Men's jacket by ODRA

One of the largest and best-known clothing manufacturers in post-war Polish Szczecin, Zakłady Przemysłu Odzieżowego Odra (Odra Clothing Industry Plant) was opened in 1964 in a newly rebuilt building at 38 Aleja Niepodległości, which had housed the G&B Feldberg men's clothing factory (c. 1875–1933) before World War II. The company’s first director, Józef Kubiszyn (1931–2019), drove the factory’s success by hiring fashion designers who followed the latest trends. Initially, Odra produced men's clothing: trousers and jackets made from Texas-style denim (also known as Arizona) and drill fabric. Over time, it expanded to include women’s and children’s clothing. In later years, Odra produced sportswear and military- or safari-style outfits in the distinctive khaki colour. For decades, the company's signature items were not only trousers – called oderki by Szczecin locals – but also assault jackets, coveralls, and dungarees, reflecting the worker fashion trend popular during the Polish People’s Republic (PRL) era. These styles were often unisex, identical for men and women. In 1979, the company introduced a hit product: marmurki – trousers made from a new, distressed denim fabric. Known for their high quality, Odra garments were exported to both Eastern Bloc countries and Western European markets. Every product featured a label with the company’s distinctive logo: a simplified human figure wearing trousers, with the company name running horizontally across the outstretched arms. The logo also appeared on packaging, company documents, and buttons – the latter sometimes featuring a griffin emblem, as seen on the displayed jacket. Production slowed in the late 1970s and early 1980s due to the economic recession in Poland. In the 1990s, the influx of foreign competitors reduced demand for local products, ultimately leading to the closure of the Szczecin factory in 2002. Małgorzata Peszko