Vedrana, Dada i Dunda

My name is Vedrana, and I am the founder of Dada i Dunda. We are based in Slavonski Brod, a town in the region of Slavonia located in eastern Croatia. Behind the brand are me and my mother—two highly creative women who have always loved turning something old and discarded into something new. 

We repurpose the somewhat forgotten yet rich traditions and heritage of Slavonia. With the rise of fast fashion and a quicker pace of life, along with rapidly changing trends, our tradition has been increasingly forgotten—so much so that it was nearly discarded and thrown away. That’s when we came up with the idea to use all these old traditional fabrics and decorations to create new items, especially women’s fashion pieces, in hopes of blending or at least bringing urban trends closer to tradition.

Slavonia has a long and rich history of customs and traditional crafts, each carrying a story. Every village had its own unique style of crocheting, weaving, and even processing materials and dyeing wool. Women—our ancestors—worked day and night to decorate their homes, especially for special occasions like weddings, baptisms, saint celebrations, and even funerals. Handcrafted bed linens, tablecloths, even woven blankets and cloths with embroidered messages were traditionally gifted during weddings, childbirth, and similar life events. Behind each piece of fabric or decoration lies a story we want to continue. We like to say that we’re giving our tradition a second life through clothing.

Besides preserving the story of our rich heritage, we want to make sure the hard work of women in the past is not forgotten. We’re also preserving their memory. In today’s world, it’s incredibly important.

I always emphasize what and who is behind each item we create, and it brings me so much joy to see women wearing dresses, shirts, and pants made from traditional bedding, tablecloths, curtains, and other decorations. I can truly say this is one of the ways I preserve the memory of our tradition while also highlighting the importance of slow fashion.

We began our work and story of repurposing with fabrics and decorations that were part of our family’s inheritance. Today, we find materials at various markets—from antique fairs to local flea markets. Many people also come to us with their own materials and decorations, which we sometimes purchase and sometimes receive as gifts. Slavonia, like the rest of Croatia, has gone through many difficult periods. Most young people have moved away, grandmothers and great-grandmothers have passed on, and the rich heritage of fabrics remains forgotten in trunks and wardrobes. That’s where we come in—transforming all that hidden wealth into new creations.

A Few Tips from a Sustainable Fashion Designer

1. Look for quality materials
   Check the label for fabric composition, country of origin, and stitching – the details say a lot about how long a piece will last.
2. Don’t chase trends
   Choose clothes you can easily mix and match with what you already own, and wear them for years to come.
3. Choose natural fabrics
   Hemp, linen, and cotton are biodegradable and gentle even on sensitive skin.
4. Think long-term
   Will you be able to repurpose, gift, or pass on that piece? Circular fashion means considering the full life cycle of a garment.
5. Research the brand
   Who made the piece and under what conditions? Transparency and ethical production are key in sustainable fashion.

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