Serbia

Born in 1989 in Leskovac, Serbia
High school student (High school Leskovac)

"The Hairy 70s - hairstyles and hairdressers in Leskovac from 1970 to 1980" (2005)

Who determined hairstyles in socialist Yugoslavia in the 1970s - the Party, families, friends or hairdressers? Eighteen-year-old Milan Vukasinovic took on this question in his competition project, "The Hairy 70s - hairstyles and hairdressers in Leskovac from 1970 to 1980." In his hometown, Leskovac, a town with 63,000 residents in southern Serbia, he visited hairdressers and talked to eyewitnesses about their hairstyles of those days. He examined ways in which social status, career, education, political party, television and personal environment influenced the choice of hairstyles.

The author concludes that in socialist Yugoslavia, as in the west, international fashion and rock music trends influenced the choice of hairstyles. "Neither families nor the economy nor party leaders had any influence on hair fashion," concludes Milan Vukasinovic. So bold hairdos could give an impression of maladjustment and rebellion within the regulated socialist society. That is why hairdressers under socialism in the 70s were seen as a respectable profession, according to the author. The young researcher managed in an unusual way to capture differentiated statements about the issue of personal freedom within a totalitarian constructed society, using a theme from youth culture.

Milan Vukasinovic won first prize for his work in the Serbian National History Competition 2005 on the theme of: "Encounters with the Past: Life in the City, 1945-1991."