More than a few years ago, the hard-working and prodigious women of Koniakow, a hidden gem of a village in southwest Poland (the country's lacemaking headquarters), had a knotty problem: traditional lace sales were non-existent. Inspired by circumstances, they started crafting sexy lace thongs, g-strings, bras and beachwear that were sold to tourists around the entire southwestern region of Poland.
Shortly after this creative enterprise took off the ground, a group of lace makers was formed to sell the lingerie, and orders began pouring in from all over the world.
As revenue went up, however, so did the escalating tempers in the small village of 3,000. The National Folk Art Society started legal proceedings saying that the sexy lace lingerie was near-sacrilegious and a defamation of the village's 200-plus year lacemaking tradition.
Tradition aside - the sexy lace thongs drive sales in a village with little other industry to help pay the bills, and at the same time heat up romance in relationships around the world.
Made entirely of Egyptian or Turkish cotton, these lace gems are completely natural and the soft and silky feel of Koni-Art USA lingerie is second to none.
Not all people in Koniakow are happy with the sexy lace lingerie. Some of the older women have protested such a disgrace of of the historic lace tradition in Poland.
Fully funded by the Communist party from the 1950s, after the rise of a free market society - these lace crafters needed a fresh idea, as lace tablecloths and doilies were selling at a slower and slower rate.
Since the lace g-strings, sexy thongs, Polish bra and panty sets and other soft and sexy lace lingerie pieces were crafted - sales have steadily supported this small village of 3,000.
This process isn't easy - as one dainty lace thong takes at least 5 hours to craft. Fine needlework is a necessary part of creating such intricate lingerie. And although a lace panty may sell for merely $35 - $80, these lace makers are making only $6 an hour, some times even less. And by American or Western European standards - that's minimum wage. In a small agricultural village in the mountains of Poland though - that $6 an hour helps pay more than the bills.
Proud of their soft, sexy and unique lingerie pieces - these scanty lingerie creations have helped save a village in tough economic times. From the fall of Communism to a rise in the potential spending power these panties have given Koniakow - days are much brighter for, not only, the lace crafters.
By Joshua Ellis