About

My name is Jana Hodanová and I am a designer of Czech origin creating under the LAHO brand near Prague in the Czech Republic.

In my quest for beauty and harmony, I draw inspiration mainly from art history, symbolism, natural elements and dreams.

My designs, inspired by European cultural heritage – whether hand-draped or richly embroidered with floral motifs – are admired by internationally renowned artists, including the Ukrainian-German principal dancer Iana Salenko, who performs with the Berlin State Ballet. LAHO is featured in the visual presentation of the international charity gala ‘Ballet for Life’, which provides financial support to Ukrainian children affected by the war.

A portrait of Ayaka Fujii, principal dancer at the Czech National Theatre, dressed in a hand-sewn LAHO organza drapery inspired by the ancient goddess of dance, is on permanent display at the Embassy of Japan in the Czech Republic in Prague.

World-renowned ballerina Romina Contreras, who performs with Les Ballets de Monte Carlo in Monaco and was formerly a principal dancer with the Czech National Theatre, wore LAHO at the Thálie Awards ceremony, where she received the award for best ballet performance for her role as Manon in the ballet *Manon* at the National Theatre Opera.

Other famous personalities who have worn LAHO on special occasions include the Greek-Cypriot opera singer Christiana Aloneftis, the American ballerina Daniela Thorne, the French artist Alice Petit, the former principal dancer of the National Opera of Ukraine Anna Muromtseva, the Slovak actress Kristína Svarinská, Czech singer and actress ZEA, Japanese soprano Natsumi Leto, models Marie Jedličková, Markéta Morwicková and Karolína Kopíncová, Miss Czech Republic president Taťána Makarenko, Miss World winner Krystyna Pyszková and many others.

I express my desire for innovative aesthetic expression, amongst other things, through the ‘sculpting’ project, where I combine unconventional craft techniques with a love of natural artefacts. The individual pieces come across as works of art, and one of them was featured in 2026 in a campaign by one of the world’s oldest jewellery families – GISMONDI, Pařížská 4, Prague 1, photographed by Vitalija Baranuková.

In 2026, I took part in the ‘I AM HERE’ project by Czech photographer Adam Michna, which sensitively highlights social issues in society. The LAHO drapery was exhibited alongside the photographs at the Czech cultural festival of artistic creation, Art of Život.

In 2025, I created the IRO project (from the Japanese word for ‘colour’), which was exhibited under the honorary patronage of the Embassy of Japan in the Czech Republic in Prague. The theme reflects the age-old story of light and darkness. Here, I utilise an ancient Japanese colour palette, hand-made drapery, traditional Japanese sashiko embroidery and brocades woven with patterns of the beautiful sakura. The designs were captured on Japanese dancers performing with the Czech National Theatre ensemble by the Ukrainian photographer Masha Kulch.

In 2025, I am creating the KVITOCHKA project (from the Ukrainian word for ‘flower’). The message is my belief that every human being has the right to freedom and the right to flourish. In honour of Ukrainian statehood, the project is interwoven with shades of blue and yellow and a profusion of vibrant flowers, stylised in the spirit of European folklore. The project was photographed in Prague by the Ukrainian photographer Masha Kulch, featuring the Ukrainian prima ballerina Anna Muromtseva.