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Polish lacemakers swap doilies for g-strings 波蘭蕾絲織造者捨飾巾織丁字褲

Malgorzata Sanaszek shows a lace g-string, Jan. 18, 2007. 今年一月十八日，摩哥爾札塔．山納斯齊克展示一條手工蕾絲丁字褲。 PHOTO: AFP

Faced with declining demand for their intricate doilies, the lacemakers of a Polish mountain community came up with a solution: sexy underwear.

The business-boosting idea has given a new lease of life to Koniakow's 200-year-old cottage industry, but opponents say it is immoral and an insult to past customers such as the late Polish-born Pope John Paul II and Queen Elizabeth II.

"Traditional lacecraft was too expensive, so it wasn't selling anymore. We weren't making a living. A friend jokingly said: 'Why don't you start making g-strings!'

"I took his word for it, and made one for myself and then for my friends. They were a hit," said Malgorzata Sanaszek.

Thirty-something Sanaszek was a pioneer four years ago, and now runs a specialised company selling lace underwear over the Internet.

Whether black, red or decked with flower motifs, and however little they leave to the imagination, the g-strings are made using handicraft techniques stretching back some two centuries in southern Poland.

But they have some advantages over traditional tableware.

"Making a g-string is even easier than making a tablecloth," said Krystyna Kaisar, an experienced lacemaker in her 50s.

A tablecloth can take between a week and six months to produce, depending on its size and detail. A g-string — which sells for about 25 to 30 euros (NT$1,074-1,289) — takes about a day.

Poland is a deeply Catholic country, and mountain dwellers have a particular reputation for piety. So it's no surprise some people are upset.

But the dust has largely settled in Korniakow, with most residents coming around to the idea that underwear is a money-spinner for many families in an area where unemployment remains a major problem.

"Elderly people may still produce g-strings in secret, but it's clear that it's better to make them than to steal to eat," said one middle-aged lacemaker. (afp)

為因應精緻手工蕾絲飾巾的需求日益下滑，波蘭一處山區的蕾絲織造者想出了解決之道：性感內衣褲。

這個刺激銷路的點子讓科尼亞科弗這項已有兩百年歷史的家庭工業再現生機，但反對者表示，這種做法不僅傷風敗俗，對生於波蘭的已故教宗若望保祿二世，及英國伊莉莎白女王二世，這些過去的主顧來說，更是一項侮辱。

「傳統手工蕾絲製品由於價格過於昂貴，以致市場凋零，我們無法維生。一個朋友打趣地說：『你何不開始織造丁字褲！』」

摩哥爾扎塔?山納斯齊克說：「我聽了他的話，先後幫自己和朋友們織造，結果它們成了搶手貨。」

三十多歲的山納斯齊克四年前率先投入蕾絲內衣褲的生產，現在的他經營了一家銷售這類產品的網路專賣店。

不論是黑色、紅色或織有花朵圖案，也不管樣式如何死板，這些丁字褲全是以兩百多年前源自波蘭南部的手工技法一一編織而成。

不過蕾絲丁字褲比傳統桌巾更具優勢。

現年五十多歲的克利斯提娜?凱薩爾是個經驗老道的蕾絲編織者，她說：「編織丁字褲比編織桌巾簡單多了。」

織一塊桌布的時間會依照尺寸及花樣複雜程度的不同，花費一週到六個月不等，而織一條售價約二十五到三十歐元（新台幣一千零七十四元到一千兩百八十九元）的丁字褲只需要一天。

波蘭是個深受天主教影響的國家，山區民眾信仰尤其虔誠，因此出現部份反彈聲浪並不讓人意外。

然而，這股反彈聲浪在科尼亞科弗已大致平息，多數居民轉而支持這個點子，在這個失業問題嚴重的地區，手工蕾絲內衣褲成了許多家庭的搖錢樹。

一名中年的蕾絲織造者說：「老人家或許還是私下偷偷編製丁字褲，編織蕾絲丁字褲顯然比去偷東西換取食物來得好。」

（法新社／翻譯：林倩如）

Today's Words 今日單字 1. intricate adj. 複雜精細的 (fu4 za2 jing1 xi4 de5) 例: Some spiders weave very intricate webs. (某些蜘蛛編織的網十分複雜精細。) 2. immoral adj. 傷風敗俗的 (shang1 feng1 bai4 su2 de5)，不道德的 (bu2 dao4 de2 de5) 例: The church condemned the ministers for their immoral behavior. (教會譴責那些神職人員不道德的行為。) 3. deck v.t. 裝飾 (zhuang1 shi4) 例: The room was decked out with balloons. (這房間裝飾了氣球。) 4. piety n. 虔誠 (qing2 cheng2) 例: His parents praised him for his filial piety. (雙親都讚揚他的孝道。)

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