STORY
Who is HEROI
Behind HEROI stands one woman with all of her dreams and struggles.
Her is Ljiljana Todorović, Master architect by education, product & graphic designer and amateur painter.
Why HEROI
This brand emerged from the simple joy of creation.
Have you experienced the wave of joy that overcomes you once you create something beautiful? That’s the feeling that started all of this.
The excitement of trials and errors, the thrill of explorations and neverending possibilities, as well as the rewarding journey of learning are all big contributors to the birth of HEROI.
Driven by the need to conquer fear, this brand is much more than a simple line of bags; it’s a maker’s story.
HEROI is a brand that advocates a personal journey of discovery and aims to become a symbol of courage and persistence. A journey that has no end.
Together, we will never give up on the things that make us stand out, that make us our own heroes. We will never leave our imagination behind, and we will never stop being courageous and wild.
How it all started
Giving a new life to something old and forgotten was almost an integral cultural thing for most of us growing up in Serbia in the 90s.
“I enjoyed helping my grandfather repair chairs and other smaller pieces of furniture in the house. He used to take me to the military waste warehouse where we would buy different types of army tents, military truck tarpaulin and other thrown-away materials. He would spend days working patiently on each chair. It was satisfactory to imagine that the final product would last forever.
Now, when I remember that, I realize that he taught me about something that would one day be known as upcycling.
From a 20 years perspective, the only thing I can say with certainty is that my grandfather greatly contributed my courage to dive into the HEROI project. ”
Brand history
It took 9 years for this project to fully come to life.
HEROI started back in 2013, with the first prototype emerging in 2014. And then it all stopped. Partially due to the lack of confidence and motivation and partially due to financial instability. However, with the support from encouraging friends, family, and a design company that I work for – it became a matter of now or never.
Story of fabric
This is not a story about war. This is not a reminder of the war.
This is about military waste.
The main aim of this project is to use waste created by the war to create useful goods, with purpose and function, as a testimony of the times that are behind us.
