• The Romanian blouse, known by the name of IA, has roots in immemorial times and the sacredness and

mystery of this masterpiece of Romanian popular art is now about to be rediscovered.

• It is not known exactly when the ia appeared, but some sources believe that this specific cut of the blouse is
to be found during the “Cucuteni” culture (5500-2750 BC) which is considered one of the most spectacular
civilizations of the prehistoric world.

• Over time, the traditional blouse captured various cultural influences, less in its tailoring technique, but more
in decorative motifs. Every new decorative composition or element of influences was filtered through its
community, thus preserving its cultural heritage and values. Each sewing symbol bare a certain meaning,
message or story.

• Most of the symbols worn on the clothes depict Hora – a Romanian dance symbolizing fraternity –, moments
of life and even the passing to the other realm, or how one should relate to the Heavens and Earth. Likewise,
they depict the fascinating story of a nation and its land so interconnected to one another, that it can only
show their consistency despite the challenges of times.

• Ia or the Romanian Blouse – as it’s known around the world, is a piece of clothing that is built in such a way
to generate and direct the energy each symbol represents, through the embroidery work on the chest and
sleeves that channel the energy through the body, down to the arms and into the hands, making thus
possible for the peasant woman to attach her soul to her work.

• A LIFE-LONG LEARNING PROCESS FOR THE ROMANIAN WOMEN WAS IN PLACE, AN IMMENSE KNOWLEDGE
BASE THAT WOULD PASS FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER. EVERY STAGE OF ITS EXECUTION – FROM
RAW WOOL TO YARN, TO FABRIC, THEN TO EACH PIN PRICK WAS STORED IN AN ANCESTRAL FOUNDATION.

• Until the beginning of this century, the fabric was handmade in households from linen, hemp, cotton yarn,
or Romanian raw silk called borangic, and also the decorative threads. Plants and flowers were used for
thread dyeing. The colors were chosen to ease energy and to “talk” about the wearer. In late autumn,
when agricultural work was completed, the sittings began. Women and girls of the village, from a very
early age, gathered together and began the needlework.

Over time, the Romanian blouse fascinated painters, photographers, designers and people from the
country and abroad. Princess Ileana, Princess Elena, Queen Mary are among the royal personalities
who proudly wore the Romanian traditional costume. Her Majesty Queen Mary (Queen of Romania,
Princess of Edinburgh, Saxe - Coburg and Gotha) has transformed it into a personal fashion style.
"Ia" was and is admired abroad also. Thus the French painter Henri Matisse painted in 1940 "La
Blouse Roumaine" inspired by a collection of Romanian blouses received from the Romanian painter
Theodor Palladi. Matisse's paintings will be inspiration for the fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, who
integrated the Romanian blouse into a collection of haut couture in 1981.
In 2006 another designer, Jean Paul Gaultrier, has dedicated a whole collection for the Romanian
traditional port. In 2008 year Oscar de la Renta has used prints and fabrics inspired by Romanian folk
outfit. In 2011 year Philpippe Guilet has dedicated for Romania a collection "100% couture, 100%
modern, 100% Romanian, with Romanian artisans and artists".