Žuži

Dino

Mirogoj

And in love, Žuža believed that more is more.

Žuži Jelinek was married four times! At the age of 80, she shone for the last time as a bride. She married retired judge Milorad Ronkulin and stayed with him for the rest of her life.

Regarding her first husband, Erich Jelinek, she said that she divorced him too hastily. And that's because of adultery! Probably, if this had happened in her later years, she would have done things much differently. Because Žuža herself said that it would be best for her and the children if she stayed married to Erich Jelinek. However, she didn't even want that then and married someone else.

When she married her second husband, Franck Lüthy, a lawyer from Geneva, she said that it was a marriage of convenience and that there was no love. Shortly after her second husband, Žuža married for the third time. As Žuži says: "on paper, without paper it doesn't count!"

Her third husband was Vladimir Majer, a tall, handsome former minister. Nevertheless, Žuži claimed that she only loved her first and last husband! Namely, Žuži and Milorad each lived on their own side of Ban Jelačić Square. They would meet twice a day and wave to each other from the window during the day.

And in love, Žuža believed that more is more. She wrote, "Make love with whom you arrive, when you arrive and where you arrive. And then you don't have to admit that to anyone!"

A woman who lived love

Žuži Jelinek was born as Zsuzsanna Ferber. She was Jewish. Žužina's parents met in Budapest because they were sent to school as deaf people.

Žuža's father, Izidor, was a great patriot, and after Žuža's birth, the Ferber family returned to Croatia. So Žuži lived at the end of Maksimirska cesta at number 54a in the poor part of the city. She lived in difficult conditions. Then she swore that she would become successful and rich. But problems kept coming.

During World War II, it was dangerous to be Jewish. Žuža's three brothers were killed in various places, and Žuža's parents were to be deported to Jasenovac. In order to save her parents, Žuži went to Sušak to an Italian officer.

Several evenings she went to the Esplanada in Rijeka where she met him privately. That's how she saved her parents. Later, speaking about that period of her life, she boldly said: - I paid for the life of my parents with sex and I'm not sorry! And what you will think about me, I don't care! –

Fearless Žuži

It's a story of an inspiring seamstress who irreversibly changed Yugoslavia.

We are proud to tell a story about how one inspiring woman and her love for fashion design slowly changed the country covered by the Iron Curtain. Colourful and modern designs entered Yugoslavia thanks to the persistence of Žuži Jelinek – maybe not the first but definitely the bravest and most inspiring Croatian entrepreneur.

During her career, Žuži's garments were worn by famous models such as Suzy Parker, she worked for Nina Ricci and Coco Chanel, and even designed outfits for the Yugoslavian first lady Jovanka Broz.

But Žuži, in fact, did not have an easy start in life.

She was born in Budapest (then Kingdom of Hungary) in the 1920s, as the youngest daughter in the Croatian Jewish family of Isidor and Ruža Ferber. Both of her parents were deaf. They met in Budapest, as the city hosted the only school for people with such disability.

After returning to Zagreb, family experienced difficulties and lived in poor conditions. Žuži’s father assembled brushes and sold them from door to door to make a living, while mother was taking care of her four children. Although Žuži’s aunt married a rich businessman, she did not do much for the family. She was embarrassed of her poor and „crippled” brother and even refused to host family in her saloon, but instead only allowing them to visit secretly, in the kitchen. At the age of 12, Žuži swore to herself that she will succeed no matter what, and that she will not be poor and hungry ever again.

The only education a woman of her social standing could take, was one of a seamstress. After finishing school, she was sewing in her aunt’s saloon in Budapest but soon moved to Paris in search of a job. There she started working for the designer Nina Ricci. Although she was very hard-working and talented, she didn’t earn much. She lived in a cheap apartment and everyday ate omelet and bread for lunch. From that time originates her saying: „Paris is only beautiful when you have a buck! Actually, without money, nowhere is beautiful.” As her apartment did not even have heating, she was always the first and the last person in the workplace.

In the beginning of 1940s she moved back to Zagreb and achieved her childhood dream – she finally opened her sewing saloon in the center of the city. For the money she earned selling her first dress she bought her mother a new fur coat. It seemed like sun finally shone upon the life of Žuži Ferber. But soon, the dark wind of Nazism swept black clouds on the young woman’s fate.

Her three brothers were sent to concentration camps where they were brutally murdered. She almost lost her parents, but in the last minute she managed to save them by creating a vicious pact with the local official – he will provide her parents’ papers if she “pays him a visit” in his hotel room. Brutally honest Žuži, once said: – I paid for my parents’ life with sex. I do not regret any of it and I don’t care about anyone else’s opinion on that matter. –

Soon she joined partisans and, after the liberation, reopened her saloon in Zagreb. She worked very hard and very long hours – from 5 am to 11 pm every day, as her designs were very modern and very desired by the Yugoslavian women.

Her popularity and quality of her work enabled her to travel all over the world with her designs (let’s not forget she lived in a communist country). She held fashion shows in USA, Japan, China, Israel, Brasil…

Žuži was also notorious for telling „no” to the leader himself – Josip Broz Tito. The story goes that Tito, after accusing Žuži of undermining socialism while selling her own branded products, asked her to run a Macedonian factory „Teteks” and represent her designs as the product of the state. She informed the leader that she is an artist and that she wants to sign off her own designs. This led Tito to arrange her arrest and send her to concentration camp, but she sensed the danger, and fled the country on time.

