Marijan Bušić, Member of the Board of "Potomac" and Head of the Institute "Academia Cravatica"
Five Stars Croatia Issue 2 — April 01, 2007.

Croats, as part of their traditional outfits, used to wear an attractive kerchief tied in a specific way around their necks. These “knotted” kerchiefs were also worn by Croatian soldiers in the 17th century during the Thirty Years War.

This attractive "Croatian style" won the hearts of the fastidious people of Paris at the time of Louis XIV and they adopted the new fashion accessory, which was worn "à la Croate". This expression quickly became the root of the new French word "cravate".

As a student of philosophy and sociology in Zagreb, in 1972 I realized that the fact of the Croatian origins of the tie (cravat) was so powerful, that it could change the view of Croats and their role in the world. It became clear to me that Croatia could present itself most worthily to the world as the Homeland of the tie. Over the years the understanding grew to maturity within me that in order to realize this idea the culturological story was not sufficient, but a respectable product was also needed.

In 1990, in parallel with the process of the creation of the Croatian state, I founded the brand name "Croata" together with my friend and partner Zlatko Penavić, and a few years later the "Academia Cravatica" institute. Today, 17 years later, I see that our project has made an important contribution to enhancing Croatia's image on a world scale. At the same time, I am convinced that what has been done so far is only a very small part of what still needs to be done. Although I have been passionately occupied with the tie for many years, discovering and promoting its symbolic power, it seems to me that I am actually still at the beginning.

The tie is not only a cult fashion accessory, a symbol of Croatia and Europe, but also one of the signs of the foundational values of civilization. Its vertical line is human dignity and "uprightness". It encourages us to be more human in our communication and more gentlemanly. The airiness of the tie and its abundance of color is a picture of the joys of life, spontaneity, freedom. And tying the knot is a sign of moderation, method, responsibility. The tie is therefore a symbol of "restrained joy", the harmony of joy and moderation, two key values of the Greek and Roman and the Judeo-Christian cultures. In a symbolic sense we can say that democracy, and therefore the future of the world, depend on the tie, more precisely on the balance of freedom and responsibility. That is why it is not an exaggeration to say that the tie is at the very centre of world events.

Due to its symbolic potential, the tie is actually a medium, a means of communication, conveying emotion and values. Very few companies in the world use symbols, but precisely this, the presentation of a symbol through our products and projects, is an important characteristic of the company "Potomac" and the brand "Croata". A Croata tie, the leader product of the brand, is not only a top fashion product, but also a recognizable Croatian souvenir, as it contains as many as three values arising from its national identity (the Croatian origins of the tie, the national name "Croata" and motifs from the Croatian heritage on the tie, as a medium).

That is why Croata brand products are particularly prized as part of what Croatia has to offer tourists, in diplomatic circles and other occasions where Croatia presents itself to the world. Today Croata ties showing Glagolitics, the woven plaited design, national folk embroidery and other characteristic Croatian motifs are worn by hundreds of thousands of people on all continents. Following the market success with ties and scarves, we expanded the Croata brand range of products to other exclusive products: suits, shirts, waistcoats, leather accessories..., for men and women.  

A tie says a great deal. It shows, on the one hand, that a man is free, and on the other, that he wants to do something that is good for him and for others. I believe the tie displays the best in us. That is why I want to turn the world's attention to the wonder of the tie and its symbolic power. I do this through our top quality products, but also through artistic projects. My artistic installation "A Tie around the Arena", staged in Pula in 2003, was seen as the most ambitious and most successful project so far promoting the Croatian identity in the world. Through TV stations worldwide, this installation was seen by more than a billion people. Tying the largest tie in the world, red in color, around the Roman amphitheatre, I symbolically brought antiquity and the modern age together and at the same time sent the message to the entire world that Croatia is the Homeland of the Tie.

"A Tie Around Croatia" followed in 2006, in which all the regions of Croatia were presented and symbolically linked, "embraced" as a single whole. "A Tie Around Croatia" began and then, by tying the smallest knot on the largest tie in the world, it also ended in Dubrovnik, the symbol of Croatian freedom and identity. This mega-installation also aroused a great deal of attention from the world's media. My colleagues ask, "What next?" After the Tie around Croatia, the next thing is of course "A Tie Around Europe", our wider homeland. But we will not stop even there, for the entire world is our homeland. The tie is communication and we, at Croata, through our products and cultural projects, will continue our intensive communication with the world.