Refined hats
- Janko is the last milliner in Sarajevo
- He learned his skills from his father
- He runs the millinery business with his wife
Janko Hlpka is the last remaining hat maker in Bosnia’s capital. Originally Slovak, he inherited the family business in Sarajevo. Janko has many loyal customers, including singers, actors and other artists from across the Balkans. His hats are worn by popular public figures, such as Rade Šerbedžija, Božo Vrećo and Dino Merlin. Today, he runs the business with his wife and hopes that his children and grandchildren will take over and continue to do what he and his father have been doing for decades. Given the changing of fashion styles and the evolution of the fashion industry, Janko tries to make his handcrafted pieces contemporary.
“It is a slow, demanding process that requires many stages of work. It’s not that easy to make a hat but I love it and enjoy it”