Her success continued. During her 5th visit to USA, Žuži was even welcomed by an article in New York Times. „Blond, blue-eyed designer from Zagreb, Yugoslavia, came to New York recently to interest buyers in a Spring collection of fashions for the career woman; She Came, Showed – and Sold”, the journalist wrote.

Žuži had many more ups and downs. After divorcing her husband, she had to move to Geneva and, again, start from the bottom in a new country. But clever Žuži climbed the fashion ladder one more time, and in the end of the new challenge life prepared for her, finally opened two of her very own fashion saloons in Zagreb and Geneva. During 70s and 80s she was very successful and respected, even sewing for the Broz family.

In the later days, she was famous for writing and publishing a dozen books and a couple hundred columns about her life, career and sex in which she discussed taboo topics with unprecedented openness.

Her most famous one-liner was: „Give your love to everyone, but your credit card password to no one”, by which she encouraged women to achieve financial security and independency.

Charismatic Žuži was the 20th century’s most famous Croatian entrepreneur, designer, and fashion artist. Her employees remember her as a considerate and honest employer, while Croatian history recognizes her as an entrepreneur who, in many ways, paved the way for other women to succeed. All that in a system in which entrepreneurship formally did not even exist.

She Cut The Iron Curtain With a Pair of Tailor Scissors

A successful fashion designer whose cuts were coveted by women in Yugoslavia and the world.

Although many remember Žuža as an author and infallible interpreter of male-female relationships, we remember her as, perhaps not the first, but certainly the most courageous and inspiring – Croatian entrepreneur.

There was no end to Žuža's successes. Her creations were worn by famous models like Suzy Parker, she sewed for Nina Ricci and Coco Chanel, and she also designed for the first lady of Yugoslavia, Jovanka Broz.

But Žuži swam against the current in her youth because her beginning was very difficult.

She was born in Budapest in the 1920s, as the youngest daughter in the Croatian-Jewish family of Isidora and Ruža Ferber. Both her parents were deaf and mute. They met in Budapest because there was the only school for people with disabilities there.

After returning to Zagreb, the family lived in poor conditions. Žuža's father assembled brushes and sold them door to door to earn a living, and her mother took care of four children. Although Žuža's aunt married richly, she did not help the family. She was ashamed of her poor brother and even refused to welcome the family into her living room, allowing them only secret visits in the kitchen. That's why Žuži swore at the age of 12 that she would succeed no matter what, and that she would never be poor or hungry again.

This is why she decided to become a seamstress. After finishing school, she sewed in her aunt's salon in Budapest, but soon moved to Paris in search of work. There she started working for the designer Nina Ricci. Although she was very hardworking and talented, she did not earn much. She lived in a shabby apartment and ate only omelette and bread for lunch every day. From that time comes her saying: "Paris is beautiful only when you have money!" In fact, without money, nowhere is nice." As her apartment did not even have heating, she was always the first and the last one at work.

In the early 1940s, she returned to Zagreb and realized her childhood dream - she finally opened her sewing salon in the center of the city. With the money she earned from selling her first dress, she bought her mother a new fur coat. It seemed that the sun had finally shone on Žuža's life.

But soon the black cloud of Nazism arrived. Žuža's brothers were sent to concentration camps where they were brutally killed. She almost lost her parents, but managed to save them at the last minute by making a deal with a local official - he will provide papers for her parents if she "visits" him in his hotel room. Open and honest Žuža once said: - I saved my parents' life with sex. I don't regret anything and I don't care what other people think about it. –

After the capitulation of Italy, she joined the partisans, and after the liberation, she reopened her salon in Zagreb. She worked hard and long - every day from 5 in the morning until 11 in the evening because her "dress" was very popular among Zagreb's "friars".

Due to the innovative and modern design and quality of her clothes, Žuža's fashion shows traveled all over the world. She held fashion shows in the USA, Japan, China, Israel, Brazil...

In addition to her work, Žuža was also known for saying "no" to Tito. He didn't like the fact that Žuža was selling clothes around under his own name. Therefore, he offered her to run the Macedonian factory "Teteks" and to present her design as a product of the state. Žuži replied that she was an artist and wanted to sign her own designs. So she almost ended up in prison, but she sensed the danger in time and fled the country.

She continued to achieve success abroad. During his fifth visit to the USA, Žuži even received an article in the New York Times. "A blonde-haired, blue-eyed designer from Zagreb (Yugoslavia) recently came to New York to interest buyers in a spring fashion collection for career women; Came, showed - and sold!", the journalists wrote.

Žuža still had a lot of ups and downs. After divorcing her husband, she had to move to Geneva and start all over again in a new country. But the nimble Žuži climbed the fashion ladder once again. At the end of another challenge that life had prepared for her, she finally opened two of her own fashion salons in Zagreb and Geneva. During the 70s and 80s, she was very successful and respected, even sewing for the Broz family.

In her later years, she was known for writing and publishing a dozen books and hundreds of columns about her life, career and sex, in which she discussed taboo topics with unprecedented openness.

She delighted many with her sharp love advice, and with her witty catchphrase "Love to everyone, pin to no one!", she encouraged women to achieve financial security and independence.

The charismatic Žuži was the most famous Croatian entrepreneur, designer and "schneider" of the 20th century. Her employees remember her as a careful and honest employer, while Croatian history remembers her as a resourceful and dexterous entrepreneur, a woman who paved the way to success for other women in many ways, especially with her advice.

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