Forty Years Avant-Garde: Ksenija Vrbanić on the Architecture of Fashion
Few designers embody the word “avant-garde” with as much longevity as Ksenija Vrbanić, the founder of XD Xenia Design. Since 1986, she has steered her Croatian label into global relevance while refusing the trap of repetition. Her brand has become a study in contrasts: rooted in traditional craftsmanship yet embracing technological tools, unapologetically architectural but deeply human, global in vision yet proudly anchored in Croatia.
As XD approaches its fourth decade, Vrbanić reflects not with nostalgia but with an architect’s clarity: every garment is a structure, every collection a dialogue between past and future.
Author: You’ve led XD for nearly four decades. What does it take for a brand to stay avant-garde without repeating itself?
Ksenija Vrbanić: To stay avant-garde, one must constantly question and explore, pushing beyond comfort zones. It’s important never to fall into complacency. I avoid recycling my own ideas — instead, I look for new ways to challenge conventions.
Author: The “XD dimension” is described as personality-driven design. How do you translate someone’s presence into a cut or a line?
Ksenija Vrbanić: To stay avant-garde, one must constantly question and explore, pushing beyond comfort zones. It’s important never to fall into complacency. I avoid recycling my own ideas — instead, I look for new ways to challenge conventions.
Author: The “XD dimension” is described as personality-driven design. How do you translate someone’s presence into a cut or a line?
Ksenija Vrbanić: The XD dimension is architecture for the body. My codes are bold and closely linked to personality. Shapes are designed to empower, to endure, to move with strength. When clothes carry my personal signature, people sense it — and sometimes discover a reflection of themselves in it.
Author: You’ve balanced craftsmanship with technology. Where do you see technology pushing fashion next, and what risks do you refuse to take?
Ksenija Vrbanić: Technology will continue to accelerate processes and sustainability. But fashion must remain a human experience. I’ll never abandon craftsmanship, artistry, and touch. Without them, fashion loses its soul.
Author: Sustainability was in your DNA long before it became a trend. Do you believe fashion can ever be truly sustainable?
Ksenija Vrbanić: Fashion is a living organism, in constant change. But the cycle of producing and discarding every six months is destructive. True sustainability means reducing volumes, enhancing quality, designing with intention, and respecting the human relationships in making clothes.
Author: Croatia isn’t usually listed alongside Paris or Milan. How has being rooted there shaped your vision?
Ksenija Vrbanić: Being in Croatia gave me perspective. I built the XD Design Centre to reflect values: harmony with nature, a workspace where people feel free to create. We even grow our own vegetables on-site. At the same time, Zagreb is an hour from an international airport. The world is within reach. Croatia may not offer the same support as other countries, but a unique vision can be realized anywhere. That’s our advantage.
Author: When you revisit a past design, do you feel nostalgia or the urge to reinvent?
Ksenija Vrbanić: I see opportunities for improvement. Each piece captures its moment, but I don’t dwell on the past. We’re building the XD Museum, where archives will be placed beside new ideas — a dialogue across time.
Author: If XD were a building, what would it be?
Ksenija Vrbanić: The XD Design Centre itself. It was once a stable for brickyard horses. We preserved the old bricks and beams, then layered them with concrete, steel, glass. A horse-shaped lamp recalls the building’s history. The space follows Vastu principles, ensuring energy and clarity. For me, the building embodies the brand.
Author: You’ve mentored many Croatian designers. What advice do you give most often?
Ksenija Vrbanić: Stay optimistic. Don’t fear failure. I wasted time fearing it myself, but failure is often progress in disguise. The toughest moments shaped me most. Everything is possible — even when it seems impossible.
Author: Fashion weeks demand spectacle. How do you balance theatre with your own aesthetic?
Ksenija Vrbanić: Spectacle can be engaging without being loud. For me, it’s about crafting narrative — music, makeup, design — each detail must innovate without losing truth.
Author: Looking 40 years ahead, what do you hope people will remember more: the clothes or the philosophy?
Ksenija Vrbanić: The philosophy. Clothes are vehicles for values. What matters is the story: a commitment to innovation, responsibility, and the belief that fashion can be both human and visionary.
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Closing Reflection
In a fashion world obsessed with speed and noise, XD stands as an enduring contradiction: fiercely avant-garde yet rooted in discipline, radical in form yet human in practice. If the next 40 years mirror the last, then the legacy of XD Xenia Design will not be garments alone, but a philosophy of resilience, precision, and fearless experimentation.
Interview by Oona Chanel
