VIII. JOURNALIST ASSESSMENT OF 2005 FASHION YEAR

It has already become a tradition that the Almanac of Bulgarian Fashion publishes the opinions of wellknown Bulgarian fashion journalists on the status and development of the contemporary fashion design in Bulgaria. We turned again to them with one question only: "Which are the three most serious achievements of the Bulgarian fashion design in the running out 2005?' The main part of the polled colleagues responded to our inquiry. We are publishing below their opinions about the Bulgarian fashion successes in 2005:

ANTONIA RAPONSKA,
fashion journalist, director of Show and entertaining
programs in Channel 3
1. Triumph International’s fashion show Triumph around the world.
2. Eurepian day of Bulgaria on FTV.
3. Docha collection of fashion house Galinel, autumn - winter
2005-2006.

BORIS ANGELOV,
Editor-in-chief of Koi Magazine
and fashion editor of Monitor daily
Last year was surprisingly good for young Bulgarian designers. Indeed, I would like to mention first the undeniable success of the New Bulgarian University graduate Nikolai Pachev. His success at the Mittelmoda international completion shows that in Bulgaria besides the "official" fashion, which would hardly boast of some particular success, there are young people who work hard and have the chance to succeed abroad because of their talent. I hope that after his internship at Benetton, he would receive a good job for a prestigious brand, and after becoming famous in business to turn into a reliable advertisement of our country as well. A commercial phenomenon and undeniable achievement, also outside the "official" fashion, is the introduction of Bozhidara Bakalova as a source of not only clothes, but inspiration for many Bulgarian celebrities as well. Anyway, one could not pass by the growing international recognition of Virginia Zdravkova, as well as her eagerness to organize glamorous performances for the fashion connoisseurs in Bulgaria.

VASSILKA GARELOVA,
Deputy Editor-in-chief of Zhensko Tsarstvo
(Petticoat Government) newspaper.
In the last year I was most impressed by the following fashion events:
1.The Fashion days in Rousse in March 2005 as well as the Days of Bulgarian Fashion in Sliven (October 2005). They presented the so-called provincial fashion, which actually is the most popular
one across the country.
2. The fashion shows of Galinel Fashion House (December 2004 and November 2005), which have combined the original collections with attractive presentation.
3. The Roshavata Garga fashion show (November 2005) with The Back - the Face of our Clothing collection for the brave interpretation of the elitarian tendency and excellent staging.

VESSELA SLAVCHEVA,
Editor-in-chief, MODA magazine
1. The presentation of Virginia Atelier Fashion House autumn-winter 2005/06 collection was one of the powerful and most impressing events in the Bulgarian fashion life in the year that is coming to an end. The talented and extremely charming Virginia demonstrated once again that fashion besides perfect cut, high quality and anticipation of the trends, is also a real show. It is no chance that the organizers of the world pageant Mrs. Globe trusted the Bulgarian designer again.
2. If I can paraphrase the motto of the Bulgarian fashion brand Roshavata Garga (The Tousled Crow) that is my favourite, “in for a penny, in for a pound”, this is how it would sound after the show of Albena Alexandrova: If you can go for a pound, do it, i.e. if it regards the Bulgarian fashion, it should be on world level". Femininity, chic, a little bit of eccentricity, current fashion trends taken into consideration and of course the inevitable personal style - obviously this is the formula of success not only for Albena but for the Bulgarian fashion design as a whole.
3. Jeni Style - this is the other brand that is rather ahead " on the read" again. Traditionally Jeni Jivkova not only opened the autumn fashion season but also showed a rather interesting collection that is in no way inferior to what is seen at the world fashion stages.

DANIELA KOSTOVA,
Fashion Editor of 24 Chassa daily:
1. Virginia Zdravkova and her shows abroad, which represent deservedly Bulgaria across the world.
2. Agressia, as it is one of the fashion houses, which offer real quality in the production and design of menswear.
3. It is praiseworthy that for the first time the Academy for Fashion decentralized the awarding of Fashion Mercury prizes, choosing the cradle of the Bulgarian textile - the city of Sliven - as the venue for this important event. I think that it is quite appropriate to pay attention to new technologies and high quality, as defended by laureates of this prestigious award: Agressia, Irida, Kwiat, MirO and Miroglio.

DETELINA MILEVA,
Editor-in-Chief of Perfecta Magazine
1. The exciting infatuation of the Lavazza collection and the aristocratic exuberance of the VZ autumn-winter 2005-2006 collection, both creations of Virginia Zdravkova
2. Triumphing sex appeal and provoking lightness in ladies underwear in the explosive performance of Triumph International.
3. Genuine fashion whirl in the Days of Bulgarian Fashion Sliven 2005, which demonstrated that fashion is not "occupation isolated" of the capital only.

DONKA GANEVA,
Publisher,
Chairwoman of the Academy of Fashion
The tendency the significant creative expressions of the Bulgarian designers to be mainly in the field of the everyday youth's, ladies' and menswear was preserved this year as well. A
new generation of creators turned to the pragmatism of the street and of the business style, influenced by the information and technological boom, citizens of the world, is being established. Their fashion is managed by various principles - computer developments, new technologies in manufacture, feasibility, economy, comfort, etc. The ideas are both individual and subjected to world tendencies. In this direction, new designers of extreme quality came up
along with the already established Agressia Group and Rila Style (now Battibaleno). For me, MirO takes first place because of its inimitable sense of "fashionability", for application of contemporary technologies and methods in production and sales. I cannot overlook Kwiat+ for the reasonable self-confidence with which it rubbed out the differences with world optical measures. I am impressed by Irida with its continuous innovation in presentation of fashion.
I definitely like the ambition of Lucille to make more humane hard ready-to-wear with the spirit of new city romanticism. To sum it up: 2005 - a few unique designs, much ready-towear!

