Moda Polska (Polish Fashion) in the Collection of the National Museum in Krakow

The exhibition presents garments by three outstanding designers of the Moda Polska (Polish Fashion) state enterprise - Kalina Paroll, Magda Ignar and Jerzy Antkowiak - created from the late 1960s to the 1990s.

The National Museum in Kraków on the exhibition:

At another exhibition of the achievements of “Polish Fashion” [Moda Polska], the National Museum in Kraków presents a selection of garments from three outstanding designers: Kalina Paroll, Magda Ignar and Jerzy Antkowiak.

For many years, Kalina Paroll was responsible for the cooperation with the silk factory in Milanówek, which had been in operation since 1924, originally as the Central Experimental Sericulture Station. After the Second World War, the station was nationalised and renamed the State Central Silk Works “Milanówek”. The fabrics used in the “Polish Fashion” collections were hand-painted in the Milanówek “paint shop”. The nature of the patterns and their arrangement were determined by the designers together with the painters employed here on a permanent basis. Such collaboration resulted in extremely striking creations, such as the “Butterfly” ensemble, inspired by stained-glass windows by Stanisław Wyspiański and Józef Mehoffer, and a green evening gown with a landscape motif of a pond, swans and a giant butterfly. One of the most interesting outfits is a set inspired by Romani culture, consisting of a ruffled skirt and a loose-fitting blouse with extra-wide sleeves, sewn from pieces of hand-shaded silk.

Elegance with a touch of provocation is represented by Magda Ignar’s designs. One of the best examples is the unobtrusive gown in black velour - seemingly “polite”, coming up to the neck, but… above the waistline, the velour was replaced by a partially transparent gauze, provocatively exposing the nakedness of the left breast.

The exhibition would not be complete without the “Polish Fashion coat” - coveted by many Polish women and a symbol of good quality and luxury in the reality of communist Poland.

What to expect

The exhibition at the Szolayski House shows garments by three Moda Polska designers set against unexpected sources of inspiration: Wyspianski and Mehoffer’s stained glass, Romani culture, and theatre. The earliest dress on display dates to 1969 - a Kalina Paroll design pairing smooth velvet with a fragment of authentic embroidery from the interwar period. Admission is included in the branch ticket (full price 18 PLN, reduced 14 PLN); the show runs until 13 June 2027.

Context

Moda Polska was a Polish state enterprise founded in Warsaw in 1958 and active until 1998 - it ran about 60 fashion salons across the country and employed roughly 2,000 people in total. Its task was to bring current world fashion trends into the state clothing industry; its logo, a swallow, was designed by graphic artist Jerzy Treutler. The collection on show spans the work of three designers employed by the firm across three decades of its existence.

Tickets and time

Admission is included in the price of the ticket to the Szolayski House branch (Normal 18 PLN, Reduced 14 PLN) - the museum’s page does not require a separate ticket for this exhibition. The show suits visitors interested in fashion history and design, and in everyday life under communist Poland seen through craft and luxury; one displayed Magda Ignar gown includes partial nudity, as the museum’s own text states directly. The museum’s page does not state whether object labels are in English.

See also

• Hotel Forum - the history of the brutalist hotel seen through the eyes of more than 600 former staff, a second Krakow exhibition on everyday life and aesthetics under communist Poland, at the Podgórze Museum.

Museum profile: Szolayski House .