In previous years, the Kraków Fashion Awards have launched the careers of talented designers such as Elwira Horosz and Peggy Pawlowski. This year’s winners will follow in their footsteps, and will certainly attract te attention of the international fashion industry; Grażyna Łoboda, Małgorzata Grzywnowicz & Małgorzata Węgiel and Magdalena Smielak.

Magdalena Smielak's collection is made entirely out of recycled materials. She has deconstructed several men's jackects and pairs of trousers in order to transform them into women's clothes. Oversize and layers are key features of the designer's work. Inspired by the world's fascination with the idea of recycling, she injects new attitude to fashion design, and sticks to the principle of nothing being too shabby to be used again. Her clothes are both beautiful and striking. In keeping with the make-do-and-mend zeitgeist of the current economic downturn, Smielak's collection proves that you can always dress well, regardless of your finances.

Graduates of the Kraków School of Art and Fashion Design have also been highly successful in other local and international competitions. In the 9th Annual Competition for Young Fashion Artists and Designers "Habitus Baltija" which took place in Riga in April 2009, Peggy Pawlowski won the Grand Prix for her collection "Gavroche". In the same competition, Magdalena Smielak’s collection “Deconstruction” won her first place in the category for "Avant-Garde Fashion of High Artistic Value." The competition brought together 39 aspiring designers from ten fashion schools from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, England and Poland.

Awarded during Fashion Week Poland in Łódź, the “Golden Thread” is the most prestigious award in Poland’s fashion industry. This year was an exceptional year for Kraków’s designers, with two of them taking the main prizes; Magdalena Smielak for her “Destruction” collection and the design duo, Małgorzata Grzywnowicz & Małgorzata Węgiel for their Phantas Magoria" collection.

The collection"Phantas Magoria" by Małgorzata Grzywnowicz & Małgorzata Węgiel reflects their fascination with rock music. The designers juxtapose elaborate combinations of different fabrics with leather. Available in a wide range of colours and variety of patterns, the overall result is exuberant yet entirely wearable. The collection also includes oversized bags – stylish but also very practical.

After selecting finalists from over 1450 applicants, the jury of the 8th Annual International Talent Support in Italy named Grażyna Łoboda as one of the competition’s most promising talents. Her collection, entitled "Constructing the Space" fuses together fashion, sculpture and architecture. The designer tackled very difficult garment constructions in order to create uniquely sculptured pieces for women. The elaborated lines of Łoboda’s jackets and skirts are emphasised by the use of soft wools and jerseys. The collection is completed by the addition of shoes according to her own designs. Grażyna Łoboda has already established a steady following, and her popularity looks set to grow.

The Kraków School of Art and Fashion Design was established in 1994. The two and a half year full-time programme introduces students to the essential skills of fashion and textile design from sketchpad to catwalk. It cover topics such as design, textiles, fashion illustration, garment construction and garment styling. There are separate workshops for life drawing, colour study, painting, jewellery design, textile technology, accessories including millinery and shoe design, fashion photography and history of fashion.

Central to the School's philosophy is a concept of the artist-teacher. All teaching staff are employed part-time so they are able to pursue their professional carriers alongside their teaching. This system ensures that the students are taught by a variety of individuals who offer different perspectives. All teachers place high value on entreprenership, determination and the students’ willingness to look at the chosen subject with a fresh eye and an enquiring and critical mind.

When asked what they most enjoyed about the programme, many graduates refer to the extensive variety of art-based classes which have helped them to release their creativity, and the fact that teaching staff place a strong emphasis on experimenting and exchanging ideas. Graduates of the Kraków School of Art and Fashion Design go on to enjoy fulfilling careers in many different aspects of the fashion industry, from running cutting-edge boutiques to working in large international enterprises. Many also set up their own workshops, and achieve independence and respect as professionals, selling their unique skills and work. This year, the Kraków School of Art and Fashion Design will open its doors to international students, offering them attractive conditions of admission. While all art and fashion workshops are conducted in Polish, English may be used to communicate with teachers and other students. 

For further information on the Kraków School of Art and Fashion Design and its graduates can be found on www.ksa.edu.pl