The audience was spellbound by the models on the catwalk. The women wore chic white shirts and skirts from the Albanian folk costume, xhubleta, which is customarily associated with women living in northern Albania. This unexpected combination sealed the triumph of the 32-year old designer, Joni Peçi, after his first ever presentation on an Albanian fashion TV channel.

Joni Peçi, who is fond of national traditional costumes, pulled xhubleta out of the dusty antique wooden sideboards and combined them with modern stylish clothes, thus becoming the first designer in the country to bring tradition to the catwalk shows. “I have always intended to embody originality in my clothes. What could be more original than our traditional costumes? To me, xhubleta is the queen of the Balkans,” said Joni Peçi in an interview exclusively with Southeast Europe: People and Culture.  

He began his career in fashion at the age of 18 just as a hobby. By 2004 his designs using elements of folk costumes attracted great attention. “I feel good that my new designs got rid of the pointless unease surrounding national costumes. After my presentation, many artists realised that xhubleta can also be beautiful today. It is a timeless piece of art,” he added.

Joni Peçi has designed every outfit worn by the world-famous Albanian soprano, Inva Mula, in her concerts. He has also compiled a calendar with her photos showing a perfect combination of traditional elements incorporated into stylish modern clothing.

Peçi first got the idea to make xhubleta part of his collection in 2005. “It was quite a coincidence. I was together with my friend, Linda Spahiu, who is a collector of national costumes. We passed by a souvenir shop where many national costumes were displayed in the windows. At this moment, we both thought of including national costumes on the stage,” Peçi said.

Since then, the national costumes are his muse. “I will always stick to the traditional elements. It does not mean that I will always use national costumes. From these, I can get the inspiration on how to use the colours, fabrics, shapes and designs,” he said.

The young designer thinks that the national costumes stimulate femininity. “The forms of the national costumes in general and xhubleta in particular make a woman feel genuine,” he said.

For Peçi, who has participated in many fashion shows in Italy, Serbia, Romania and elsewhere, xhubleta was designed to be worn by women all over the world. “It looks so good on each and every woman,” he said.

Within this concept, Peçi intends to use other designs inspired by original Albanian textile works in the next season. “I like to include laces and embroidery made on embroidery hoops,” he said. His love of classical music and interior design has helped Peçi to keep his artistic focus.

Peçi is the artistic director of Tirana Fashion Week, which was organised in the August of 2011 in Tirana for the fourth time. Young designers from Albania, Kosovo*, Macedonia**, Greece and other countries participated. To follow this goal he founded the Joni Peçi Fashion Group in 2006. The mission of this organisation is to support and promote young people in the fields of fashion and art in general. “Whether famous or not, all people are welcome to come to the Joni Peçi Fashion Group,” is his credo.

Most Albanian designers are women, such as Anila Zajmi, Enada At'Nikolla, and Rezarta Skifteri. Albanian designers are gaining ground by relying on their own creativity and on the original elements of the country’s cultural heritage. Joni Peçi is one of the most notable examples.