“Moda Polska” (Polish Fashion State Enterprise) In The Collection Of The National Museum In Krakow

For many residents of the People’s Republic of Poland, the state-owned enterprise ‘Moda Polska’ (1958–1998) was synonymous with style and elegance. An institution producing luxury goods seemingly had no place in a communist state, but its existence was intended to prove that even an Eastern Bloc country could compete with capitalist nations in the field of fashion design and production. The high-end products of “Moda Polska” were inaccessible to the majority of the population.

“Moda Polska” was intended to promote new trends in fashion and, at the same time, represent Poland abroad. Under the artistic direction of Jadwiga Grabowska, a team of brilliant young designers was formed, the most famous of whom were: Jerzy Antkowiak (artistic director of the company in the 1980s), Magda Ignar, Kalina Paroll and Irena Biegańska. For decades, they ensured that Polish fashion did not fall out of step with global trends. Paris remained the city where they invariably sought inspiration.

The exhibition presents over a dozen profiles of fashion designers from the late 1960s to the 1990s, as well as garments of various styles designed by Polish artists, including a beachwear set, day and evening dresses, and coats. The exhibition is the first instalment of the extensive ‘Polish Fashion’ collection assembled over the last dozen or so years at the National Museum in Kraków.