Way long before Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Dior, Tory Burch and other famous designers discover the beauty of the Romanian folk costume, there was an extraordinary woman who loved and promoted the suman. Her name was Queen Marie of Romania.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
This new article about the Romanian IA tells a different story … what happens when designers forget to give credit and honour the culture that inspired their collections.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
The brief story of how the Romanian IA turned from an ethnic blouse into a fashion icon. Yves Saint Laurent, Philippe Guilet, Tata Nakam just to mention a few, found a genuine source of inspiration in the Romanian traditional folk costume. Truth to be told, it all started with Matisse’s paintings and French Designer Paul Poiret.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Garlic protection goes much further than the vampire repellant reputation. All over the world garlic-related traditions are closely linked with abundance, crops, women, children, soul, good luck & much more …
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
June 24 has a special significance for both Romanians and all those who appreciate the beauty and meaning of the traditional folk costume. Every year, on June 24, we celebrate The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse and this is what happens around the world this year.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, made famous Romania’s belief that garlic wards off the vampires. But, when you start really looking for the truth, things look very different. Romans, Greeks, Indians, Mongolians, Egyptians and so many more share the same belief.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
The Romanian IA or La Blouse Roumaine as it came to be known has a long lasting love story with French painter Henri Matisse. This is their story …
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
A’TOPIA is Ciprian Istrate’s first solo show at Galateca Gallery exhibition space. In case you are in Bucharest, take the time and go see A’TOPIA exhibition which is open between July 13 – September 3, 2017.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
June 24 of each year is the day when The International Day of IA is celebrated all over the globe. This story is about Iulia Gorneanu’s exquisite vintage Romanian IA collection.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Last night was all about Kusak/Pop’s Urban Unit band playing at Tête-à-Tête Club Lounge in Bucharest. The night’s mood changed when the first sounds of drums and keyboard made themselves hears in Herastrau park. The spontaneous sound conversations developed in a way that can only be felt when hearing Pop and Kusak playing live. From where I was …
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
As Nikolai Berdiaev so nicely said it, tradition is “the communion with history’s mystery.” Beyond.Threads is an open invitation from Georgeta Munteanu and Mariijana Bitulescu to all of us to discover the magic of Romanian tapestry.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
This is a love story about my relatives who love La Blouse Roumaine aka the traditional IA. They loved it so much they wore these traditional costumes on their wedding day.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Here are some of those communist jokes reflecting the reality of the Romanian people during the communist regime. In some cases, I tried to give you the context of that time, a very brief one.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan 
Humor was a way of rebellion and survival at the same time. An escape of the mind and soul, a way of coping with all those absurd and restrictions imposed by a communist regime who did not care about its own people.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan Do not let yourself mislead by the word IA! This time I’m not writing about information architecture. This time is about the Romanian IA, the traditional blouse wore by our peasants for centuries.
by Ana-Maria Bogdan