For this episode of Finding My User Manual, I sat down with Karolina Laskowska, an award-winning couture lingerie designer who has been running her eponymous brand single-handedly for 14 years. Her work is known for its intricate craftsmanship, historical references and sustainable practices. She’s also the director and co-founder of the Underpinnings Museum, a digital archive dedicated to documenting and celebrating the history of underwear.

I’ve been a fan of Karolina’s work even before I got to meet her in person. Her early collections featured vintage kimono silk, and for anyone who knows my obsession with everything Japanese, she had me hooked before she even graduated, and here we are now, 14 years later.

Because of the deeply personal and sensitive nature of this episode, it does not feel appropriate for me to transcribe, paraphrase, pull quotes from, highlight, censor, or in any way edit Karolina Laskowska’s story. Her words are incredibly powerful, and should be experienced with the exact tone and nuance in which they were delivered on the podcast. The podcast can be found in video format with subtitles on both YouTube and Spotify, both of which are linked below

**Content Warning**

This episode contains conversation around difficult topics that some viewers/listeners may find distressing. Please read below for a more detailed description and to make an informed decision on whether this episode is for you. If not, please take gentle care of yourself and I look forward to re-connecting with you next week.

Specific subjects discussed include: Generalised conversation around unsafe relationships.

If you’re affected by any of the topics discussed in this episode, you can find support via the following links

UK: https://www.helplines.org/helplines/

Worldwide: https://www.helpguide.org/find-help

Listen to the full episode:

Connect with Karolina Laskowska

Website:

karolinalaskowska.com
underpinningsmuseum.com

Patreon:

patreon.com/cw/karolinalaskowska

patreon.com/underpinningsmuseum

Instagram: @karolinalaskowskalingerie and @underpinningsmuseum

TikTok: @karolinalaskowskaatelier and @underpinningsmuseum

Youtube: @karolinalaskowskaatelier and @theunderpinningsmuseum