Foundations Revealed has a ton of talent amongst its members, but there are those who stand out from the crowd. Here on the staff, we have watched Karolina Laskowska grow from De Montfort University student, to a graduate with a thriving business and now she's planning world domination an ambitious future for her brand. This week we interview Karolina Laskowska of Karolina Laskowska Lingerie about how she got her start in the business, her current project, and where she wants to take her business in the future. 

What led you to start designing your own underwear?
I’d never really considered the possibility until I discovered the existence of the Contour Fashion degree at De Montfort – I was just about to start my Foundation diploma and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to do when that year was up. When I discovered that lingerie design was an actual career, I knew it was perfect for me – even though I hadn’t even considered the possibility up until that point! I took the fashion pathway of the course and began focusing all of my design work onto lingerie. Of course the first few bits I created were totally awful… I think the first piece that counts was a frame bra hand sewn out of bargain basement elastic.
 
Why did you decide to turn it into a business?
That was a decision partly influenced by lots of people on the internet asking to buy my designs, and partly by the fact that I couldn’t manage to get myself a summer job… I was already selling the occasional pentagram thong for that extra bit of pocket money (way undercharging of course!) so when I got my first serious wholesale enquiry, I just thought ‘why not!’ – it was a much more fun way to make money! I have to admit that I didn’t consider what it would lead to in the future – I had no idea what I was getting myself into!
 
Where did you first start selling your designs?
All online – initially through a BigCartel where my only product was a pentagram thong. Later, after my first wholesale order, my designs were available in the Swedish boutique Justine & Juliette, and through a dedicated online boutique.   
 
Small businesspeople often have to deal with internal issues, like confidence, before they can really let their business blossom. What have been the stand-out moments for you so far, when your confidence has been boosted and given you the impetus to keep going?
Confidence has always been a problem! There’s always a part of me that wants to seek approval from others, even though I know how utterly silly that is and that I should focus on just creating beautiful things! The stand-out moments are when I get lovely customer feedback – when people tell me how my lingerie can help their self confidence, or when they compare my designs to art – you can’t beat those kinds of warm fuzzies – that’s the main thing that keeps me going! Most recently though I discovered that I’m a finalist in the UK Lingerie Awards for the Best New Designer category – that’s a huge confidence booster, especially given that I’m among so many ‘proper’ brands (who I’m assuming haven’t done the majority of their work out of their bedroom like I have!)
 
There seem to be a lot of Japanese influences in your work. Have you visited there, or do you hope to visit soon? What is it about kimonos that inspire you?
I’ve never visited Japan but I would absolutely love to – it’s such a beautiful country with such a rich culture. One of these days I’ll manage to save up enough to make it over there! With regards to kimonos, it’s the richness of the fabric – that wonderful attention to detail that you don’t really find anywhere else, from elaborate tie dying to exquisitely delicate cording. I see so many damaged kimonos and vintage fabrics that will otherwise serve no purpose – to me there’s something lovely about repurposing them for lingerie to give them a new life.
 
How do you deal with the inevitable setbacks that come along from time to time?
I’d say the main setbacks are financial ones – there’s so many ways that I want to expand the business, all of which require money I just don’t have! The usual solutions to this are either a flash sale or (mostly recently) crowdfunding! It’s a setback I haven’t found the best solution for yet but there’s still a lot I have to figure out on the business side of things!
 
Throughout October, you've been posting pictures of your vintage lingerie collection on tumblr. One of my favorite pieces from the #OldschoolOctober posts is this lovely green satin basque, c. 1940. I love the quilting details, so feminine! Which are your favorite pieces and why?

Ooh… That would definitely be one of my Edwardian corsets – I haven’t shared it yet as I’m saving the best till last! It’s made entirely in silk and consequently rather falling apart, but it has the most exquisite details – velvet lining on the busk, velvet horse-hair stuffed bust pads, beautiful silk rosettes… You’ll get to see the photos very soon! It’s a piece I keep intending to take the pattern from and recreate, but have never quite got round to it… Those swooping diagonals are a little intimidating!

We've highlighted a few of our favorite pieces here, but be sure and check out the rest of her vintage collection, its truly inspiring! 

You just graduated from De Montfort University's Contour Fashion course. Of all the lessons and skills you learned there, which one do you value the most?
I’d say the most valuable skills are the basic pattern cutting and grading skills that I learned – the practical skills that allowed me to develop and create my own new designs – before the course I literally knew nothing, with fantastically limited sewing skills!
 
Running a business and attending University at the same time must be challenging. What were some of the unexpected benefits of doing this?
The biggest benefit is that I’ve managed to actually build a viable business at a time where I had financial support to live off (hurray for student loans and scholarships!) – now that I’m out of university and having to start earning a living, I have a couple of years head start on building the brand. It’s already a profitable business which gives me quite a lot of hope for the future!
 
Now that you are done with school, where do you want to take the business from here?
My focus right now is to move into manufacturing – currently entirely too much of my time is taken up by sewing customer orders myself, which means that I have a lot less opportunity to build the business as I would like. 

I’m currently aiming to get a diffusion line manufactured at a lower price point, to bring the income to fund the shiny extravagant designs that I have in my head, with the beautiful but expensive couture laces and silks. It’s frustrating that so much is held back by not having the financial means – I’m trying to get around it at the moment with a crowdfunding campaign, which I hope is successful enough to get my business off the ground properly!

Karolina must raise £10,000 by November 15 to fund her move into manufacturing. Please note that this article was not sponsored in any way - we just love Karolina's work and want to see cool, creative people succeed - but if her designs inspire you, Karolina would love your support!

In the meantime, are you working on your own business, or would you like to set up your own label? Do you have any questions for Karolina? Please ask her in the comments below!