| CRAVAT DAY – 18th October 2007
Zagreb, author: prof. Marijan Bušić
Academia Cravatica was founded in 1997 with the mission of promoting the tie or cravat as part of the Croatian, European, and world cultural heritage, and as a special medium of communication. The cravat is the only Croatian symbol which is universally known and appreciated, and at the same time is recognized and acknowledged as a Croatian symbol. The Croatian origins of the tie or cravat, founded on historic, ethnological and linguistic facts, are confirmed by world encyclopedias and other scientific sources. In addition, the many projects run by Academia Cravatica over the past ten years, have promoted Croatia – the homeland of the cravat, on a world scale. For example, the installation “The Cravat around the Arena” in Pula on 18th October 2003 was staged as a major world performance, which was seen on television throughout the world by more than a billion people. It is considered that this was the most ambitious promotion of the Croatian identity in the world to date. This installation, with the largest cravat in the world, symbolically brought together the ancient and modern ages, and the red color of the cravat sent a message to the world of love and life together of peoples and nations.
Croats gave the world the cravat, but it was nurtured, developed and perfected by other nations. For example, the Americans conceived a cravat in three parts and thereby perfected it technically. But the most important contribution to the development of the cravat came from the French, the English and other European nations. Therefore the cravat is a symbol of Europe. This is seen in the now common custom of the European Union that each country presiding over Union presents its own specific cravat at the beginning of its term.
The cravat is a universal symbol of elegance and the culture of dressing, but its powerful symbolic potential contains many other values. The vertical cravat symbolizes the human vertical – human dignity and self-awareness, moments of solemnity and ceremony, success and a business spirit… With its lightness on the one hand and the knot on the other, the cravat “binds” together freedom and responsibility. It encourages us to be more aware in our communication of our dignity and the dignity of others - our freedom, but also our responsibility. Due to its enormous symbolic power, the cravat is of great significance for Croatia and the world.
Marking Cravat Day, will contribute to the establishment and illumination of all the positive values of identity in Croatian society, and a recognizable and positive image of Croatia in the world. The initiative for marking Cravat Day has been supported by the Prime Minister dr. Ivo Sanader, and the program to mark the day will take place under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Stjepan Mesić. The proposal to mark the national Cravat Day has also been supported by the Committee for Education, Science and Culture of the Croatian Parliament.
Cravat Day will be marked by social and cultural events in several towns in Croatia, and, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the RoC, in some other cities around the world.
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| THE TIE IN THE RYE
in Davor (Nova Gradiška), 2nd July 2007
After three days’ postponement due to bad weather conditions,
Marijan Bušić and his associates today successfully created the giant “Tie in the Rye”.
In the middle of 25 hectares of grain, near the village of Davor, not far from Nova Gradiška,
as they harvested they created a Tie, covering an area of 10 hectares, 850 m long,
about 230 m wide, the golden yellow color of ripened grain.
The harvest of the grain and the formation of the Tie began this morning at 9 a.m.
The first swathe was cut by hand by the creator of the project, Marijan Bušić, and he was
immediately joined by a group of Slavonian “brides” (“snasha”) in national costumes,
reaping with scythes and binding the cut grain in swathes. The atmosphere of a real harvest
was made complete by the songs of a group of members of the Antun Matija Reljković
Folklore Society from Davor, and several young men – dressed as horsemen, in the uniform of
Croatian soldiers from the 17th century. For it was precisely in the 17th century that the
authentic historic story began of Croatian soldiers in Paris, with their knotted kerchiefs,
which the French, and then the entire world, came to call “cravats”.
After the symbolic cutting of the first swathes by hand, three combine harvesters first of
all created the edges – the outline of the Tie. The Tie in the Rye, impressive in its size
and simplicity of form, was completed at 14.00 hours. This unique performance, which, from
the point of view of the theory of art, falls into the category of land art, was being
filmed the entire time from the air, from helicopters. This event was covered by five
Croatian television stations, and a large number of representatives of the press and radio,
and through the system of international TV exchange, news and pictures of the Tie in the Rye,
and about Croatia – the Homeland of the Tie – will be seen and heard by billions of people.
The many experts photographing this exceptional project included Ivo Pervan, one of
Croatia’s greatest art photographers.
So Marijan Bušić, after the “A Tie Around the Arena” (2003) and the “Tie Around Croatia”
projects(2006), which confirmed on a world scale that the tie is a medium with enormous
symbolic potential, continued his intensive communication with the world with this new
“cravatological” creation: “The Tie in the Rye”. With this work of land art – the Tie
in the Rye - the artist also presented the tie as a symbol of the Croatian and European
identity, and also as a global sign of human dignity, ceremony and success. Using the
grain, symbolizing bread, the artist calls for community, justice and solidarity between
people and nations of all longitudes and latitudes. The organizer of the project is the
not-for-profit institute, Academia Cravatica, and the sponsor is the company Potomac,
the owner of the Croata brand.
