Barbara Hoff. Królowa kreatywności
Barbara Hoff. The Queen of Creativity

Author(s): Joanna Dobkowska-Kubacka, Aneta Pawłowska
Subject(s): Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Sociology of Art
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: Barbara Hoff; Hoffland; fashion; 20th century; People's Republic of Poland; "Przekrój"
Summary/Abstract: The publication presents the life and work of Barbara Hoff, a Polish fashion designer and creator of the Hoffland brand. The protagonist is descended from the pre-war working intelligentsia, a graduate in art history from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Her relationship with fashion dates back to 1954, when she began a permanent collaboration with the weekly magazine "Przekrój". From the 1960s, her original "Hoff Collection" appeared in the magazine. In 1967, the models created by Hoff, sewn by the Warsaw-based clothing manufacturer Cora, went on sale at the Central Department Store in Warsaw. This was the beginning of Hoff's creation of fashion collections intended for the mass public of the communist era. In 1969, the stall was located in the CDT "Junior", and from 1977 onwards it bore the official name "Hoffland". In the 1970s and 1980s, the modern and functional yet relatively inexpensive clothing designed by Hoff was perceived by Polish society as a welcome breath of the West. The collections were extremely successful. It is worth noting that the success of the brand was helped by the "Przekrój" magazine promoting it and the excellent models and photographers associated with the venture. The Hoffland brand is still associated today with many popular designs such as colourful plastic sandals or multicoloured T-shirts or simple cotton bags with a large company logo. Although the stand survived the turbulent years of the political transformation, the pressure of Western fashion concerns led to the closure of Hoffland in 2007. The book is based on numerous, press interviews given by Barbara Hoff, her own texts as well as the archives of the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź and the files of the Institute of National Remembrance.

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