Blouse

This blouse was made by Venca International Ltd.

Venca was a New Zealand clothing label established by Svetolik Lazarevic (22 May 1912–1 August 2001) and Milanka Lazarevic (1927-1990).

They emigrated from Yugoslavia and came to New Zealand in December 1951 on the Goya. Svetolik had a degree in mechanical engineering. He couldn’t get any work when he arrived in New Zealand, so he began by washing cars. Then he and his wife Milanka developed Venca.

The garments were designed by Milanka and made in the purpose-built Venca factory in Kilbirnie, Wellington (23 Main Road). There were 25 machinists, many of whom worked for the company for many years. The company made around 8-10,000 garments a year.

Venca was sold in the department stores Kirkcaldie & Stains and James Smiths in Wellington; and exported to Melbourne and Sydney.

They were famous for blouses and skirts in the 1960s. When those items became less popular in the late 60s-early 70s, they introduced other designs.

Milanka designed until late 1984 when she became ill, and the business wound down in the mid-1980s.

Svetolik and Milanka are buried in Karori Cemetery, Wellington.