Credit: Martina Ćurković & Zdenka Vrgoč/Krakle

Last but not least, souvenirs on my list are made by Martina and Zdenka, ceramics artists from Zagreb who are making some lovely ceramics products such as dishes, figurines, and even lamps. Imagine you just got back from a trip in Zagreb, and you pull out your special plates from Krakle, and you serve a special meal you learned to prepare in Zagreb - almost as if you're back on your travel to Croatia. You can get their products at several different stores in Zagreb, and in several different shops in other towns in Croatia. You can see that information on their Facebook page. 

Photo Credit: Martina Ćurković & Zdenka Vrgoč/Krakle

I hope you found something for yourself in all of this example of how far creativity can go when people love what they do. If I decided to buy a souvenir, I like it to be something I will use from time to time or something I collect. I think there's a pretty good choice for something like that in this article. It's only up to you to choose from these. Good luck and happy souvenir hunting.

Photo Credit: Martina Ćurković & Zdenka Vrgoč/Krakle

Header Image Credit: Wolf Arts & Crafts

Author: Tibor Trupec