The Space Between

I have always believed that fashion should be discovered with an open mind. As a fashion editor, I am drawn to designers from different parts of the world, especially those whose work carries a distinct point of view and the discipline to develop it.

Fashion has never respected borders. It travels, connects, introduces people who might otherwise never cross paths. My meeting with Amina Hasanbegović began in precisely that way.

Our first conversation happened online, through a video call. There was no carefully staged introduction, no distance created by professional formality. We talked, laughed, exchanged ideas and quickly discovered that we understood each other. Amina and her husband, Rasim, struck me immediately as exceptionally hard-working, kind and professional people. There was a warmth in the conversation that stayed with me long after the screen went dark. Later, they told me that our conversation had meant a great deal to them, that I had given them wind in their sails.

Encouragement in fashion can sometimes be as important as criticism. It was clear that something had connected between us, and when they invited me to Mamula, I knew I wanted to see their world for myself.

Mamula Island, now home to Mamula Island by Banyan Tree, rises at the entrance to Montenegro's Bay of Kotor, inside a restored 19th-century fortress. The setting carries its own visual language: stone walls, weathered surfaces, open sea, changing light and the particular silence of an island surrounded by the Adriatic.

It was here that Amina presented Silence, her Autumn/Winter 2026 collection, and the location felt deeply connected to the clothes. She had looked at Mamula closely, translating its architecture and natural environment into volume, texture and movement. Her mood board brought together cracked stone, shadows, sea foam, fishing nets, shells, birds in flight and the colours of the sky immediately before sunset.

What fascinated me was the way Amina approached these references. Shells became part of the construction of garments. For one top, around seven kilograms of mussels were cleaned, treated, drilled individually and sewn by hand. Fishing net became the base for a new surface made from ground shells. Swifts were drawn and translated into three-dimensional elements, while a photographed butterfly evolved into a sculptural detail. Traditional craftsmanship sits alongside 3D and CNC technology, creating a vocabulary that feels both tactile and forward-looking.

The volumes are central to Amina's language. Silhouettes expand, contract and reshape the body, creating a dialogue between restraint and drama.

The work is continually evolving, with couture construction, accessories, jewellery, footwear and hair pieces becoming part of one complete visual world.

Amina has been building her brand for 15 years, developing an atelier-based practice centred on couture, custom-made gowns, bridal wear, coats and ready-to-wear pieces. Her process remains intensely personal and collaborative, with sketches, construction, fittings, handwork and technical experimentation forming the foundation of each collection.

For Silence, she extended that world into fragrance. The Silence perfume was conceived as another sensory layer of the collection, allowing the story of Mamula to be experienced through scent as well as sight and touch. It is currently part of the brand's offering alongside ready-to-wear and made-to-measure pieces.

Standing on Mamula and watching the collection move through the fading Adriatic light, I thought about that first video call. About how easily a professional connection can become something human. About the importance of recognising talent before it becomes widely known.

Amina and Rasim reminded me why I continue to search beyond the obvious names and established fashion capitals. Sometimes the most interesting stories are being built quietly, by people who work with extraordinary commitment and believe in their vision long before the wider world catches up.