Verica Rakočević
Verica Rakočević is a Serbian clothing designer known for her high fashion lines and for manufacturing uniforms for some of the country's leading companies and organizations. She is considered one of Serbia's top designers and has gained significant influence in various areas of Europe's fashion industry, particularly in magazines and fashion media. In May 2019, Rakočević announced she would step down as creative director of her company to mentor her son Nenad's career and support his comeback to fashion after taking a few years off due to personal family tragedy. Nenad fled the country in 2014 following his arrest and spent 88 days in jail. Rakočević published a book detailing her son's achievements and describing the arrest as a politically motivated attack on him and their family.
Career
Rakočević began her fashion career by opening the Ella boutique in 1983 in Belgrade. In 1997, she launched VR Company, producing perfumes and face creams. She founded her eponymous high fashion label in 1999. She has presented collections at fashion weeks in Rome, Milan, Los Angeles, Moscow, Athens, Vienna, St. Petersburg, Dubai, Cuba, and Belgrade. Her designs have been inspired by themes such as peace, the Ramonda serbica flower, and emotional states. In 2017, actress Monica Bellucci wore one of Rakočević's gowns at a movie premiere in Belgrade. Serbian actress Sloboda Mićalović is also known for wearing the designer's clothing.Rakočević was editor in chief of the Serbian magazines "L’Officiel" and "Inspire", a publication maintained by the Hyatt Hotel. Today, her VR Company continues to create perfumes, such as Tiburon Azul, and also produces clothing lines for women, men and children. She designs and manufactures many of the uniforms worn at top businesses like Hotel Hyatt Belgrade, the Belgrade Airport, Commercial Bank, and Piraeus Bank.