Boris Burić Gena
Episode · #670
POSLOVNI ĐIR Boris Burić Gena
Guest Boris Burić GenaHosted by Mojdana KoharevićMay 3, 2026
Boris Burić Gena
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Boris Burić Gena, a tailor from Trogir, offers a contrarian view on artistry: "For an artisan, art is to stay alive." He runs a craft that was considered dying when he started, yet his suits have become local institutions, making women fall in love with their husbands again and prompting Croatia's Ministry of Culture to declare them cultural heritage. But the true measure of his work, he says, came from a first-grader's drawing of Trogir, which included "Gena's suit" alongside historic landmarks. This conversation explores how unwavering belief in one's craft, even when self-taught and facing overwhelming competition, can forge a legacy that defies conventional notions of success and artistry.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Boris Burić Gena, a tailor who describes himself as an artisan, states plainly that "for an artisan, art is to stay alive." The real craft in a niche business isn't just the product; it's the daily, practical skill of ensuring the business endures.
02
His survival in a dying craft, Gena explains, was possible because his late father left him the house, eliminating rent. For many specialized businesses, the single biggest competitive advantage isn't innovation or marketing, but the sheer cost avoidance of owning your operating space.
03
Gena is often called an "artist," but the label "doesn't impress me," he says, because "artists are often full of themselves, and I don't think I am." Staying grounded in the practicalities of a craft, rather than embracing a high-minded title, keeps the focus on the customer and the work itself.
04
The most striking feedback Gena received was a woman's Facebook post: "I've fallen in love twice with two different guys wearing Gena's suit. Of course, it lasted only as long as he was in the suit." A customer's vivid, emotional testimony, even one that humorously acknowledges the temporary magic, is more potent than any carefully crafted brand message.
05
While the Ministry of Culture declared his suits cultural heritage, Gena admits he was more excited by a first-grader's drawing of Trogir that included "Gena's suit" alongside historic landmarks. Ground-up, spontaneous recognition from the community often carries more weight for an artisan than formal institutional accolades.
06
Gena made his first suit before he was sixteen, using his mother's bedsheet to copy old clothes, driven by the desire "to look good to impress girls." A personal, even seemingly superficial, motivation can often be the unexpected engine that pushes someone to master a craft and prove its enduring value.
07
Faced with overwhelming competition from Italian fashion and the pressure of a young family, Gena resolved: "What makes an Italian better than me that he can tailor a beautiful suit, and I can't? That's faith in yourself." When the market seems saturated, a deep-seated belief in one's own ability, rather than external validation or aggressive sales, is the only way to carve out a unique space.
08
"I'm self-taught," Gena explains, and "to survive, you have to sacrifice a little. If you're self-taught and want to make something, you have to be a double mule to survive." The path of the self-taught artisan isn't just about skill; it demands an extraordinary level of grind and persistence to overcome the lack of formal training and established networks.