“The Tie in the Rye” also has other symbolic meanings and messages. Cultivation of
land is one of the foundations of human civilization in general. The working of
fields (agera) leads to agriculture, and in a figurative sense every area of man’s
work is a field. So also in art, we talk about the field of a picture, which in land
art has becomes the literal field on a background of land. If we turn our attention
to what is added to the field, we can talk about formation, whether in pigments of
colors or anything else. Here in this case, it is the grain, an elementary food,
which feeds the human race, which receives a blessing as food, a value which we
should never cease to appreciate and honor in a special way. The Tie in the Rye,
with its respect for nature, could be characterized as an ecologically enlightened act.
The Tie in the Rye will remain in the grain field tomorrow and then it will be reaped.
Incidentally, the 10 hectares of land covered by the Tie are expected to yield a crop
of 50 tons of grain.
Marijan Bušić announced today his new “cravatological” creation – A Tie Around Pannonia.
This project will symbolically link the ten Pannonian countries in the area of the
former Pannonian Sea.
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| Bulgarian, Croatian Artists Tackle Tie Challenge
Bulgarian and Croatian artists have matched imagination and skills to
unveil the "Challenge as a Necktie" - the motto of an exhibition
opening September 11.
The unconventional pieces of art are heralded with the installation of
a special plastic, also named "Necktie", at the National Gallery
for Foreign Art.
Made of silk and Capron rope, the artistic installation spans with dimensions
of 15 x 3 x 1.5 meters.The initiative hosted by Bulgaria recognises the
Croatian origins of this popular accessory, which is also respected as
a symbol of national traditions and identity in Croatia.
Many believe the word "cravat" (meaning a soft necktie) comes
from the French interpretation of "Croate," short for "Croatian."
Croatia is believed to have given birth to the necktie. Sometime during
the 1630s or 1640s, Croatian mercenaries involved in the Thirty Years'
War visited King Louis XIV of France. The king was very impressed by the
soldiers' traditional uniforms, which featured soft scarves tied around
their necks.
By 1650, Louis and his court were wearing Croatian neck scarves instead
of the full lace ruffs that had previously been fashionable. (Sophia news
agency, 08.09.2006.)
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| Croatia knots world's biggest tie
 DUBROVNIK,
Croatia (AFP) - Croatia tied the world's biggest tie after placing red
thread round its 4,000 kilometres (2,480 miles) of borders to promote
the country's cultural heritage and identity.
The "Tie Around Croatia" project, launched two months ago in
the southern Adriatic town of Dubrovnik, concluded with a ceremonial tying
of "the smallest knot of the biggest tie" in front of the church
of St. Blaise, Dubrovnik's patron saint, in the centre of the medieval
town.
The main idea of the artistic installation was to link all Croatia's diverse
regions into a symbolic whole, the Academia Cravatica, a non-governmental
organisation behind the project, said earlier.
The word "croata" can be found in many languages as the root
of words meaning tie or cravat, so called because they were worn by Croats
in the French army during the Thirty Years War in the 17th century.
A team of four mountaineers and three journalists installed the red thread
along the country's borders over the past 60 days.
In 2003 the Academia dressed up an ancient Roman ampitheatre in the northern
Adriatic town of Pula with an 800-metre (2,640-foot) red tie, breaking
the then world record.
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| Cravat
passed the 3 000th km!
 The
art instalation "Cravat around Croatia" just passed the 3 000th
km and went down to the sea. The project ends on the September 08. in
Dubrovnik, where the smallest knot of the biggest cravat in the world
will be tied.
If You want to find out more about the project, please visit Academie
Cravatice.
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| The New York Times writes about Croata
Split, Croatia: Croata
Over the last decade, Croatia has gained a number of descriptive titles:
war-torn country, aspiring European Union member, vacation destination.
But if Marijan Busic, owner of Croata, a company that specializes in neckwear,
has anything to do with it, the world will identify his homeland with
the product it is said to have invented nearly four centuries ago —
neckties.
The Croata boutique in Split — there are 10 stores around the
country and two in Bosnia — is in the middle of the stone scramble
of streets that make up the historic area of the town, which was originally
designed as a retirement palace for the Roman Emperor Diocletian at the
turn of the fourth century. Inside the showroom, amid a swirl of silk
and bright colors, attendants provide opinions about the scores of designs
that hang on racks and fill cubbies.
According to one salesperson, Croata products reflect the local propensity
to dress "tip-top." That statement is immediately verified by
looking out the boutique's windows, which frame fashion-conscious men
in suits or women in high heels clicking by dressed to the nines for a
trip to the market or to one of the many cafes that line the harbor. The
shop's styles range from the expected solids and stripes to ones depicting
symbols from Croatian history like the Glagolitics print ties, which feature
the Cyrillic-type letters that formed early Croatian script.
Croata, Mr. Busic said in a phone interview from the company's headquarters
in Zagreb, "is trying to give the same impression that our product
gave in the 17th century: to lead the world in fashion and listen to our
own instincts." As legend has it, the tie caught on when Croatian
soldiers traveled to Paris to fight in the Thirty Years' War, 1618 to
1648. The French soldiers were so impressed with the Croats' uniforms,
especially the scarves, that it soon became fashionable to dress "à
la Croate." The new accessory came to be called a cravat, according
to Mr. Busic, because of the difficulty nonnative speakers had with Hrvat
— the Croatian word for Croatian.
