Yugoslav Chic: Tito’s Wife Jovanka Broz’s Dresses Go on Display

The exhibition begins with the garments that Josip Broz Tito's wife wore at her first public appearance after their marriage and ends as she withdrew from public life with the conclusion of the Yugoslav President's rule four decades ago.

Visitors can see the clothes that Yugoslavia's first lady wore during official visits to Ethiopia, Egypt, France, Zambia, Netherlands and other countries while Tito was in power from 1945 to 1980. These dresses were designed by Aleksandar Joksimovic, the pre-eminent high-fashion designer in socialist Yugoslavia.

Clothes made by designers Mila Cavaloti and Klara Rothschild are also on display. The exhibition opened ahead of the forthcoming documentary series 'Jovanka Broz and the Secret Services' on RTS.

"What is good is that these dresses in a certain way testify to the time in which she lived. They can be the subject of research for some future generations," Igor Todorovic, one of the creators of the exhibition, told media at the opening last Thursday.

After her death in October 2013, Jovanka Broz's wardrobe was stored at the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade. It consists of about 1,100 individual items, including 676 ​​dresses and sets, 100 pairs of shoes and 85 pairs of gloves. The entire wardrobe will soon be moved to the Museum of Applied Arts, where it will be shown as a complete exhibition.

Jovanka Broz, who joined the Partisan resistance movement during World War II, married Tito in 1952. After his death, all her property was seized and she moved to a state-owned villa, where she reportedly lived in very harsh conditions.

Photo: BIRN

Photo: BIRN

Photo: BIRN

Photo: BIRN

Photo: BIRN