For.rest: Porcelain that touches

Do you think this is childish aesthetics? It turns out that there are quite a lot of big children in Poland. And that's what they love For.rest for.

Agnieszka Kowalska

The for.rest brand has been around for seven years. And he constantly offers the same style, the same patterns. White porcelain, on which animals are drawn with a thick black line, is a special sign of products produced by Dagmara Malacy. There is something about them that makes them so popular. Animals are cute and touching. It is "porcelain that touches," as Dagmara advertises it. It certainly also improves your mood.

Polish porcelain that helps you relax

Dagmara is from Bochnia. She decided to study architecture in Krakow because she had been interested in interior design for a long time and wanted to get a specific profession. During her studies, she focused on urban planning.

I started painting mugs in my third year. - It was an accident. Yes, I've always liked to draw, but I've never painted on dishes before. A friend was looking for a gift. I made her five cups with woodland animals painted with china pens. I remember there was a bear cub, a fox, an owl, a raccoon and a beaver. I printed them in good light on my balcony, showed them on social networks, and orders poured in,” recalls Dagmara. - In one evening, a name was created, it was invented by my friend Olya. And I began to act. I'm like this: when I have an idea, I like to jump straight into action.

It is hard to believe that no one has come up with such an ideal name yet. Forest is a forest divided into two words "for rest" means: for rest, for rest. This perfectly captures Dagmara's intentions. - For me, the most important morning, I'm a lark, - he says about himself. – This time with hot tea, coffee, breakfast in bed is crucial for the rest of the day. I like to celebrate these moments, to surround myself with beautiful objects, she admits.

Need for inventions is cunning. At first, Dagmara designed her morning in her mind, but quickly infected others with this holiday of tea and coffee: - I managed to enter a niche. At that time, small clothing brands developed strongly, there was no shortage of original t-shirts or sweatshirts, but there was no shortage of designs. That's why I decided to go down this path.

For.rest — how to turn passion into a company?

The beginning - those two years of study in Krakow - were modest, summer cottages. An important step was the search for a solid, aesthetic base - white porcelain dishes. Dagmara found one in Lubian, whom she has worked with to this day. She also improved the technique of applying patterns to make them more durable - she replaced the handles with decals. It also allowed her to increase production because she no longer had to decorate each vessel herself.

Another important milestone for the company was the move to Warsaw. Magda Nowosadska, the creator of the Belle clothing brand, invited Dagmar to cooperate and share the studio on Poznańska Street. “I gave myself three months to try, but I stayed. I found a beautiful place and Warsaw made me feel very welcome,” he recalls. Her dad, a jack-of-all-trades who creates beautiful things out of wood, helped set up the studio (now we can see his bookshelves in the for.rest store in Mokotów). A year later, Dagmara began to look for a bigger room, for example, with a showcase, already meaning a store. She found a suitable place in Selce, in Dolny Mokotov, not far from the Lazienki park. “The Nabelak was meant for me,” he laughs. “I had to make a decision very quickly. My parents just said goodbye. It was a dive into deep water. Her porcelain and virtual store are also located in the Design by AvtoTachki zone. There you can find porcelain from all collections.

Dagmara, in a pandemic, realized that she had to be flexible. “I have been drawing the same patterns for years, but I need stimulation. I like it when something new happens. We have our own shop on Etsy, but maybe we need to promote our products even more abroad? I also work with various brands for which I make personalized promotional mugs,” she lists.

The cafe froze during the pandemic, but the plants turned out to be useful. “People are now paying more attention to objects around the house. And we began to send them not only porcelain, but also plants,” says Dagmara.

Porcelain for recreation - what to choose?

It offers several for.rest collections. There are mugs of different sizes, plates, bowls, pots (which Dagmara started to paint), jugs, milk jugs, sugar bowls and teapots. And the patterns? There are also animals beloved by buyers: from the forest, farm, tropics (alpacas, pandas and sloths are the leaders in sales). There is a series with birds and mountains. There are more minimalistic twigs and faces. They, in turn, are most often ordered for weddings or wedding gifts.

“In the spring/summer 2021 season, we will focus on color,” Dagmara announces. “Somewhat perverse, given our black identity. I don't want to reveal too much, but I will say that the new season will be full of new cases and pots. There will be muted colors, refreshed shapes, fun accents and combinations of different materials. We will definitely continue the theme of happy faces, I think these plant sprites still have something to say.

Dagmara Malaka sets ambitious goals and is not afraid of risk. She has built a community through which she can develop.

You can find more articles about beautiful things in Urządzam i Dekoruję passion.

Photo: For.rest materials