Installation view, Aromanian costume and interior

Costume is a sign of ethnic identity, and therefore contributes to the existence of a language of forms, decoration and gestures, a language essential within an ethnic conglomerate such as the complex world of the Balkans. The Aromanian costume is a perfect combination of refinement, elegance, sobriety and practicality. The costume falls within the category of “major” artistic phenomena and is perceived and defined in the same terms as art: form and colour, in other words, using the tools and vocabulary of art history. The wool was processed at home, and the clothes were made by tailors (araftsa) from the cloth. For feast days and in summer, the women ordered clothes made from velvet and silk.