Balkanica is a Peruvian fashion and lifestyle brand founded in 2009 by Tania Jelicic. At the heart of their designs are vibrant patterns, made up of pre-Columbian symbols printed on upcycled fabrics. Blending the contemporary with rich cultural history, the brand creates pieces that inspire, connect and convey identity through a visual journey of timeless elegance.

Tania Jelici is a multi-disciplinary creative with experience in film, advertising, and scenic arts. A self-taught designer and student of art history, she was greatly influenced by her time working at the Lima Art Museum, MALI, where she came across the works of Peruvian artist and graphic designer Elena Izcue. Jelici dove into the world of textiles, working at the Preludio Asociacion Cultural creating costumes for various musical productions. After ten years, she left to focus on Balkanica. She identifies as more of a creative director, rather than designer.

FOUNDER: Tania Jelici
LOCATION: Lima, Peru
MATERIALS: 100% Pima Cotton, recycled Polyester

Central to the Balkanica brand are the vibrant, printed fabrics whose designs all hold significant meaning in Peruvian and Latin American culture. Each print, defined by pre-Columbian symbols, has its own rich history.

The Pelican Print can be traced to the pre-Inca costal civilizations of Chimú & Chancay, prevalent between 12th to 15th century AD. Sea birds, especially pelicans, are common along the Peruvian coast, moving effortlessly between land, sky, and sea.

The Andean Steps Print has millennial origins and was ubiquitous in pre-hispanic nations like the Incan Empire. If one iconographic symbol had to be singled out to represent the Andean civilization, the steps or platforms would be the ideal figure. For ancient societies, it represented their bond with nature and soil cycles.

The Inti Print is inspired by the coastal communities and the Nasca civilization, present in southern Peru between the 1st and 7th century AD. The Inti symbolizes a solar epiphany and is inspired by Nasca motifs —predominantly desert hieroglyphics. The Inti Print shows a feathered head transforming into a radiant face, reflecting the sun’s role in pre-hispanic holistic world view.

The Fish Print finds its origins in the pre-hispanic city of Chan Chan, 12th to 15th century AD. Inspired in the richness of the wide Peruvian ocean, this print pays tribute to Mamacocha, the mother of water: the creating force and endless source of life that fed and inspired the ancient people of Peru. Balkanica’s fish print comes from a contemporary take on a symbol extracted from a Chimú ceramic.