Pioneering PRL-era fashion house that ‘lightened the common grey and mediocrity’ awarded ‘historical’ status
A leading communist-era fashion house owned by a former model has been awarded the prestigious title of Warsaw Historical Art Studio.
The studio belonging to model-turned designer Grażyna Hase was a key part of Warsaw’s bohemian scene during the Polish People's Republic (PRL), and a critical innovator of Polish fashion design.
Entering the world of fashion anonymously in October 1957 as a
Announcing the award, the Office of the Capital Conservator of Monuments said: Grażyna Hase created fashion in the difficult years of the Polish People's Republic.
“She contributed to the creation of Polish modelling. Her designs lightened the common grey and mediocrity.
In 1967 she started to collaborate with the Warsaw Clothing Industry Works as a designer and by the 1970s her collections were being shown in Toronto, Berlin, Vienna, New York, Milan and Moscow.
“She is a leading figure of Polish fashion, an outstanding Polish designer, graphic designer, model and manager, she still works, designs and creates.
“She is the author of fashion shows admired in Poland and abroad, a designer of sports clothes, industry uniforms, stage, theatre and film costumes.
“She was also a co-author of TV programs devoted to music and fashion.”
Announcing the award, the Office of the Capital Conservator of Monuments said Hase’s designs “lightened the common grey and mediocrity.”
Entering the world of fashion anonymously in October 1957 as a "kitten" on the cover of magazine Przekrój for which she then worked for seven years, in 1958 she began modelling for the largest Polish fashion house Moda Polska.
In 1967 she started to collaborate with the Warsaw Clothing Industry Works as a designer and by the 1970s her collections were being shown in Toronto, Berlin, Vienna, New York, Milan and Moscow.
After the political transformation in 1989 she remained active and between 1997–2003 opened her own gallery cooperating with the Poznań Fairs, Citroen and designed the outfits for the Polish national team for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City (2002).
Hase’s studio where she still works is now being prepared for an exhibition.
In July 1980, she opened the Grażyna Hase Gallery at 6 Marszałkowska street in Warsaw, where she held exhibitions, including of fabrics by Krystyna Krasińska and dresses for Joanna Schoen, works by Andrzej Czeczot, Jacek Kowalski-Yerk, Andrzej Mleczko and Francoise Gilot.
In recognition of the newly-awarded distinction, the 70-metre studio from where Hase still works has now been arranged hold an exhibition organised by the Museum of Warsaw.
Entitled “Grażyna Hase. Always in Fashion" the exhibition will run from April 28 to September 11.