Today, Croata ties are made in Slavonia, a region in the eastern part
of Croatia. Prices start at 149 kunas ($26, at 5.8 kunas to the dollar)
and go up to 1,500 kunas ($259) for one of the Croata 4 models: a design
in which only four limited-edition ties are handmade at a time —
ensuring that only three other people on the planet will ever wear your
tie.
By ALEX CREVAR
June 18, 2006
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| Polish enchanted
by the Croatian cravat
 Ceremony of the Challenge of Cravat - Tie as Croatian Contribution to Global Culture Exposition was open on April 3rd at Jagielloński University in Krakow. The expo will be presented to the Polish public till April 22nd, after which it will proceed to Gdansk and open with a great ceremony at the city Historical Museum from April 26th till June 4th. The ceremony was attended by an immense number of the media and distinguished representatives of Poland and Croatia. The ceremony host, famous Polish TV journalist, Robert Maklowicz was proclaimed by Bojan Baketa, member of the Acadeima Cravatica institution, Night of Cravat of the White Croat Name, which thrilled and delighted the journalist. Croatian ambassador, Neboj±a Koharović, emphasized that the expo will contribute to promoting Croatian identity in Poland. Within the expo in Poland, the Potomac Ltd. - Croata, prepared a new thematically designed collection of cravats and scarves with motives of the Polish cultural identity (cravat with motives of the Polish coat-of-arms, the Dragon of Krakow, St. Stanislav`s Cross, and scarves with motives of Gdansk) which had an excellent reception by the Polish public.
After Krakow and Gdansk the exposition Challenge of Cravat continues on its way along Europe and around the world.
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| Tie shaped ikebana
Under sponsorship of Potomac Ltd. from March 22nd till March 28th Dubrovnik was visited by Ikebana Master Yaeko Toukura and her colleague photographer Shunsuke Mizoe from Japan.
Master Tokura designed a tie-shaped ikebana using local flowers and turning it into a flower arrangement master piece. This yielded in two cultures entwining, the Croatian as The Homeland of the Cravat and the Japanese - land of the greatest ikebana masters.
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| European comission
president, Jose Manuel Barroso, and Croatian premier, Ivo Sanader, in
the Croata salon
European Comission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, European Comission for Expansion Commissioner, Olli Rehn, Premier, Ivo Sanader, and Deputy Premier, Jadranka Kosor, visited the Oktogon Croata salon on February 16th. Premier Sanader gave a present to the European Union high representatives - two silk ties Dubrovnik of the exclusive Croata brand. The guests were told the story of the Croatian origin of the cravat, a universal symbol of dignity, success and class, which confirms that smaller nations can offer considerable contributions to the world culture as well.
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|
Auhrum - a new ceremonial collection
Potomac Ltd. started production of a new brand, unique in Croatia and this part of Europe in a visionary way! According to idea of Marijan Bu±ić, this year ceremonial program is enriched with Auhrum - golden thread with silk core, around which 24-carat gold is wrapped. The collection consists of a vest, bow-tie, tie and ceremonial tie. They are a true choice for an occasion such as wedding. Golden Auhrum threads will remain golden because they were processed against every kind of oxidation and chemical reactions.
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|
An american university professor points out the Potomac Ltd. as example of good management
 William
E. Smith, PhD., lecturer at George Washington University, is writing a
book in which he will present activities of the Potomac Ltd. as an example
of successful management. Title of the book is "The Creative Power of
Purpose: A Transformational Organizing Process," and will be published
by Routledge of London and New York publishing house in June 2006.
The book is on a new theory of work organization based on statement that purpose is source of power. In the book, the author wishes to demonstrate that stronger democratic processes in organization, designed through three fields (evaluation, dedication, responsibility) achieve higher purpose for lower price. Precisely these principles are strongly expressed in the Potomac company management.
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Potomac Ltd. invests large resources into Davor factory construction
In the middle of March the Potomac Ltd. and representatives of the Nova Gradi±ka city signed a contract on ownership transfer worth over five million kunas for construction of proper Croata shirt manufacture plant in Nova Gradi±ka industrial park. The Potomac Ltd. has initiated an investment project which will employ 25 workers in near future. Construction of the manufacture plant is supposed to start by the end of September this year, and the beginning of production is to be expected by the end of September 2007. The Potomac Ltd. announces further expansion and investments.
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|
STRONG TIES BOOST CRAVAT BUSINESS
(Financial Times, June 7 2005.)
By Eric Jansson
Along with many small countries, Croatia forever dreams of making its
mark in the world.
But few make claims as grand as those issued on Croatia's behalf by Marijan
Busic, a Zagreb-based sociologist and businessman. Mr Busic says this
country, slung around the western rim of the Balkan region, has got the
entire world by the neck.
Only the rest of the world does not know it yet.
Mr Busic says his secret is the necktie, or cravat, which he describes
as 'Croatia's contribution to the global culture'.
