The city changed again when the communist regime ended in 1989. The planners had to decide: should we relocate the Polish capital and start again? But the spirit of the nation was to rebuild. If you look at pictures, it’s shocking – the city was non-existent. My father worked as an urban planner, so he taught me a lot about Warsaw’s rebuilding after the second world war.
When you start from nothing, you are used to change. Chylak by the Old Orangery at Łazienki Królewskie Park © Zuzanna Szamocka When we launched Chylak in 2014, we saw people with Polish surnames buying bags from all over the world, proud to support our business. Friends in fashion were asking, “Are you sure?” But it turned out to be a great idea. No one thinks of Poland when they think of bags or leather. It led to me launching a made-in-Poland accessories brand here. My boyfriend, now my husband, wanted to stay in the US. In my 20s I moved to New York to do an internship at Proenza Schouler. I was born in Warsaw and I feel very attached to the city. Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
