B_SIDES

Isn’t there something refreshing and altogether special about owning a handcrafted piece of cloth made with love and passion – especially if the piece contains generations of tradition and dedication to knitwear?
B_SIDES is a label based in Warsaw founded by the youngest member of the family, Basia Chrabołowska, who decided that it was time to change the perception of wool being unfashionable, unpleasant or prickly. Spending most of her childhood next to sewing machines, balls of wool and needles it was only natural for her to start experimenting more and more with the multifarious material. It was her grandmother who educated her in that field, so Basia got the best prerequisites for being a promising designer already in her childhood, carrying on her families’ knowledge and creatively re-inventing designs and techniques on many sides.

For her SS 2012 collection Roots, Basia chose merino wool, the most precious sheep wool in the word renowned for is softness, lightness and natural elastics. Besides that it is heat insulating and even anti-allergic. Having said that and looking at the collection, all the skepticism about wool should definitely have been cleared away. Each an every piece has a personality of it own, varying in terms of color combinations and knitting techniques. The beauty of these hand-knitted garments is the casualty and sexiness they embody at the same time, always leaving room for a sense of carelessness and individualism they seem to represent.
The young polish designer drew her inspiration for this collection from the pop culture characters and rich palette of colors form the 80s’, especially from the Flashdancer’s garments. Dedicating her work to creative people who run off clichés and appreciate comfort, she manages to create pieces that reflect a syncretism of styles with a sense of humor.

In a world spinning with fast fashion, the art of making is a craft too often diluted and misconstrued. B_SIDES reminds us of how much we should value and appreciate the art of high-quality hand made fabrics and the amenities of soft wool.