THIS IS KREIST.
Community-driven couture from Poland

MARCH 11, 2022 → WORDS ADRIÁN GOMIS EXPÓSITO

PHOTOGRAPHY KACPER BESKI
CLOTHES THIS IS KREIST
MODELS IZABELA ZABIELSKA, SALEM FROM HYPE MODELS, VIKTOR FROM EMBASSY MODELS, AYO FROM HYPE MODELS, MISIA FROM PINOKIO MODELS, ALICJA FROM REBEL MODELS, MARTA FROM HYPE MODELS, NEO MOSA, MICHAL, SIA FROM SELECTIVE MANAGEMENT, OLA, JULIA, ELIZ FROM HYPE MODELS, LEA FROM FASHION MODELS MANAGEMENT, CHELSEA FROM ANGER MODELS

THIS IS KREIST, the polish label that focuses on people, fun and fashion founded by Krzysztof Strozyna after graduating from Central Saint Martins, has caught the attention of celebrities like Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Bella Hadid, Ashley Graham and a lot more. With queer heritage and sustainability at its core, the brand represents and fights for the rights of its community through stunning and season-less designs.

We had the pleasure to talk with Kacper Bęski, Co-Founder of THIS IS KREIST, who tells SICKY all about the origins of the brand and his story in fashion, the philosophy and ethics of the brand and everything they have achieved so far.

To start with, I would like to know more about your origins and the reason why you love fashion. Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and your story with fashion?

I come from a family of artists and architects. From an early age, fashion played an important role in my life. I used to go to second-hands regularly with my mom when I was a teen, picking up unique vintage pieces. I really liked playing around with clothes and getting attention. As I grew up, I started my career in strategy consulting where I mostly worked with large retail clients. Still, I wanted to use my aptitude for business in a more creative field with countless possibilities for storytelling. Fashion was the perfect fit. It was crucial for me to partner with someone with substance, not just style. When I met Krzysztof, it all clicked into place. He gives creative people platform to freely express themselves through different media. Our promotional actions – photoshoots, videos, events – always start out as spontaneous uncensored projects initiated by one of us.

Your current label, THIS IS KREIST, was founded in 2015, a brand that is all about people, fun and fashion. How did you decide to start a whole new label and what motivated you to do it? How would you define it?

“People, fun and fashion” expresses our essence really well. We love to have fun and bring all kinds of people together, and fashion is the great connector: no matter who you are, with us you can look and feel your best. Over the years we’ve met amazing people who enriched our campaigns – and lives – with their creativity and unique points of view. I have learned that our strength lies in the community and values we all share: acceptance, caring for the environment and freedom of expression.

The couture pieces you create are a medium for self-expression, and you stay faithful to your queer heritage and your support and promote the community, inclusivity and diversity. What drives you to represent and fight for these principles?

For Krzysztof, queer rights are a very personal subject. Though he’s been involved in the community for a long time, it was a big deal for him to show off his drag identity as @parispoznan. THIS IS KREIST is a medium to express our values. Just because it’s a fashion business doesn’t mean it can’t be a bit idealistic, thought-provoking and frivolous all at once. This is a huge industry, and it can absolutely be a catalyst for positive change.

Your brand is a coming-of-age story about the joy of discovering your sexuality, a kaleidoscope of innocence, uncertainty and liberation as you say. How did you find this specific style? How important do you think self-discovery and self-acceptance is?

I always say fashion is a fantastic tool for self-expression. This shoot [The Three Kinfolks] is all about young people letting loose and figuring themselves out along the way: no parents or rules to tame you, just hormone-fueled self-expression. We wanted to place our designs in these contexts of adolescence and experimentation because that’s basically a metaphor for our label: finding its place in the world, following its own path, rebelling against stagnant structures.

Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid and many others have worn some of your pieces. How did you react when you knew they were wearing your pieces? How does it feel to see your creations worn by important personalities?

It’s quite surreal – and a privilege – to have a gay icon and outspoken proponent of queer rights like Lady Gaga appreciate the vision and craft behind our custom designs.

I’ve also seen that you pay homage to denim pieces, and that you have a lot of influences and a strong line. Could you talk me through your creative process?

Denim has so many cultural meanings, and at the same time is so ubiquitous. It felt like the perfect canvas for the ‘relaunch’ line: there really is something for every occasion. I can’t speak for Krzysztof regarding his creative process, but I know he’s an extremely visual person. I imagine his brain to be like a never-ending Pinterest scroll of fashion references. He puts the most random inspirations on the moodboard: sex shops, his mom’s wardrobe, Cher, folk wear, cowboys… and it all works perfectly.

Inclusivity and diversity are also two of the main values of your brand as you design for everyone. How important are diversity and inclusivity for you and how important do you think it is to translate that into the brand? How do you do it?

Diversity is something so deeply ingrained in our brand’s DNA that sometimes it’s challenging to explain why people should care about it. In a perfect world, it would just be an obvious thing. The community of people surrounding THIS IS KREIST is eclectic and that’s what drives us creatively. Everyone can picture themselves wearing THIS IS KREIST: any gender, ethnicity or body type. Clothes are just clothes — a medium of expression and an extension of one’s personality. At the end of the day, who cares if a guy is wearing a heart-shaped thong as long as he enjoys it? Especially if 20% of all the sales of that thong go to a queer rights organization named Stonewall Poland. We donate the same percentage of Denim line’s sales to Fundacja Ocalenie (Rescue Foundation) supporting refugees in Poland, which in light of the war in Ukraine is especially important to us. We will periodically rotate the organizations receiving our financial support according to the most urgent issues.

Anti-fashion is another term you use and a movement that is becoming popular among young designers. What does it really mean and what characteristics does it have?

To us, it just means anti-establishment or anti-fashion system. We love fashion, it’s literally in our motto. But I think if you love something, you want it to thrive and be the best version of itself. It’s no secret that the system is broken. The industry is taking steps towards progress, but we have our own way of doing things – one that bypasses problems much more efficiently. That’s why we just make our own path, instead of sticking to outdated traditions like seasonal collections. We produce on-demand only and focus on building a close relationship with each client.

Fashion has always been ruled by seasons that demand various collections per year. What’s your opinion on being limited by Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons? Do you prefer season-less collections?

Seasons just don’t make sense sustainability-wise. The idea that every six months you need to prescribe to a new aesthetic because the previous one has artificially become obsolete is baffling. Sure, it’s good for pushing consumers to spend more, but this is not how we want to do business. Also, from a creativity standpoint, season-less lines allow us to stick to a theme like Denim or Velvet. We plan to expand to more fabrics. Since we don’t stock our items, there’s minimal risk: nothing goes to waste, which makes it possible for us to have an array of styles. Customers can pick whatever they like and we’ll make it to order. Who needs a seasonal collection if you can have anything at any time sewn specifically for you?

What will we see in your future collections? What can you tell us about the projects you’re currently working on?

At the moment we’re re-examining all of Krzysztof’s past designs that work for all kinds of bodies. The plan is to introduce them in a range of new fabrics, all sustainable and long-lasting. We’re currently preparing a new Velvet line. It’s still mostly secret, but we’ve teased it with our latest drop, the Lover g-string.

To conclude, what does the future hold for you and your brand? How do you think you’ll evolve and what do you expect from the future?

Other than clothes, we’re setting our sights on connecting with THIS IS KREIST community worldwide and finding new important stories to tell on a variety of platforms. Our main mission remains in Poland: we want to open people’s minds and inspire them to be more accepting of each other’s differences. Not every country has a RuPaul; THIS IS KREIST could fill that niche in Poland.