Dear Sir or Madam,
The “Stećak” Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Croatian Traditional Culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in cooperation with the Croatian Heritage Foundation, is organizing the 12th Traditional National Folk Costume Show and Contest for the Most Beautiful Croatian Woman in a National Folk Costume Outside of the Republic of Croatia, which will take place from June 30th to July 6th 2025 in Tomislavgrad, Bosnia and Hercegovina.
The aim of the programme is for Croats from all over the world to meet and connect for the purpose of promoting common traditional culture and getting to know and supporting Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially in strengthening and preserving their national and cultural identity.
Croatian women, representatives of Croatian emigrant communities from various European countries, but also from other continents, from North and South America, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as representatives of Croatian minority communities, participated in the shows and contests in previous years. We invite you to join the programme and support the 12th Show and Contest in 2025.
Programme duration: June 30th – July 6th, 2025
June 30th – Arrival in Biograd, accommodation in hotel, dinner at restaurant ROKO
July 1st – Visit to Vransko jezero Nature Park, photoshoot, dinner at restaurant Soline
July 2nd – Boat trip, visit to OPG Matulić. Lunch at restaurant Lanterna. Return to Biograd, 21:00 SHOW IN THE SUMMER MOVIE THEATRE IN BIOGRAD. Dinner at restaurant Barba,
July 3rd – Breakfast, departure for Tomislavgrad. Arrival, check in, visit to Carmelite Monastery of St. Elijah on Buško Lake, dinner.
July 4th – Rehearsal at Ganga Square, museum in Tomislavgrad, lunch at the hotel. Holy mass for fallen defenders in war, Klapa Sv. Juraj HRM concert, dinner.
July 5th – Breakfast, Procession in Traditional Costumes Through the City, Mass of All Bishops, lunch. Preparation for the fashion show and the 12th TRADITIONAL CLOTHING REVIEW AND THE SELECTION OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CROATIAN WOMAN IN FOLK COSTUME OUTSIDE THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA. Gala dinner after the fashion show.
July 6th – Breakfast and departure from Tomislavgrad to Zagreb
Contest rules:
1. The female contestants participate in the national folk costume of the region where they or their ancestors come from. If the contestant does not have the costume of her region, she participates in the costume chosen by her or the ensemble she is representing.
2. Female contestants must be between 18 and 32 years old.
3. Each female contestant can bring one person/chaperone as a companion who will help her to get ready, get dressed and the like. Contestants are not allowed to bring along a boyfriend or fiancé as chaperone.
4. Female contestants and their chaperones are provided with free meals and transportation to excursions, as well as other programme-related expenses during their stay.
5. Female contestants and their chaperones are not provided with travel expenses for arrival in and departure from Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, a special free bus from Zagreb to Tomislavgrad (with return to Zagreb) will be provided for all female contestants traveling via Zagreb.
6. After application, and before the Contest, all contestants must send two photos of themselves in national folk costume to the organizer: one portrait and one photo of the entire contestant (medium shot). The submitted photos will be used for the selection of Miss Photogenic via the website and Facebook pages of the “Stećak” Association, which will precede the Show and Contest.
7. An artistic photo shoot of the female contestants will take place. The photo shoot will be carried out by a professional photographer, and each female contestant will receive her photo in national folk costume – printed on canvas, size 50×70 cm.
8. The winner will be proclaimed the most beautiful Croatian woman in a national folk costume outside of the Republic of Croatia. Her 1st and 2nd runners-up will also be proclaimed and will receive appropriate prizes.
9. Each country can be represented by a maximum of two contestants that represent Croatian communities and organizations, and the contestants from Bosnia and Herzegovina will make arrangements directly with the organizer – Stećak.
10. The participants of the Show, by accepting the contest rules, waive any claims from the organizers based on compensation of any form of damage that could arise during the Programme of the 12th Show.
How to apply for the Contest:
You have to complete the enclosed application form and, at the latest by June 9th 2025, send it to the email address stecakudruga@gmail.com, with anita.bracic@matis.hr in Cc;
We kindly ask you to accept our invitation and participate in this valuable Programme with the aim of promoting the Croatian traditional heritage of the Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina and preserving the Croatian cultural identity.
Ivanka Rora, Head of the Project of the Croatian Heritage Foundation