Summer dress by DANA

One of the first Polish clothing manufacturers in Szczecin after World War II, the State Clothing Works (Państwowe Zakłady Konfekcyjne), opened as early as October 1945. Initially, it produced railway uniforms, military long johns, workwear, and men's flannel shirts. After relocating to a new headquarters at 50 Wyzwolenia Avenue, the company expanded into women's fashion, which quickly gained popularity abroad. The factory's success was driven in part by Domicela Mazurkiewicz, a seamstress who, after five years of work, was promoted to director. Affectionately called Dana by her staff, she gradually built a new Szczecin-based brand. In 1962, she hired talented designers: Izabela Górska-Wójcik, Halina Karpińska, and Zofia Zdun-Matraszek. The company, renamed Zakłady Przemysłu Odzieżowego Dana in 1967, became renowned for its high-quality, colourful fashion collections, which soon won awards at national clothing fairs. Among the most popular collections were those inspired by folk motifs: the Kurpiowska and Piastowska lines, featuring dresses known as chłopki and Kwiaty Polskie (Polish Flowers). Later, banana skirts (spódnice bananówki), made from panels shaped like banana wedges, became a hit. The company’s prosperity ended in the 1990s when it was privatised. Today, the building that once housed Dana is now a hotel of the same name. A small collection of Dana products and designs from the National Museum in Szczecin is displayed in the permanent exhibition Hans Stettiner – Jan Szczeciński. Everyday Life in Szczecin in the 20th Century. The collection includes the featured summer dress: sleeveless, with a flared skirt and a belt accentuating the waist. Małgorzata Peszko