History and language are on his side. The word "cravat" stems
from the Croatian root for Croat, 'hrvat'. The necktie itself originated
as a kerchief worn around the necks of Croat soldiers fighting for the
Hapsburg empire during the "Thirty Years War", in the 17th century.
The style caught on, spreading from Paris to Britain, then via the British
empire around the globe.
Mr Busic bemoans the fact that many people mistakenly believe the necktie
originated in Italy or France. But in their ignorance he has identified
a business opportunity, manufacturing and selling original Croatian cravats
as co-owner of a fashion house, Croata.
This he does in parallel with his work as director of Academia Cravatica,
a non-profit organisation that aims to tie the cravat to Croatia in the
world's collective imagination - just as champagne, the bubbly, is linked
to Champagne, the region.
 Croatia's
government is jumping on the bandwagon, giving Croata ties to visiting
dignitaries and sponsoring some of Academia Cravatica's projects. From
the company's launch at the dawn of Croatian independence until today,
so many of Mr Busic's neckties have been handed to visiting officials
that 'by now all the politicians in Europe have a few', he says.
The history-laden sales pitch behind Mr Busic's luxury product and the
Croatian state's official effort to brighten its image combine to fuel
a formidable marketing operation. Bozo Biskupic, the culture minister,
gushes that the necktie is 'a sign of civilisation and mutual respect'.
In Croata's biggest stunt to date, Mr Busic elbowed his way into the
Guinness Book of World Records by fastening an enormous red polyester
cravat around an ancient Roman amphitheatre in the coastal city of Pula.
He confesses mild embarrassment about the vast length of polyester, big
enough to produce 100,000 low-quality neckties. Croata uses silk as a
rule. But at the cost of $60,000, the Pula stunt was a bargain, says Kresimir
Spajic, the company's marketing assistant. 'I would estimate that 1bn
people saw that Pula tie on television, through CNN and other networks.
You can't say that's not a marketing success'.
After selling 150,000 neckties last year, Croata aims to boost sales
by 30 per cent in 2005. Most of its ties, scarves and related products
sell domestically, but 40 per cent last year sold through a combination
of direct exports or sales to foreign tourists visiting Croatia.
Croata exemplifies a host of trends commonly seen in successful Croatian
businesses.
First, the company is taking advantage of inexpensive marketing opportunities,
trading product for exposure. Croata succeeds in making itself ubiquitous
in the eyes of targeted consumers, despite its relatively small marketing
budget.
Second, the company positions itself in the luxury market and aims to
compete directly against leading west European firms. Labour costs are
higher in Croatia than in many other post-socialist countries. The company
identifies its comparative advantage as quality, not quantity or price.
A similar trend is seen in tourism, with moves away from mass tourism
toward boutique and luxury options, emphasising personal choice.
Third, to keep labour costs down, the company works where wages are low.
Zagreb is the company's sales centre, but design and production are located
in a small village outside Slavonski Brod, in a less wealthy region halfway
between the capital and the Serbian border. Most of its employees are
women.
Fourth, keeping an eye on production costs, Mr Busic defiantly refuses
to yield to cheaper imports. Croata imports Chinese silk, but the company
plans to start its own local silk production in the near future. A risky
plan perhaps, but Croatia's entrepreneurs have not learned to succeed
through risk avoidance.
Finally, the company benefits by cultivating a friendly working relationship
with state officials. The advantages of this are real if hard to define.
Beyond Croata's bottom line, Mr Busic presents himself as a true believer
in his product. 'If you call us just a tie company, it's offensive to
us. Just producing ties is nothing. This is something very special', he
says.
He and other board members describe Croata's goal in quasi-revolutionary
terms. Croatia needs the necktie in its new democratic era to find a balance
between dictatorial order and the responsible exercise of liberty, they
say.
'If you look at the people who refuse to wear ties - hippies, New Age
people
- these are people who want full freedom and refuse to accept responsibility.
On the other side, you have responsibility without freedom - dictators,
tyrants, those who would control you and who incidentally always wear
ties. Between the two, the tie is a perfect democratic symbol of restraint,
of dignity, responsibility and freedom'.
It sounds like pure marketing drivel. Claiming authority as a sociologist,
Mr Busic insists it is not.
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| TIED TO TRADITION Where do you
think neckties originated? If France or Italy come to mind, think again.
And think Croatia.
Michelle and Stephen Crocker are the Australian distributors for Croata
ties and accessories, and say that many people are surprised to learn
that Croatia is the mother country of the tie.
“It is as synonymous with Croatia, as coffee is to Brazil or watches
are to Switzerland”, Michelle says. The country proudly produces
neckties and scarves of high-quality silks and cottons with modern and
classic designs that reflect Europe’s past.
In his book, “La grande Histoire de la Cravate”, Francois
Chaille writes: “Around the year 1635, some 6000 soldiers and knights
came to Paris to give their support to King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu.
