Dobrila Smiljanić Has Died

March 6, 2026

TL;DR

Dobrila Smiljanić, a fashion designer and organizer of home industry, known for Sirogojno sweaters, has passed away at 91 in Sirogojno on Zlatibor.
She is remembered as the creator of the Sirogojno brand, which she placed on the world map, and for her significant contribution to women's emancipation in Serbia.
Smiljanić enabled thousands of rural women to achieve economic independence by working from home.
Born in Radobuja near Arilje in 1935, she moved to Zlatibor in 1962 and became involved in organizing women's crafts.
She organized knitters from Zlatibor into the Zlatiborka cooperative, inspired by Rajka Borojević's model.
Sirogojno sweaters featured motifs inspired by the Zlatibor landscape, initially hand-embroidered onto machine-knitted garments.
Smiljanić later introduced softer imported wool, expanding the product range to include vests, jackets, and coats.
In the 1970s and 1980s, her collections were featured in Vogue magazine and by the fashion company Prada.

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