Wrap Star Ann-Marie Davy
~ “I don’t have any evidence of my African roots, but I feel strong connection with the motherland…” ~ Zuzana Kralinská.
Introducing this week’s featured WrapStar Zuzana Kralinská, an 18 year old high school student of Slovakia, Europe. Her love for head wrapping is a reflection of Zuzana’s passion for “all things African. She says; “I don’t have any evidence of my African roots, but I feel a strong connection with the motherland.” She is so passionate, in fact, after 
graduating from high school, she intends to major in African Studies and Social work, move to Africa and “help as much as possible.” In the meantime, she has teamed with some of her friends to start NADAG- Needy and Disabled Aid Ghana, an organization whose “… main intention is to aid the needy and the disabled of the deprived communities across Ghana, Africa and beyond.”
Zuzana has not worn her crowns very long, as a matter of fact; it has been only a year since this beautiful WrapStar began wearing her crowns. Interestingly enough, she notes head wrapping is not a part of the Slovakian culture, nor was she introduced to the art by her parents. Therefore, I had to ask what brought her to this place of “WrapStardom” (new word for the diva dictionary). 
Zuzana tells of “a long soul searching journey” which led her to this passion. When she was finally exposed, she did not wrap until she was “100% sure” that she was ready for it.
So I asked Zuzana: why did you believe you needed to be ready?
Zuzana: For me it´s an honor to wrap my head as our great-great grandmothers did. It´s a connection with our roots. That´s why I needed to be 100% conscious of who I am, what I believe in, where I come from and how I wanna present myself. I take wrapping my head seriously.”
Ann-Marie: WrapStar, now that you are ready and you have taken this journey to self-discovery, why do you wrap your head?
Zuzana: “Well, my body is a temple and my head wrap is the roof. 
When I wear it, my soul is not afraid that it’s gonna rain inside when the stormy days come.” She smiles. She goes on to say; “….I think it’s an outward manifestation of the internal state. I don’t wrap my head daily, but when I do, feel like a queen and a humble servant at the same time; because I exhibit the consciousness of my divine *I-n-I but at the same time I express humility before *Jah..”
So I asked Zuzana what makes her style of head wrapping unique. She says: “my style is unique because there aren’t many people in my country who wear head wraps; that makes me unique in my town and my country.”
Ann-Marie: What inspires your styles of head wrapping?
Zuzana: “Sometimes I wrap my head as humble as possible other times I use my creativity and I wrap and twist and swirl until I say to myself, ‘This is it!’ Sisters from the Headwraps & Wrapstars are my big inspiration but I also take inspiration from other famous Wrapstars or regular African women.”
Ann-Marie: What challenges, if any, have you faced in Slovakia or even online regarding your head wraps?
Zuzana: “I live in a conservative country which was a part of the Socialist union until 1989 the people are still not very open- minded and are not used to diversity. So it took some time till they all got used to my head wraps. There are still some immature people who stare at me or moreover 
start to make jokes but most of the people react in a positive way and they like what they see. For me it´s sometimes like burning down the prejudices and showing them that they should not be afraid of being unique- being themselves.”
Zuzana has one important piece of advice to share: “a lot of friends have asked me to teach them how to wrap, but the best way to learn it is to find the instructions inside your heart. When you have the divinity inside you (and I am sure everyone does, it just takes some effort and time to reveal it) and it’s overflowing to the surface, then you will know how to wrap your crown and it’s going to be as unique as you are! 
So what makes my style unique is ME!” She smiles. “Every WrapStar has her or his own style and way of wrapping their heads. It’s like a personal signature.”
Please join CaribDirect, Sandal Solé®’, and Headwraps & WrapStars as we congratulate this week’s feature, Zuzana Kralinská.
Wrap On WrapStars!
– * In Rastafarian culture, “I-n-I” refers to the self. It is used in place of “I”, “me”, or “myself”.
– *Jah refers to God, The Creator, Almighty, etc.
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