Ordinary shopping turned into unusual experience for many young Croats in Australia when the stores of a popular Billabong brand started selling T-shirts which, many of them, may consider bizarre.
The front of the disputed T-shirt contains emblem that combines the five-pointed star with what remarkably resembles the Croatian coat of arms.
Behind the five-pointed star is a grain wreath that resembles the iconography which, in Croatia, is commonly associated with the communist Yugoslavia. Behind a checkered coat of arms is an eagle wing, which after a brief observation, may be correlated with the eagle on the Serbian coat of arms.
Billabong’s graphic solution indicates that designer possibly wanted to raise controversy and provoke a reaction from the Australian Croats. T-shirt series is called ‘comrade’ which supports the notion that design purposefully evokes links with communism.
Croatian Youth from Sydney urged Croats to boycott Billabong
I was shocked with this incredible move made by the popular brand, Natalie Drazic, spokeswoman for the Sydney’s Croatian Youth said. She added that they informed all the leading Croatian companies and centers around the country about the incident and spoke to Billabong management from whom they asked for explanation.
An official response of the Billabong management says that T-shirt design was inspired by the current sports events and that they had no intention of insulting Croatian community in Australia.
Dissatisfied with the response, Natalie Drazic and the SCY management urged all Croats to boycott Billabong Company until further notice.
Fashion industry is known for causing various “incidents” that provide them with free advertising space. However, whatever the reason may be, Croatian community is still very sensitive on the issue of communist iconography since many of these symbols evoke painful memories of the dictatorship regime that forced many Croats into exile.
