The young milliner set up her shop to continue the tradition of her grandmother (and the grandmother’s mother-in-law) who had made hats by hand, using traditional methods for 61 years. “At that time I didn’t even have a moment to think about setting up a firm or planning ahead”, says Karolina Sinica. This is why she did not apply for any funding for the business start-up.

 

She has a Master’s degree in cosmetology. Prior to the opening of her own firm, she had worked for a foreign cosmetic band. “But I’d always fancied myself as a bit of an artist – from an early age I had singing, piano, guitar, ballet and acting lessons”, she explains. She learned how to make hats from her grandmother   and she is still learning - all by herself now.  She tries to keep up with the latest fashion trends. Her dream is to take an exam and be admitted by the guild as a master.

 

She makes hats for men and women as well as and toques. She also makes bridal headpieces and garters.  Her shop Modniarstwo Karolina Sinica at ul. Bolesława Limanowskiego in Stargard also offers caps, gloves, tights and first communion headpieces. “We only sell high-quality products made in Poland”, she stresses.

 

She buys goods from wholesalers or directly from producers.  The product offering varies depending on the season. “In spring we sell mainly accessories for the first communion and thin tights; in autumn the best sellers are hats, gloves and thick tights.   Profit depend on the time of the year”, Karolina Sinica points out. “Luckily, hats are coming back and more and more customers want to buy them”, she says. The milliner from Stargard also sells custom-made hats and delivers them to Szczecin.

 

She has recently started to advertise her products on facebook.com/KapeluszeKaroliny. She also displayed them at the Christmas fair in Stara Rzeźnia. “At the fair I met other people involved in handicraft production. I hope the new contacts will pay off one day", she says. A hat with a soutache brooch was the result of one such contact with the owner the firm Multanka. This is not Karolina Sinica’s only claim to fame – her hats have been rented by a well-known Szczecin-based photographic studio for a photo shoot. She believes that the best is yet to come.

 

Millinery has gathered a substantial following comprised of a group of regular customers. The business owner has to admit however that sometimes the end-of-day turnover is meagre.  “On days like that running my own business seems especially hard. But I’m not giving up”, she says.

 

Karolina Sinica is in the process of opening her own e-shop where hats can be ordered on-line. She also plans on advertising her firm on the Internet and expand her hat offering. In order to do that she would like to embark on a long-term relation with a carpenter who could make various hat-shapers based on her own design.

 

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