Among them were a great number of Croatian mercenaries led by ban, or
Croatian viceroy.” Their traditional outfits included colorful scarves
tied around their necks and made of various cloths, ranging from coarse
material for soldiers to fine cotton and silk for officers. They attracted
the attention of the fashion-conscious French who adopted it as part of
the uniform for French officers. Aside from its stylish appearance, the
scarf also had the advantage of being less awkward, easier to wear and
easier to look after than the high-lace collars that had to be kept white
and stretched.
During the reign of Louis XIV the Croatian scarf became even more popular,
and was soon widely adopted by the French bourgeoisie. The expression
“a la croate” evolved into “la cravate”. Returning
to England from exile in France, Charles II took with him word of this
new fashion accessory and over the next 10 years the popularity of the
cravat spread across Europe and America.
Crocker, of Bungendore, says Croata ties are hand-made and offer a quality,
and history, which cannot be matched.
“It’s like having piece of the Eiffel Tower from Paris”,
says when asked what makes the ties so special. “I believe in the
beauty and quality of the project. I went there (to Croatia) two years
ago for a visit, bought a couple of things and thought this is a wonderful
opportunity to bring this type of product to the Australian market. There
is nothing like this here. I think there is a niche market for it. There
are always people looking for something different and original.”
There are several tie ranges in the collection, including the Croata “4”
which comes with a guarantee that there are only four ties of the same
pattern in the world – the pattern is destroyed after they have
been made.
Crocker says these will sell for about $250, the mid-range ties for $100-$150
and others from $60. There is a diverse range of products for men and
women, including: ties, wallets, waistcoats, cravats, shirts, key rings,
scarves, bow ties and toiletry bags.
Crocker, who was born in Australia but educated in Croatia, says last
October the largest tie in the world was tied around the Pula Arena in
Croatia.The tie was more than 900m long, measured 25m at its widest point,
and the height from the narrowest to the widest part was 3.5m.
The job took two days, helped along by a group of mountaineers who attached
a net around the arena so they could then fix the tie to it. More than
100 high school students then held the tie while the mountaineers lifted
it up to the top of the arena. It took most of a day to tie the knot.
And the color of the tie? Red – a sign of love and the color of
the Croatian coat of arms.
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MARIJAN BU©IĆ - HOLDER OF PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS
 Marijan
Busic, member of the Potomac
management board and director of Academia
Cravatica organization, has been given two valuable awards in the last
years.
In the year of 2001 he was awarded with Croatian tourist award "Anton ©tifanic"
for the year of 2000 in the category of individuals. The award was presented
to him by the Croatian Tourist Board, the highest national tourist institution.
Here we give you some small part of explanation on the award.
"The name of Mr. Marijan Busic is with the unbreakable knot connected to
one of the most original and the most attractive Croatian products and souvenirs,
the indigenous Croatian "invention" - to the CRAVAT.
Even though the first necktie, as the legend says, had been carried through
Europe by Croatian soldiers and cavaliers, in our modern times, Marijan
Busic (professor of sociology and philosophy and a respectable Croatian
entrepreneur) brought out into the light the new "discovery" of "CROATA"
CRAVAT. As if he saw the story about the "Sleeping beauty", with the touch
of his hand, he awoke the necktie from its centennial sleep. From necktie,
with the help of his partner Zlatko Penavic and the associates but also
other eminent Croatian artists, he made a respectable Croatian product -
souvenir. 
At the same time he created a net of CROATA boutiques, which are spreading
through Europe and are, in a way, "Croatian embassies in the shadow" for
export, not only of Croata products, but the whole Croatian culture! In
a special way, the beauty and the abundance of Croatian tourist offer is
reflected... With the "Croata cravat" project, one new global expression
has been open...
In the end of 2003 Croatian managers and entrepreneurs association (CROMA)
awarded Marijan Busic with "The most successful project manager of 2003"
award. Here are some explanations on this award.
"Necktie is a
fashion ornament in men's culture of clothing. However, in the visionary
project of Marijan Busic "Croatia-homeland of the cravat", necktie is much
more than that. Even when he was in high-school, his instinct told him that
the best way Croatia can present itself is through the necktie, world's
symbol of dignity, festivity and success…
This vision of Marijan Busic started realizing itself in 1989, when together
with his friend, the economist Zlatko Penavic, he founded the Potomac Company.
Stabile partnership and combination of abilities and knowledge of these
two entrepreneurs were crucial for successful penetration of Croata fashion
brand into the world. In thirteen years till now, Croata fashion brand grew
to Croatian national brand, recognizable in the world. Today, necktie is
more and more recognized as one of the symbols of Croatian identity…
A new step forward, also brave and far-sighted, happened in 1997, when following
the idea of Marijan Busic, the Potomac Company set up a non-profit organization
Academia Cravatica. Its purpose is promotion of necktie as a medium and
research of necktie being a part of Croatian and world's cultural heritage.
The culmination of all successes of Potomac and Academia Cravatica is the
artistic installation "Cravat around Arena", whose author is Marijan Busic.
Photos of this unique installation traveled throughout the world and were
seen by more than a billion people.
In the creative work of Marijan Busic, consisting of culture and entrepreneurship,
cultural differences are being established and the identity of Croatia transformed,
for her and the world.
