Wiktoria Podolec & Jadzia Lenart

Tartaruga

What’s your story?

Me (Wiktoria) and Jadzia met at our University. We were both studying Textile Design on the Technical University of Lodz, Poland. The city was always strongly connected with textile industry and this is actually the only place in Poland where you can still study textile design. But earlier we didn't plan to become textile designers or professional weavers. It was just a coincidence. Jadzia wanted to be an architect first and I wanted to study animation in famous Lodz Film School. But plans are plans and life is life, so we ended up studying textile design :)

We were both very ambitious and hard-working and we became best friends very quickly. We made a lot of projects together so we got used to work as a team. Somewhere in the middle of our university education we both started to weave at home, just for fun. We searched through the Instagram and Pinterest and found so many inspiring fiber artists that focus on contemporary designs. It was like the breath of fresh air, because earlier we connected handwoven art with old-fashioned, gray and dusty textiles from the 60's-80's. Then we asked our professors to teach us something more about hand weaving techniques, because we didn't have any classes on that subject. They were very kind and helpful and taught us everything they knew, spending their free time after classes with us. We felt in love with hand weaving so much that we both even decided to make a diploma focused on handwoven rugs and kilims. On the last year of our studies we started to think about things we could do after studies. We were more taught to be industrial designers, to design patterns for printing, jacquard fabrics or knits, but during those few years of education we also saw that the textile industry is extremely harmful on so many levels! We just didn't want to be part of it. And also we're both very independent and ambitious souls and it would be quite hard for us to work for someone else and waste our creativity for something we wouldn't like.

And then few things happened simultaneously. It was the beginning of 2017. We began thinking about starting our own weaving studio. I took part in a contest for startups with our idea, just to check if the idea is worth something. I had a number of classes about business stuff, I also wrote a detailed business plan for 3 years. This was very important for us, because it showed us strong and weak points, opportunities and threats. We also saw that earlier we were underestimating our work and prices of our products. In the end we didn't win the contest but our business plan was evaluated positively so our confidence raised a little bit. In the meantime we took our chance in another competition. There's a place in Lodz called Art_Inkubator and as you can predict - it's a business incubator for creative industry. They have beautiful studios in the city center to rent almost for free, but recruiting is open only once for every 2 years. If you win you can stay in the studio for 2 years and then leave the place for another young company. So there was an open call in the beginning of the 2017 and we decided to take part. We didn't want to wait another 2 years for the next open call. And we made it! The commission loved our idea and we won our dreamt studio so there was no way to step back. We had to start with our business and finish the last year of our studies in the same time. That time was really hard for us but now we know it was worth it!

In the very beginning we were selling different type of wall hangings - kilims, those chunky ones, macrame and so on. But quite quickly we decided to focus only on kilims. First - we felt in love with that technique. It's quite strict and has its limitations but for us is more like a challenge, then an obstacle. Second - kilims last for a lifetime or even longer. They are durable, easy-care and just beautiful. We wanted to provide high-quality products that will serve years and won't be damaged. And what's more - a kilim is a very meaningful object. It's often connected with the most important moments in life like birth or marriage and we think it's beautiful that we can be a part of it!

What are your values?

Our values is actually the most important thing in our business because it all started with our doubts about textile industry. We could easily divide our values into certain categories -

Environment: Most of the raw materials we use come from recycling. From 2020 we use only biodegradable materials. Our production waste is now reduced almost to 0%. This means that a waste from weaving a big kilim fits in one hand. We use only plant-based or non-toxic dyes. The process of weaving is analogue so it doesn’t use any electricity.

Craft: One of the most precious values for us is a work of human hands. Long hours that we as craftsmen spend with every item we make. We believe, that every handcrafted item has a hidden story, that begins in the workshop and then continues in the hands of its owner.

People: Every Tartaruga’s product was woven in our studio in Łódź. That’s why we can guarantee ethicality of the whole production process. Our whole team works in the best conditions and get a fair salary. Also 2% of our income is always intended to charity.

Quality: All of our products are made with the ultimate attention to detail. The raw materials were chosen precisely to get the best possible properties.

Teaching: We're developing DIY products and services because we don't want to keep our skills and secrets just for ourselves. We received a lot of knowledge and help from our professors and other weavers so we feel like we need to pass it on. We know that weaving is a very relaxing and satisfying craft and we really think that everyone should try it at least once!

Place: Our studio is based in Lodz, Poland – a city which was strongly connected to the textile industry in the past but now it feels more like a reminiscence of a former splendor. Nevertheless all the abandoned textile factories and post-industrial places make a unique atmosphere, which can be very inspiring.

What can we find at Taratuga?

We provide two different types of products: first type is Textiles and the second type is a DIY sector.

Textiles: Our flagship product is a woolen kilim, but we also offer cotton rugs. About 50% of our production is from our permanent collections. Once in a while we make a new collection, some of them consist of kilims made in few sizes and in short editions but some collections have only unique products. Most of the designs are made by us but we've got one collection designed by the best polish female illustrators. Another 50% is weaving a custom work. We're always open to taking commissions. Most often clients send us some inspirations or photos of their interior, then we make a design, choose colors and then finally weave.

DIY: We offer a variety of frame weaving looms, tools, yarns and so on. All the looms come with a basic weaving manual. We also want to extend our offer with tutorial videos explaining more advanced weaving techniques.

Where can we learn more about you and your work?

Website: www.taratugastudio.pl/en | Instagram: @taratuga.studio