The Funeral of Skandal

Some things deserve more than a quiet ending.

For more than two decades, Skandal was a family-run Croatian fashion business creating original designs and producing its own clothing for young people. Bold, alternative and ahead of its time, the label became a distinctive part of the local fashion scene.

Then came the economic crisis. Despite years of successful work, the business could no longer survive without the financial support and accessible credit it needed. In Olja’s view, Croatian entrepreneurs were left without sufficient support from banks or public policy, while the market was changing around them.

Rather than let the story of Skandal disappear without a trace, I decided to give it the farewell it deserved.

I staged a symbolic funeral in the streets of Split: dressed in mourning, carrying flowers, accompanied by a procession and a coffin bearing the name SKANDAL. I also placed a funeral notice in the newspaper and brought the tribute to a cemetery — a symbolic resting place for businesses lost during the recession.

It was a farewell to a company, but also a tribute to the imagination, courage and labour behind it — and to the many other independent businesses that did not survive.

SKANDAL may have closed. Its creative spirit did not.

— Olja Einfalt