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THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE SPECTACULAR
ART INSTALLATION
"A TIE AROUND THE ARENA"
After two years' preparation, in the afternoon of Saturday 18th October
the knot of the largest tie in the world was tied around the Pula Arena.
The creator of this grandiose art installation was prof. Marijan Busic,
the head of the non-profit making establishment "Academia
Cravatica", which promotes the tie as part of the Croatian and world
cultural heritage. The coordinator of the technical execution of the installation
was Mladen Marinovic, the head designer of the firm Potomac-Croata.
The designers of the idea and feasibility study were mr. Sc. Damir Corko
(for the part of the tie around the Arena) and dr. sc. Bruno Calic (for
the construction of the knot and the load bearing construction outside the
Arena). Academia
Cravatica was responsible for the entire art installation project, and
the City of Pula was the co-organizer.
This world scale "mega-tie" is of incredible dimensions: it is 808 m long,
and at its widest it measures 25 m. The knot of the tie is 15 m long, at
its widest it is 16.5 m wide and at its most narrow point it is 5.4 m wide.
The height of the tie from the narrowest to the widest part is 3.5 m. The
execution of the art installation began on Tuesday morning, when members
of the Split mountaineering society "Spirit, by climbing up around the Arena,
began setting up a net around the Arena, so that they could then fix the
tie to it. This job took two days, then more than a hundred Pula high-schoolers,
standing around the Arena, held the tie whilst the mountaineers gradually
lifted it up to the top of the Arena. The most difficult part - tying the
knot of the tie - began on Saturday morning. In the late afternoon, more
precisely at around 5.30 p.m., the knot was tied and the tie spread out
to its full width of hundreds of meters across the Pula Karolina car park.
The entire unusual event was followed from the early morning with great
interest by hundreds of local people and tourists, and in the afternoon
there were several thousand watching. This world scale cultural media spectacle
aroused a great deal of attention from the local and world media, including
about ten television companies, including CNN and ARD.
The tying of the knot of the Tie was recorded several times from the air
(by helicopter from the Ministry of Defense) and what was probably the most
beautiful sight of the entire event began when, in order to spread out the
lower part of the Tie (below the knot), hundreds of local people became
involved in a long chain to take part in the installation, holding the Tie
up. On the recordings from the air, the Arena truly resembled the giant
neck of Veli Joze, as the creator of the installation Marijan Busic has
said, and the tie around the Arena was impressively similar to a normal
tie with a tied knot.
The sponsors of the art installation were HEP (the Croatian electricity
company) INA, Potomac-Croata
and Adria Lada. Croatian national television (HRT) will make a documentary
about this unique event. The importance of the art installation project
"A tie around the Arena" as a world scale cultural project by which the
Arena, Pula, Istria, Croatia and Croatian tourism have been promoted on
a world scale, has been recognized and given support by the Croatian Ministry
of Culture, the Ministries for European Integration, Tourism and Defense,
the Croatian Tourist Board, the Tourist Boards of the City of Pula and the
Istarska County and Croatia Airlines. The official cultural and artistic
program with the presentation of the installation was attended by the vice-president
of the Croatian Government Dr. Goran Granic, the assistant minister for
European Integration Davor Cilic, diplomatic representatives from the embassies
of France, Greece and Denmark, a representative of the Japanese cultural
institution "The Japanese House" Jassuo Yamamoto, who is also a member of
the Board of the Academia
Cravatica and many other important guests.
At the beginning of the official program (run by Lejdi Oreb) the mayor of
Pula dr. sc. Luciano Delbianco spoke on the significance of this event for
the city of Pula and Croatia as a whole. The coordinator of the technical
staging of the installation Mladen Marinovic spoke about how this exceptionally
complex project, in a technical and technological sense, was realized. The
creator of the installation Marijan Busic spoke about the motives for his
preoccupation with the tie and the message of this art installation and
amongst other things said, "While I was still in high school I realized
that Croatia, the home of the tie (cravat), could best be presented to Europe
and the world by means of the tie, as a worldwide symbol of dignity, formality
and success. In time I discovered more and more the symbolic potential of
the tie as a medium. So the art installation "A Tie around the Arena" primarily
draws attention to the tie as a world phenomenon of communication, a medium
which communicates emotion, value and identity. Today in the conditions
of globalization, with the tendency to iron out cultural differences, through
this installation which brings together the ancient and the modern era with
Croatia, I would like to emphasize directly the value of different identities.
The red color of the tie, as a sign of love, which is also the color of
the Croatian coat-of-arms, and the red soil of Istria, underlines the Croatian
cultural identity and at the same time its openness and belonging to the
wider European cultural circle. The metaphor of circles is also close to
me (of Pula, Istria, Croatia, Europe and the World), circles, which do not
obliterate each other, but rather complement and complete one another. The
extraordinary size of the art installation is conditioned by the size of
the Arena, this magnificent symbol of the Greek and Roman world. Since it
is located here in Istria, I spontaneously associated the Arena with the
giant Veli Joze and I imagined it as his gigantic neck."
