About Me
ABOUT ME
City Code is urban style.
The city is my inspiration, the cacophony is my music. I manifest the femininity of the urban jungle. City Code is a Polish Fashion Brand that focuses on perfect tailoring, high quality materials and perfect cuts. I am aware of trends and I believe that fashion should make women more beautiful, elegant, self-confident but free.
Anna Grygier, Designer I, the designer.
The City Code brand and its creation is basically my personal journey. It wasn't easy. My professional and educational path was not related to fashion at all. Before I completed the design and typeface construction course, I graduated from the University of Economics with a different intention in general - to manage large corporations. Initially, the plan was conscientiously implemented for a short time, until the moment when life enabled me to deviate from the route and start pursuing my own dreams, not someone else's goals. I can't imagine a day without my current job. I start each day with studying the world's fashion trends and, of course, a cup of coffee for the morning. I love to rummage through warehouses with fabrics looking for the most beautiful and best ones for my collection. I love cities, towns and my projects are the result of observing women living in them. I stealthily peek, I watch, I watch people on the street.
Nobody expected this from me. NOBODY!!!
Due to my parents' profession, I traveled a lot around the world as a child. I spent several years in Africa, then in the United States. I returned to Poland to study, then I decided to visit old Europe. Traveling has accompanied me for a large part of my life. I think all these experiences had a direct impact on who I am now.
People I met.
Countries I've lived in.
The cultures I know.
Experiences I have gained.
A few years ago, the idea to realize the first collection was born. Several models. Inexperience. No facilities. No machine park. Lack of abilities. No plan. Lack of knowledge. Tiny children. Catastrophe and ready defeat - it would seem to many. But now I remember the first dress. My first clients. Interest. Great support. Orders, new ideas until the season changes and ... another collection and another.
To this day, I thank my first clients for the trust they gave me. I completed several years of cut and construction course under the supervision of an excellent craftswoman who decided to pass on her 40 years of work experience to me. She introduced me to cutting and sewing techniques.
I received my diploma.
I do all the projects myself. Under the guidance of my mentor. Old fashioned…(laughs). I don't think anyone does that anymore…(laughs) but I'm of the opinion that the project should be refined by hand so that it comes out exactly as I designed it in my head. The process is long and requires a lot of time, work, focus and commitment. Tons of paper, measuring tape, pencils, eraser, duct tape, crayons, scissors, pins and a mannequin. I'm drowning in scraps. I draw the whole project by hand on paper, cut it out and model it on a mannequin. When its shape seems to meet the expectations, I go to the next stage and cut out the design from the fabric. I pin it laboriously on a mannequin so that it is refined to perfection. Then I'm ready to make corrections on paper. I describe details, dimensions, I make a sketch. This is where my sewing team comes in. Finally, I agree on the details and the seamstresses sew the pattern. The pattern is tried on by models and refined on the silhouette. I keep pinning, basting, looking at, unraveling and stitching again. All ruffles and drapes are not accidental. Sometimes the draping of each single piece is done by hand. Of course, there is still gradation, i.e. designing the entire size range. As you can see, every project requires a lot of work.
I don't think anyone does that anymore. NOBODY!!!
I am constantly searching and experimenting...
I am constantly developing…