40 years later, a London teacher is ready to reflect on a past life
Selma Popovic designed all of the uniforms for workers and volunteers at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo
When a young designer named Selma Popovic was approached to design uniforms for the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, she wasn't sure she wanted to do it.
"40 years ago when you think about uniforms it's only soldiers, police, or security. There's no inspiration in that," she said.
Now, during the anniversary of the Sarajevo Winter Olympics, which ran from Feb. 8, 1984 to Feb 19, 1984, the designer-turned-teacher is reflecting on that long-ago time and the career she left behind.
Popovic had already won several awards for her work when she was asked to design the uniforms and her friends in the design industry talked her into taking the job. By the time the games started, she had created a bunch of different uniforms for workers and volunteers. Each job required a different style, she said.
"It was my honour and I think nowadays I feel that honour more, because at that time it was hours of work and negotiations," she said.
It was a special time in Popovic's life, she said. "Everybody was helping, everybody was excited. I would think those were probably the best years of our lives, for my generation."
A PAST LIFE
Popovic moved to London in the mid-1990s, and left the past in the past. "When I moved to Canada, I didn't have the opportunity like I had back home. So, I went to teachers college," she said. She taught for the Thames Valley District School Board and continued creating textile art.
She recently dusted off and opened a promotional book from that time, which showcases photos of the uniforms she designed. She rarely speaks about her life as a designer in Sarajevo, even with close friends. On the anniversary of the games, she's decided to open up.
"I'm so happy I can talk about the Olympics now," she said.
She has had a rewarding life and career in Canada, but she does miss her life back home. "I think I buried it. The sadness that happened in the former Yugoslavia, the war that started in 1991 totally changed our lives," she said.