Milena Bieńkowska

At the beginning of crazy 1990s, enterprising young Poles are full of ideas for new businesses. It's a rise of capitalism. The country needs and absorbs their creativity. Among them were my parents, always ahead of trends and din't allow theirselves to be pigeonholed. As a result of the need to create, openness of the Polish market and bent for business, arose the first production facility, knitting machines and sewing, and with them - first sweaters appeared...

To bring up in an entrepreneurial family obliges to something. It is an often case - the children of creative parents not only look at their work, but also take part in it. I can remember playing with colored spools of yarn, helping my grandmother in ripping unsuccessful pieces of knitwear (though I was rather not too crazy about it), watching her heroic work on knitting and finally my favorite thing - hours of browsing of German mail-order catalogs... What miracles were there! From clothes, household products to the houses designed with a flat roof. Those things seemed so perfect. No one who was born in the times of full shops is able to imagine that feelings... The following years were filled with the observation of the process of creating sweaters, with learning to respect human handwork, and finally with the admiration of parents who fulfill their goals and go forward.

Soon, the Polish family-run company producing sweaters will celebrate it's 30th anniversary. The little girl from the picture is now a 34-year-old businesswoman. She was looking for her place in this world for quite long: in a music school, in a cello class, in Polish and English studies, lastly in Public Relations and image consulting. And this consulting - hundreds of hours spent in changing room with clients, on shooting sets, during metamorphoses, in lecture rooms drove her to create own fashion brand. Motivated by her personal urge to design exceptional clothes for her own, and by listening to her clients's needs.

In 2015 her first collection SKAŁA (rock) appears. Few of the sweaters' designs are present in online shopping platforms and on fashion exhibitions. There are also orders, proposals, interviews. Customers ask: 'Are those sweaters made of wool yarn?' and 'Are they made in Poland?' It is pure happiness to answer 'Yes' to both. It is the moment when you realize, that 30 years of your parents work are actually 30 years of experience, knowledge and potential.