The official program began at 3 p.m. with a parade by the brass band and
majorettes of the City of Pula. Also included in the program were members
of the "Uljanik" folk club and the women's klapa singing group "Teranke"
who for the first time performed the song "Vez" (written by Daniel Nacinovic,
music by Bruno Krajcar) which was especially written for the occasion. The
composition "Balun" was also performed (by Bruno Krajcar) which popularizes
the unique Istrian musical scale and the traditional Istrian dance. The
dance was performed by the "Stellium" dance group (choreography by Tatjana
Samuele). Six couples danced in costumes based on stylized Istrian folk
costumes made by the firm Potomac, who also are owners of the Croata brand.
After the program there was a reception and a happy time of socializing,
for the guests, the participants in the program and representatives of the
media.
The realization of the art installation also gave rise to other cultural
and artistic events. On Friday 17 October an exhibition of works by twenty
artists was opened on the theme of the tie. They donated all the works of
art exhibited to the non-profit making institution Academia
Cravatica. There is a book to be launched next week (a picture book)
entitled "The tie of Veli Joze or the fairy wedding in the Pula Arena" (written
by Daniel Nacinovic and Ivan Gregov), in three versions - in Croatian, Italian
and English.
And finally one more interesting thing. The final phase of the execution
of the installation on Saturday was made more difficult and slowed down
by a strong bora wind. Precisely because of the great vulnerability of the
installation to wind, the lower part of the tie was put away that same evening
with the help of the local people, but the knot and the part of the tie
around the Arena was taken down the next day, on Sunday. But the point of
the art installation had been achieved: a picture of the largest tie in
the world had gone around the globe! (Dino Bedrina)
(Dino Bedrina)
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TIES - from "WEVEN" (Dutch weavers
magazine)
By Irene van der Horst
In particular professions the tie often is the only thing by which one man
can distinguish himself from the other. Over the past years I followed my
husband to business-related get-togethers, and whenever I thought that his
costume had that extra something, I was disappointed: all of a sudden all
his colleagues turned out looking the same!
The uniformity of this type of men's wear is so obvious, that a tie can
be given as an accessory as a present. Giving any other piece of clothing
as a present is considered a little bit odd, except from close relatives.
The tie is both an ornament and a means to distinguish oneself. It was Luis
Acosta who understood this and made his, now well-known, paper ties. Ornament
you say? Absolutely. But what is the origin of the tie? Although there are
different views on this, I would like to tell you what I think is the most
likely.
Croatia, tie country. Where coffee stands for Brazil, fashion and champagne
for France, tulips and wooden shoes are 'typically Dutch', the tie is considered
Croatians national symbol. In 1635, during the Thirty-Year War, about six
thousand Croatian soldiers and their officers came offering their support
to Louis XIV and Richelieu. Amongst them were a large number of mercenaries
under the command of a 'Ban', a Croatian viceroy.
These troops wore ties knotted around their necks. The officers wore ties
of woven silk or high-grade cotton, while the ordinary soldiers wore ties
of a lesser quality. Louis XIV thought this was so extraordinary that he
introduced this 'Croatian style' and around 1650 the 'cravat' or 'Krawatte'
in German, from the word 'Croatian' or 'Hrvat' became commonly worn in the
army. The loose tie was a better sign of identification than the high-necked
lace collar, which not only was very expensive, but also less visible under
the long hair, which was the fashion in the seventeenth century.
Why did the Croatians wear ties? The very romantic answer to this question
is that a girl, saying goodbye to her lover as he left for the army, took
the shawl off her shoulders and gave it to him. He then tied this shawl
around his neck. Not wanting to be outdone, his mates also started to wear
shawls around their necks.
In the course of time the tie has slowly evolved into the tie as we know
it today. Presenting our husband or lover with a tie, we act, I am happy
to say, from the same motives as the enamoured young girl in the early seventeenth
century. Currently, Croatia is a producer of high-quality ties of only the
very best silk. Compared to our wooden shoes, this is remarkable.
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AN ARTISTIC INSTALMENT - "THE BAN'S NECKTIE"
Since the monument has been set up, few passers-by have noticed that Ban
(Viceroy) Josip Jelacic wears a necktie. On June 27, a young woman drew
attention to this fact by placing a "real" necktie around the Ban's neck.
The red colour of the necktie resembles the colour of the Croatian flag
and coat of arms. This necktie's style is true to the fashion trend of the
19th century, the period in which the Ban lived, but is considerably longer.
This artistic instalment project is the brainchild of Mr. Marijan Busic,
head of the marketing department of the "Croata" house of design. A young
artist by the name of Marta Crnobrnja was chosen to carry out the project,
and so, at six in the morning on Friday, June 27, the tie was hung around
the Ban's neck.
In the shadow of the monument to Ban Jelacic, from morning to late-afternoon,
sits a lady wearing a national costume. Her name is Rose. She sews neckties
and shawls by hand in the same way that they have been traditionally made
for the past one thousand years. Designer fashion items by "Croata" are
being offered at very reasonable prices for this special event only.
