Although only twenty years old and she is student at the Faculty of Engineering in Zrenjanin at the Department of Apparel Engineering, Valentina Bozoki, thanks to her hard work and persistence, has already made many of her dreams come true.
This talented girl, who recently held her first fashion show at “Student Days” in Zrenjanin, among other things, was linked by Serbia Fashion Week, where she has been a volunteer for almost five years. She first volunteered at backstage, and then became one of the supervisors of this fashion event. Valentina points out that she was first “bought” in Novi Sad by people who were always ready to provide support, positive energy and a smile.
I liked Novi Sad firstly becouse of the people who live in it and because of them I return to this city again. Novi Sad radiates positive energy, enthusiasm and life, it is something that cannot be felt. People are very nice and accept others as they are. It’s easy to fit in and find a circle of like-minded people. There are people from different cities, settlements, districts, and again this is not noticed. Consequently, the city has the warmth of a home and whoever feels it will always return to it. I am very pleased with Novi Sad as a city, both because of its cultural heritage, architecture and the great involvement of young people in various organizations and the contributions they all make to develop it. All honor to the people who made Novi Sad so great in every sense of the word. You’ve bought enough of me, and I believe others, ”points out Valentina, who was interested in Serbia Fashion Week when she came to the shows as a guest.
The first year of our Fashion Week I came as a guest and it made a big impression on me, I was delighted with the lights, the models and the organization itself. I saw what it looked like when you were a guest at an event like this, but I was more interested in what it looks like to be saved and organized. I was curious what was behind the curtain and how it all worked. I wanted to see what I couldn’t see as a guest, which meant signing up as their volunteer and going through all that and getting all my questions answered. I got more than I thought I would get.
Valentina points out that, above all, love is what brought her back to Novi Sad and the SFW event over and over. The pleasure she feels while working at the biggest fashion show in Southeastern Europe cannot be offset by any material gain. She always returned her curiosity about what will be presented next season, as well as the new great people she meets every season and with whom she has the opportunity to socialize and exchange experiences, energy and inspiration. Volunteering is something that, as she says, I would recommend it to everyone because of making new friendships and a complete experience that makes us better.
Valentina’s great love is design, and she recently introduced her first models at the Student Days, in which she herself participated. Since he adores history and mythology, he finds inspiration in the cultural heritage of different civilizations. In her creations she imagines bold women who have no fear of presenting something different, who have that power expressed on their face or through gait and attitude. In design and fashion, she has been in love since she was little.
Ever since I first took the needle in my hands as a kid to sew dresses for my dolls, I knew what would be my future profession. I have been sewing since I know for myself, even as a kid I got a little baby sewing machine that is still alive and I keep it as a very fond memory. Drawing, sewing and experimenting in dressing and makeup have always attracted me. They have always admired me for being bold in terms of dressing and makeup, as well as my great ambitions in those years. The love of creation came early, but only now did I begin to reap the first fruits of effort and work after all these years.
Although SFW is a manifestation that has stolen her heart forever, Valentina recommends to the youth numerous other contents that Novi Sad has to offer.
Serbia Fashion Week is a manifestation to which I am dedicated to the utmost and I am in love with it. I know that she is not the only manifestation that makes the city of Novi Sad, but she definitely ranks first on my list. Of course, I like to be a guest at Exit with my friends and in this way meet new people from different parts of Europe and of course hang out with the people who come there. A very big and interesting event, full of life and people. While I was practicing handball I was also a participant in handball tournaments, so I would single out sports events. Of course, there is also a film festival, concerts and other colorful festivals that Novi Sad offers, something for everyone, and for this reason it is one of the most visited cities in Serbia and my favorite.
In the future, he dreams of being the creative director or assistant of a fashion house and then opening his own studio. Being very curious, persistent, ambitious, incredibly dedicated and sincere, she has no doubt that she will make her dreams come true. Although she has many commitments for traveling constantly, Valentina loves to hang out and use every free moment to spend with her friends, whether it’s going out to a club, walking or sitting in a park. As he says, these are all opportunities to create unique memories that you carry forever in your heart. Asked if there is a “hidden corner” in Novi Sad where she likes to be alone and think or just rest and think nothing, she replies:
Because the water calms me, you can often see me sitting by the river on a bench listening to music and staring blankly. Wherever I am, it is very important to me that there is a place where I charge the batteries with myself. We all need one such place that fills us and that somehow gives us the strength to move on. I need that peace of mind because I sometimes over-commit and neglect myself, which we all often do. I found the solution in that and it always helped me to “come back to life”.
Vladislava Milovanović
Photo: private archives
* The story was created within the project “The most beautiful stories about Novi Sad”, which is realized by the Remix Association, which is financed by Omladinski savez udruženja „Novi Sad omladinska prestonica Evrope – OPENS 2019“
