The conference and the exhibition was organised by the Croatian MEP Tonino Picula and Academia Cravatica, a non-profit institution which studies, preserves and improves the cravat as a part of the Croatian and world heritage, as a sign of support for the project "European Cravat Day".
Croatian MEPs have launched the initiative for the establishment of European Cravat Day. The initiative, supported by MEPs from Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Romania, Slovenia and Ireland, has been sent to the European Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education.
The cravat is a Croatian symbol known and recognised worldwide. At the same time, cravat stands as a symbol of Europe and several fundamental human values as well.
Croatia celebrates national Cravat Day on October 18th, which has spread to other European countries, and as far away as Japan, as World Cravat Day. The celebration began in 2003 when Academia Cravatica wrapped the old Roman arena in the Croatian town of Pula with a giant red necktie, as a way of promoting the cravat as part of Croatia’s world cultural heritage.
Today's conference in Strasbourg heard that the cravat was introduced in French fashion 360 years ago.