LILIA STAMBOLOVA
Fashion Editor of Maximum Magazine
Two fashion events definitely made impression in 2005. I think this were the review of Rollman fashion house and that of the designer Albena Alexandrova with her collection The Back - The Face of Our Clothing.
Both fashion events were seriously preparedfrom the point of view of the mise-en-scene, elaborated choreography and demonstrated exclusively professionally made collections.

MARIA NETSOVA
First Deputy Editor-in-chief of Vsichko
za Zhenata (Everything for the Woman) weekly:
1. The supported by a Zlatna Igla (Golden Needle) award national and professional selfconfidence of Virginia Zdravkova, which is getting ready to dress Hollywood celebrities as well.
This summer the Bulgarian designer created the outfits of all participants in Mrs. Globe World Pageant in Palm Springs as an official designer of the event. She herself turned into a celebrity
abroad: Kevin Kostner of Dances with Wolves asked her for an autograph.
2. The feminine and exquisite style of Maria Nedkova - always topical and not affected by time at the same time, in the style of the eternal Chanel.
3. Irida Fashion House for its sprinkling fancy and originality in presentation of new collections with the convincing use of multimedia.

NINA NIKOLOVA,
chief script writer of the TV show ELIT on the BNT
1. Nikolai Pachev, who was back as a winner of Mittelmoda Award - Italy.
2. Babini Kuki (the Knitting Needles of Grandmother) collection, shown at the reviews for Fashion TV - European Day of Bulgaria
2005.
3. The return of model Alexander Andonov back on the fashion stage as the face of Agressia Fashion House.

OGNIANA CHALBUROVA,
Fashion Editor, ELLE Magazine
There is a substantial development of fashion in Bulgaria in my opinion. Fashion life is also rich in many active events that continuously present innovative visions in clothing.
I would define the launching of ELLE magazine on the Bulgarian market as the most substantial event. The reason to say this is not because I am its fashion editor. I specify it as a serious
event because the magazine is a big challenge not only for us - the fashion interpreters, but also for the readers. ELLE is a fashion guide not only in Bulgaria but in the world too.
I was particularly impressed by the fashion show of the students majoring in fashion design with the National Academy of Art. They demonstrated enviable knowledge in the field of fashion. Professionally prepared and well organized,
the students show presented truly creative, futuristic and parallel to this practical wear. Rolmann review. I think men's fashion demonstrated again style and quality that is worth being envied on behalf of the lady's audience. It is obvious that men are the better dressed half. Maybe because they are not so much pretentious
and depending on the fashion or maybe because under the secretive appearance they are more demanding and precise for the detail.

SASHKA IVANOVA,
Producer of OGLEDALA (MIRRORRS) show on BTV
1. The Back - the Face of Our Clothing collection of Albena Alexandrova.
2. The presentation of Kristina and Konstantin at the shows for the European Day of Bulgaria 2005 on Fashion TV.
3. The most recent collection of the Bulgarian brand EXXO.

SAVENA ZLUCHKIN,
Fashion Editor of Douma daily
1. Virginia Zdravkova with all her manifestations, including the Lavazza collection of December 2004, because of the quality, fancy and exquisiteness of outfits.
2. Albena Alexandrova with the presentation of her The Back - the Face of Our Clothing collection.
3. The striking presentation of Galinel Fashion House from Plovdiv.

YULIA VULKOVA,
Fashion Editor to Sedmichen Trud weekly
Two are the peaks in the formal lady's and man's fashion. Virginia Zdravkova continues to be first regarding ideas, luxurious fabrics, perfect execution and appropriate accessories. She is among the few designers who manage to turn an ugly duck into the beauty of the ball. And the beautiful ones like the participants in Mrs Globe competition are impressively dazzling. The very serious formal wear of Agressia Group is for the men whose life is a struggle crowned
by a victory. The designers of the company are led by the thought of supporting the success, the charm and the sex appeal of the world conqueror.
Last but not the least is the revival of the vanguard, the club fashion and the artistism. This year Kristina and Konstantin, Aries Unikat, Modus Art Bulgarian fashion house and Mariela Gemisheva demonstrated originality, sensual extravagancy, novelty and provocation in their collections.

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Despite the backwardness and conservatism of the creators and users of clothes in Bulgaria, our fashion got a little bit closer to the world design recently and unambiguously showed that even the contradictory economic and social transition to democracy and information transparency could be creative, stylish and multicoloured, independent from the culture of thugs, the pop folk style and the clothes bought from Capali Carsi and our native flea market. The Bulgarian fashion design showed adaptivity and stamina in regards to the total element of the style
globalization. We have reasons to claim that our national fashion is an example of glocalization, i.e. peaceful co-existence of local and global tendencies. The circumstance that we are a Balkan, crossroad culture helps very much in this respect, as well as the fact that the new generations of creators enter the profession with self-confidence, solid preparation and the clear awareness of a new and perspective mission - a successful visual reform and prosperity of the original and the different. However, in order to be sure for the more beautiful and elegant " tomorrow", we could not avoid observing in a more responsible way the laws of fashion industry and entrepreneurship, marketing and advertising, as well
as letting talents do anything they consider appropriate. Otherwise we shall be doomed to remain in the world's fashion province for long time.