Zigman is a young designer from Rijeka who studied at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, Italy. He has been building a strong following as a fashion designer in recent years, though he also enjoys industrial and interior design. Here Juraj shares a few insights about his home city.

What are the best things about Rijeka, in your opinion?

In Rijeka you can feel the closeness of western Europe. Rijeka’s location is great, close to Italy, the sea and the mountains. It was exactly due to this position that the city changed its “citizenship” several times through history. Because of that, people are very open and approachable, accepting of everything. Those are the best things about Rijeka: the city’s location and its people.

Do you think that Rijeka as a city has potential that one might not notice at first sight?

Definitely, Rijeka has the potential to become a cultural destination for this part of Europe. There is no industry left here, but industry left art in its wake and that can be exploited. All those warehouses and abandoned factories would be perfect for artists, designers and other creative types.

What’s your favourite place for a coffee?

I often go to Trsat, I can sit at the fortress there for hours looking over the city. The Terminal bar and club is also great for its view. That’s really important to me: I love to linger over a coffee in the sunshine and enjoy the view.

Who and what makes up the current fashion design scene in Rijeka?

Rijeka’s fashion scene? The Croatian fashion scene can hardly be called a “fashion scene”, but Rijeka doesn’t have a fashion scene at all. It’s not that there are no good designers; it’s just that they haven’t done anything to build a scene. Everyone gets on with his or her work, but nothing has been created.

What is your favourite experience resulting from your work?

I enjoyed working on “Šuma striborova” [a play for children by Croatian writer Ivana Brlić Mažuranić] for the Ivan Zajc Croatian National Theatre. That’s an indescribable experience: the relationships that develop with people through work on the whole project are wonderful. Each new experience in today’s Croatia is very close to my heart.