By Lyna is a new boutique shop which has recently opened in Split and brings a refreshing touch to the Split fashion scene by stocking Dutch and Scandinavian brands, thanks to the Dutch/Croatian Romina Prkić.
Over a month ago, I attended a cute pop-up event called ‘Na Bini’ which was held at Judino Drvo. It was a collaboration of local designers and boutique stores, housed in the very funky industrial space of Judino Drvo with support from Bota Sare sushi – because no event is complete without food.
Na Bini Official Page
There was a great collection of unique designs and one that stood out to me on the night was the ‘By Lyna’. I got chatting to Romina Prkić, the owner and buyer for the new boutique shop which has just opened in Split – By Lyna.
It was no wonder her collection stood out, the concept of By Lyna is that she only stocks brands from Holland and Scandinavia. Of course, I wanted to find out more, so met up with Romina for a cup of tea to learn about her story.
It turns out Romina grew up in Holland but her father was from Croatia, she moved back to Croatia 6 years ago.
How was the transition to Croatia from Holland?
At the beginning, I missed Holland very much. I missed my friends and mostly I missed the language. Not speaking Croatian made it harder to make friends and connect with locals, but I saw that once my Croatian improved, it made it easier to make friends.
What do you love about living in Split?
Eventually, I grew to love living here, I love the lifestyle. It is a slower pace – ‘po malo’. I remember once being in a supermarket and there was a queue, I said something about ‘why isn’t the other cashier open’, someone asked me if I was in a hurry – I realised that I wasn’t and there was really no need to be.
When I returned to visit in Holland I saw just how busy everyone is, working so hard, waiting for the weekends to do something. Whereas here, we can enjoy every day. Every day I go out in nature with my children or we are exploring around, there is so much to do, we are spoilt with nature.
What prompted you to open a shop selling Dutch and Scandinavian brands in Split?
Whenever I returned to Holland or Denmark, I was always doing my shopping there because there is very little variety in Split, there is City Centre, the Mall, Zara, H&M etc… but basically everything is the same, it is hard to find something unique – and also to find good quality items. So, the idea came very naturally to me to open a shop and stock some of my favourite brands.
Credit: Mirjana Sinovcic/Smart Art
Who are you currently stocking?
At the moment I am stocking: Hofmann Copenhagen, Gestuz, Underwearables, Underprotection (bikinis), Mbym, Basic Apparel, Femmes du Sud and jewellery by Anna + Nina and Club Manhatten.
Credit: Mirjana Sinovcic/Smart Art
You have only been open a few months but how have locals responded to you?
I tried to stock a range of brands with varying prices, as I wasn’t sure how popular these brands or prices would be among the local shoppers. But so far, there has been a lot of interest already. I wasn’t sure if the price-point was too high but I guess there are more people like me – who are in search of something unique and are willing to pay a higher price for better quality.
Credit: Mirjana Sinovcic/Smart.Art
You were a part of the Na Bini pop-up event, how supportive or collaborative is the fashion scene here?
All of the ladies involved with the Na Bini event were really great, one of the organisers – Tina Sarić, invited me to participate and I was really happy to be a part of it. To me, collaborations and events like this pop-up are normal in Holland and Scandinavia but it is only just starting to happen here.
It would be great to see some more positive collaborations like this because the mentality here can sometimes be that everyone just stays to themselves and is very competitive.
Credit: Na Bini Official; the organisers and designers from Na Bini
Were you nervous opening a shop here?
I was really nervous the first day when I unlocked the doors but thankfully the first ‘customer’ through the door was a good friend. In general, I have always had an optimistic attitude, that if I want something, I can make it happen.
Credit: Mirjana Sinovcic/Smart.Art
What do you think of the Split fashion scene?
Like I said, there are still very few options here, most people shop at Zara and H&M, which I don’t like because it is guaranteed that you will see someone else in the same outfit; however, I think it will grow and there are some talented designers here.
There is sometimes a lot missing from Split but I think that also means there are a lot of opportunities.
Summing up
It was really lovely to meet Romina and hear her story, yet another example of a foreigner (with Croatian heritage), moving to Croatia and creating a business. It was also nice to hear someone else talk about the positive effects of a collaborative mentality and society.
It just goes to show, that where some people see what Split or Croatia is ‘lacking’, others see it as an opportunity in the market. I wish Romina well and fear for my wallet now that I know where her shop is…
You can find Romina and her shop By Lyna near the Pazar, right at the end of the street that the markets are on – Hervojeva 10. Stop in and check-out this gorgeous boutique addition to the Split fashion scene or you can find her on Facebook here.
Credit: Sonja Dvornik, Romina Prkic
