Skender is where personal history meets bold design.
In Arabic, SKENDER translates to Alexander/Aleksandar, the name of the designer and initiator of the project. It subtly reflects the layered cultural background of the autors routes, where Eastern and Western influences have long intertwined.
At the same time, SKENDER is also the name of the custom typeface used on the jumpers. Its forms draw inspiration from Skenderija, the iconic brutalist concrete sports complex in Sarajevo. Built as a central gathering place and revived during the 1984 Winter Olympics, Skenderija became a symbol of modernity, culture, and winter life in the city.
Bringing these meanings together, SKENDER becomes a story in itself: personal, local, historical, and architectural... woven directly into each sweater.
SKENDER wool jumper are true one-of-a-kind pieces.
Each garment is hand-knotted by women from rural communities in Western Serbia, in the region around Zlatibor, an area with centuries-old traditions of crafting high-quality wool products.
All production is carried out in collaboration with Sirogojno, a heritage company that has been working for more than 60 years with women from the countryside, supporting them in turning their knitting skills, once used mainly for their own households, into a meaningful source of additional income. This initiative was started in the 1960s by Belgrade designer Dobrila Smiljanić, who combined contemporary design with traditional craftsmanship to create a model of rural empowerment. That spirit lives on in every SKENDER jumper.
By choosing a SKENDER piece, you are not only receiving a unique handmade product, you are also supporting a deeply sustainable and consciously crafted way of making clothing. Because every SKENDER jumper is made entirely by hand, production takes time. Orders are seasonal and accepted only three times a year. The making of a single sweater takes around 50 days.
A model wearing Dobrila Smiljanić’s designs in Sirogojno, late 1970s.
Models showcasing Dobrila Smiljanić’s designs, with the knitters in the background, photographed in the early 1980s.
The wool
SKENDER jumpers are made from pure Icelandic sheep wool, known for its unique “dual coat” structure. This wool combines long, strong outer fibers that protect against wind and moisture with a soft, airy underlayer that provides warmth. The result is a naturally robust, slightly coarse yarn, very different from smooth Merino wool.
Responsibility
The wool manufacturer, Istex, adheres to Iceland’s strict animal-welfare laws. The use of antibiotics, hormones, herbicides, pesticides, and chemical treatments is heavily restricted and closely monitored. Sheep are neither over-milked nor dehorned. Shearing is usually done under the careful supervision of the farmers to ensure the animals’ comfort. Right after shearing, the sheep are brought indoors and kept warm until their natural wool coat grows back and they can return outside.