Every design we create at Balkanish starts the same way—with a memory.

Sometimes it’s a phrase we grew up hearing around the dinner table. Sometimes it’s the feeling of summer back home that stays with us long after it ends. Other times, it’s one of those moments only the Balkan diaspora could ever understand.

That’s what makes choosing our favourite pieces each month so difficult.

Every design tells a story that’s personal to us.

The Founders’ Picks is where we share the pieces we’ve been reaching for most lately—the ones we’re wearing on repeat, packing for our September travels, gifting to friends and family, and spotting throughout our community.

These aren’t just our newest releases. They’re the designs that best capture what Balkanish is all about: celebrating our culture, staying connected to our roots, and finding joy in the little things that remind us of home.

Whether you’ve been part of the Balkanish community since day one or you’ve just discovered us, we hope September’s picks help you find a piece that feels like your story too.

Welcome to the September edition of The Founders’ Picks—we’re so glad you’re here.

Danica's Picks:

Jebiga Heart Tote Bag

If there’s one Balkan word that works in almost every situation, it’s "jebiga".

Missed the bus? Jebiga.
Burned dinner? Jebiga.
Your entire week is one minor inconvenience away from becoming a dumpster fire? Jebiga.

You guys have been loving our Jebiga collection, so naturally, we had to keep it going — this time with a design that might be our cutest interpretation yet. Because there’s something very Balkan about acknowledging that everything has gone completely off the rails, shrugging your shoulders, saying jebiga… and carrying on with your day.

This tote captures exactly that energy: life happens, laugh about it, move on. Sometimes all you can do is say "jebiga" with a smile. 

Balkanish Embroidered Snapback Hat

You guys have been asking us for more Balkanish-branded pieces, and we’re listening.

We originally designed this hat as an everyday essential for the Balkan guys, a classic snapback with a wider silhouette, flat brim, 3D embroidery, and fall-ready colourways that go with pretty much everything. But then we saw the army print…and honestly? It's kind of giving Y2K.

If you grew up in the early 2000s era, you KNOW the vibe. Statement hats like Von Dutch, low-rise everything, and Paris Hilton with a bedazzled flip phone saying "that's hot" to everything. The army print in particular is giving us full Y2K glory. Honestly, we could absolutely see 2004 Paris Hilton rocking something like this. So yes, we designed it with the guys in mind. But are we stealing it from them? Also yes

Balkan Camp Unisex Hoodie

Honestly, I have no idea if camping is as big in the Balkans as it is here in Canada and the U.S. — you guys might have to let me know in the comments.

But Balkanish has always been about bringing a little bit of your roots into whatever your everyday life looks like for you. And for a lot of us in the diaspora, fall means camping. Although I have a feeling Balkan camping looks a little different. We’re not just roasting marshmallows. We roast ćevapi instead of hotdogs, have enough food to feed the neighbouring three campsites, someone definitely brought homemade rakija, and if you’re camping with a big enough Balkan crew… seeing a whole pig roasting over the fire wouldn’t exactly shock me.

Hence the fine print on this design: “Where we don’t just roast marshmallows. We roast pig.” The Balkan Camp Hoodie is warm, soft, unisex, and made for cool nights around the fire. Bonus points if you come home and the smell of bonfire is permanently embedded in the fibres. That’s how you know you camped correctly.

Maria's Picks:

Balkan State of Mind Notebook

I have a feeling this is going to be the notebook you see me carrying around for a very long time.

This is one of our newest designs, and I fell in love with it pretty much immediately. I love the colours that stand out on the black background, and especially the florals. Balkan floral motifs have so much history and tradition behind them, and I love finding ways to take inspiration from them and turn them into something that feels completely modern and fresh.

There’s also something about September that always makes me want to get organized again. New notebooks, new lists, new ideas, and at least a brief attempt at convincing myself that I suddenly have my entire life together.

So naturally, this has become my new favourite notebook. It’s colourful, a little unexpected, very Balkanish, and makes even my never-ending to-do lists feel a little more fun.

Mentally in the Balkans Phone Case

Lately, I’ve been very into monochrome colour combinations, so this case immediately became one of my favourites from our new Mentally in the Balkans collection.

But I think I love the words even more than the design itself, because they capture a feeling I know very well.

When you grow up between two worlds, I don’t think you’re ever completely in just one of them. I can be going about a completely normal day in Canada and suddenly find myself thinking about Romania. A song, a food, a conversation, or sometimes absolutely nothing at all can make my mind wander back home.

I think a lot of us in the diaspora know that feeling. You build a life somewhere new, but the place you came from continues to live alongside it.

La Piață Market Tote Bag

This one will always have a special place in my heart.

Our “At the Market” tote bag was actually one of the very first designs we created and one of the first products we launched when we started Balkanish.

Seeing it now instantly takes me back to those early days when everything was new and we were figuring out what Balkanish could become.

I also love that, years later, it’s still a bag I genuinely reach for. With farmers’ market season in full swing, mine is coming with me to every single one. There’s something about walking around with a bag that says La Piață while filling it with tomatoes, fresh bread, flowers, and whatever else I definitely didn’t plan on buying that just feels right.

It may be one of our oldest designs, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. Sometimes the pieces that have been there since the beginning end up meaning the most.

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These pieces are what Maria and Danica are loving most right now at Balkanish — inspired by the culture, humor, and little moments that make being Balkan feel like home, no matter where you live.

Whether you’re part of the diaspora or simply connected to the culture, we hope these picks make you smile, spark a memory, or feel a little closer to home.

Check back next month for the next Founder’s Edit.