A reconstruction of the Croatian soldier from the times of the Thirty Years'
War (from 1618 - 1648), stands beside Rose. The soldier is on sentry duty
and is wearing an original model of the necktie. Whoever wishes may "lend"
his face to Marko (photo-mural) and have a quick photo taken.
This is just one of the events taking place at "Mark's Fair" from June 25
- 28, 2003.
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CROATA NECKTIES, WOREN BY FAMOUS
PEOPLE!
Croata neckties are gladly worn by businessmen, sportsmen, cultural elite
and politicians... It is known that Gerhard Schröeder, Helmut Kohl, Hans
Dietrich Genscher, Boris Becker and many others wear Croata neckties.
In the documentary film "Cravat" which was produced by Academia
Cravatica and Croatian national television, Klaus Kinkel said that Germans
have always enjoyed Dalmatian wine and Croatian neckties. To confirm this
statement he showed his own necktie and it was of course, the Croata necktie
...
Also interesting is the example of the Austrian prime minister Wolfgang
Schuessel, famous for wearing bow ties. When he became prime minister he
started wearing neckties, also from the Croata collection.
Joschka Fischer spoke very eloquently about Croatian and Austrian friendship.
In the spring of 2002, at the meeting with the Croatian Government he gave
a speech on the subject of cooperation improvement between two nations and
mentioned a friendship that have for centuries kept us close together. During
the informal meeting afterwards press representatives reported him saying
that he also wears Croatian neckties, a symbol of Croatian nation. Naturally
it was the Croata necktie.
These are just some examples that evidently show the importance of a necktie,
not just as the part of clothing that helps one look elegant and sofisticated,
but also as a communication medium which transmits a message.
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Fokus, May 15. 2002
PRESENTATION OF "CROATIAN JEWS"
NECKTIE
In the heart of Zagreb, namely in Oktogon passage, a festive presentation
of "Croatian Jews" part of Croata collection took place. This collection
grew up from the cooperation of non-profit organization Academia
Cravatica and Zagreb Jewish community.
The head rabbi of Croatia, Mr. Kotel Da-Don, the head secretary Mr. Dean
Friedrich and other representatives of Zagreb Jewish community attended
the presentation along with the manager of the National minority office
Mrs. Milena Klajner and Japanese ambassador Mr. Kaname Ikeda. Other important
people of Croatian public and cultural life attended the happening as well,
starting from don Anton Suljic, the head of IKE; Msgr. Josip Frkin; Mr.
Anton Kovacev, the Board director of HBOR (Croatian bank of reconstruction
and development); Mr. Ciro Blazevic, the former Croatian national soccer
team coach; Mr. Mario Zmajevic, director of Zagreb Tourist Board; Mr. Stipe
Tadic, sociologist of religion; Mrs. Suzy Josipovic, the owner of "Suzy
models" fashion agency…
The Croatian government's Vice-president, Mr. Goran Granic could not attend
personally and therefore by an official letter pointed out the validity
of the initiative congratulating organizers for the presentation where the
strength of the cravat, as a medium of Croatian origin, was joined with
many centuries old tradition of Jewish community in Croatia.
While opening this festive presentation, the Head of Academia
Cravatica, Mr. Marijan Busic, emphasized that the cravat, the universal
medium originally descending from Croatian populace, is by its values and
messages primarily a symbol of Judaeo-Christian civilization and was as
such accepted in the whole world. Mr. Busic also stressed out that the "Croatian
Jews" collection contains the genius of two old nations, Jewish and Croatian,
who have often had the similar paths; their influences in the Croatian soil
have been entangled and have created new values.
"I am happy that
we managed to realize this project, which should show to Croatian public
how the Jewish culture in this area was very rich. Maybe the people of Croatia
will be able to meet the several thousand years old and rich Jewish culture
and tradition, through the very symbol of the cravat. "- said Kotel Da-Don,
the head rabbi of Croatia.
The presentation went by in Hebrew cultural atmosphere, with authentic Jewish
music, which was performed by the "®ozer - klezmer band". Those present
had the unique opportunity to taste some of the kosher meals, which were
made as Jewish custom decrees later on at the party.
Collection:
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Business week, October 14th 2002
CROATIA:
STRIVING FOR EU EXPANSION
A breakthrough for SMEs
Croatian products, from software to anti corrosives, are going out west.
With rising living standards, a stable of young entrepreneurs is changing
the country's business outlook.
"We proved it was possible to make a high-quality product in Croatia,"
says Marijan Busic. The talk is neither about stone aggregates nor anti-corrosives,
but about neckties. Busic is member of the board at Potomac, a Croatian
textile firm established in 1990. The company sells handcrafted neckties
with original designs. Its Croata 4 line retails in Tokyo for $500 a piece.
Most people ignore that it was Croatian soldiers who first introduced the
necktie to Paris in the 17th century. That makes Croatia the official homeland
of the cravate, as the hanging piece of cloth came to be known.
Potomac has thus turned fashion lore into a marketing concept. It was no
easy task selling luxury products at first, particularly from a former Socialist
country. "Western markets were a bit sceptical and confused. That's why
we say that we aren't just selling a product, but a whole philosophy," says
Busic. Potomac is launching a new suit line next fall.
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