The First Fashion Designer to Use the Ceaușescu House for a Photoshoot of Her New Collection

Reporter: How did you choose this location?

Roxana Ostroveanu: I was looking for an iconic landmark that aligned with Imroska’s values because this brand is much more than luxury clothing – it’s a concept that promotes attention to detail, quality, and human relationships. The beautiful energy with which the products are created in Imroska’s workshop, the exclusive culture that begins with hangers crafted by Italy’s most renowned producer, woven labels from London, fabrics, and lace from France – all used by the biggest brands in the fashion world – make Imroska aligned with European standards. Even though we, as a people, may lack a strong history in fashion, we possess remarkable talent and enormous creative potential. That’s why I chose Ceaușescu’s House, also known as the Spring Palace. It embodies uniqueness, originality, and exclusivity – qualities that captivate and inspire. The interior decorations, furniture, and architectural details are a testament to our creative potential and our natural inclination toward luxury.

Reporter: How do you perceive this effort to aesthetically recover and revalue a site that is still strongly associated with the communist regime and especially with the Ceaușescu couple?

Roxana Ostroveanu: The relationship between art and authoritarian regimes is a taboo that European democracies overcame a long time ago. It’s time for Romanian society to do the same. After all, the mosaics, furnishings, and architectural details of the Spring Palace were not created by Ceaușescu himself. They were crafted by the artists of that era – incredibly talented and dedicated people who poured their hearts into their work and art. It’s only fair to recognize and appreciate the artistic quality of the space, while at the same time understanding and asserting that the communist regime was a dictatorial one. These are two realities that do not cancel each other out.

Reporter: I’m not aware of any promotional campaigns that have used images from inside Ceaușescu’s House. Is Imroska the first brand to do this?

Roxana Ostroveanu: As far as I know, we are the first to bring photos from inside Ceaușescu’s House into the public space in a commercial interpretation. This is a milestone not just for the Imroska brand but for the entire industry. I’m certain that many people who read this interview or visit our website, imroska.com, and see the photos will want to visit Ceaușescu’s House if they haven’t done so already. After all, the Spring Palace is not just the former residence of Ceaușescu; it’s a space where you can experience the artistic reality of an era.

Reporter: Did the fact that Ceaușescu’s House is the most visited tourist site in Bucharest influence your decision?

Roxana Ostroveanu: No. I wrote an article about Ceaușescu’s House years ago, back when it was less known, encouraging people to visit this masterpiece. Today, the situation is different. Many foreign tourists have already heard of Ceaușescu, and visiting his former residence has become a must-see attraction on their itinerary.

Reporter: Which specific artistic details stood out to you?

Roxana Ostroveanu: Everything is extraordinarily harmonious and, from an artistic perspective, grandiose. You may or may not like the style, but no one can deny that a lot of money, effort, and talent went into it. For me, the mosaics were the most inspiring, especially the ones featuring peacocks. This is particularly significant because the peacock, along with the Merkaba star, is one of Imroska’s two core concepts. The peacock has always symbolized beauty, positive transformation, and is the earthly manifestation of the celestial Phoenix. For Imroska, it embodies the dream of eternal beauty, expressed through countless shades, colors, and hidden symbols.

Reporter: Please elaborate on this connection between the peacock and a fashion brand, as it seems very interesting.

Roxana Ostroveanu: Luxury and opulence are admirable as long as they come naturally. If they are imitated, artificial, or inappropriate, they fall into kitsch. A peacock doesn’t try to be something it’s not. It doesn’t seek to stand out at all costs. It’s simply unique and distinct from everything around it, naturally. It symbolizes a true work of art designed to captivate the gaze of onlookers, without striving for it, without pretense or role-playing. Connoisseurs can tell the difference.

Reporter: Do you see yourself reflected in this image or in the concept of the peacock?

Roxana Ostroveanu: This is the Imroska ideal! To create outfits that highlight the unique characteristics of the women who choose to wear them – authentic women who exude femininity, women with an exclusive, natural vibe, free of excess and pretense. Beauty and naturalness. Women who can be attractive without becoming vulgar, feminine without seeming frivolous, and who manage to break free from the “herd effect.” In an era of consumer society, fashion often becomes superficial. But why do we have wardrobes full of clothes and yet always wear the same pair of jeans?

Because everything is energy. This topic is very complex because it’s not about affordable clothes that make us look good quickly. Such products are often made at the expense of people in unfortunate situations. Educated people in fashion, and those with the financial means, have long understood this, which is why they choose clothing from designers they resonate with or buy products created by responsible people. What may be an “Instagrammable” moment for us could be a painful wound for the planet and the people exploited by large, profit-driven industries. Every choice we make when purchasing clothing is a statement.

Reporter: What feedback have you received after launching the collection and releasing the photoshoot?

Roxana Ostroveanu: The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We presented at the Venice Film Festival, then launched the collection on the Paris Fashion Week runway, and we just returned from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. At all these events, besides the designs themselves, people also got to see the photos from the shoot. Beyond the success of the collection itself, we received a lot of praise for the promotional images. For the international audience, this style is very authentic, fresh, and introduces something new to the industry – something they’ve never seen before.