Our Story

Where it all began

smena came about as a prelude to a huge change that enveloped sister's Suzi and Jaki Ristevski in January 2002. Whilst on a holiday at the Victorian coastal town Sandy Point, the two sisters decided to use this creative outlet as a way to bond after a 3 year seperation. What began as a girly weekend with a few beads and wire, wine and catch up chats... whilst making many pairs of earrings... very quickly became a passion.

smena was launched on the Melbourne fashion scene early in 2002. The girls named their concept 'smena' the feminine word for 'change' in Macedonian, drawing strength and individuality from their heritage. Their initial one-off designs - earrings made from beads, shells, wire and leather - received a great response from selected retailers and the techniques of blending materials and hand sewing evolved into a range of unique designs of earrings, cuffs and a little later, bags and belts. This exclusive range of pieces of wearable art are still available today by special order.

Smena took on a life of it's own and Jaki took on sole responsibility of the expanding business. With no formal training in fashion (Jaki studied photography and Suzi is a hairdresser) Jaki enlisted her fathers' background in tailoring and upholstery to introduce new designs, learn sewing skills and together they developed the range. Needing a belt for an outfit Jaki saw another avenue for Smena to pursue. This led to the design of her first belt, using stud fastenings. The signature 'stud belt' is still the biggest seller today proving that her innovative ideas are timeless. Shifting the focus a little from the signature raw style, smena created a new direction in 2004 by creating a complete collection of beautifully designed bags and belts available in set colorways each season.

Gleaning inspiration from her Macedonian background combined with the many landscapes seen in her travels to Europe and living in the UK, along with the experience of living in Australia, smena designs are exquisite and original. From the very early days, Jaki has been passionate about keeping production local, offering jobs to the amazingly creative local talent.

Based in Melbourne Australia, Smena is made up of a team of dedicated, inspired individuals. Essential to the smena philosophy of being made in Australia, this team devotes themselves to the exceptional quality and aesthetic beauty of each piece created. Combining timeless designs along with luxurious leathers, sourced locally and from around the world, the smena brand developed a strong following in Australia.