On a sunny and breezy June 24, 2017, a group of over 100 Romanians from states and suburbs surrounding Washington, D.C., have gathered in front of the State Capitol’s reflecting pool to pose for a group picture in celebration of the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse called “ie,” a hand-woven and hand-sewn artisanal blouse. Women from the three regions of Romania, Transylvania, Moldova, and Wallachia, have sewn these intricate works of art for centuries.
The event was organized by Bogdan Banu and the group photo, taken by Ioana Buliga, was posted on La Blouse Roumaine, the website created to celebrate the rich tradition of folkloric designs; its name was inspired by the Henri Matisse painting, “La Blouse Roumaine.”
