Thomislav Cerovečki

Umbrella maker

©Bojan Mrđenović

Keeping hold of a family tradition

Thomislav specialises in handmade umbrellas and parasols
He is the fourth generation of umbrella makers
Šestinski kišobran is his bestseller and a symbol of Zagreb

Cerovečki Umbrellas maintains a 100-year-old tradition in producing handmade umbrellas and parasols, and Thomislav Cerovečki is at the helm. The story began back in 1912 when Mr Mijo Cepanec started his umbrella artisan shop Cepanec in Varaždin. The shop had moved to Ilica Street in Zagreb in 1936 and has been there ever since. Today, the business is run by the fourth generation – Thomislav and his wife Mateja Cerovečki – sadly it is the only umbrella maker left in Zagreb (there used to be eight). Because it is such a cherished tradition, the craft of making the Šestine umbrella in the traditional workshop is on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia.

Interview

©Bojan Mrđenović

©Bojan Mrđenović

How does one become an umbrella maker?: There is no formal education for umbrella makers anymore, so the skill needs to be learned from an early age, and then passed on from generation to generation. I learned it from my father.
What makes a good umbrella maker?: Patience, there is no room for haste. You have to know the technology, obey the rules, be aware of the quality of the materials, sizes, and have a sense of aesthetic and design – no point in making a good umbrella if you are going to put the wrong handle on.
How many umbrella shapes do you make?: We have different sizes, from small children’s sizes to extra large. Lengths run from 50cm to 76cm, with different numbers of ribs (8, 10 or 12). There are also different options for openers: either the classic one or the automatic open umbrellas – with a metal or wooden handle. We also produce a raincoat, Kaplja, in collaboration with designer Ana Rimac.
What is your best-selling product?: The Šestine umbrella, also a symbol of Zagreb, is our bestseller. The pattern, originally from Spain, was brought to Croatia during the Napoleonic conquests and took hold in the northern parts of Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Austria. It is produced in several colours: red, blue, black and green.

Thomislav Cerovečki is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1990