from altar cloth to g-string

Check out this story from BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6312429.stm

Interesting to see how markets are changing with the times. This actually illustrates that demand drives supply (take that, J.B. Say).

Traditional Koniakow lace products include tabletops, altar coverings, pillow cases, and blouses. Given the labour intensity (they make their lace by crocheting) and the surface area of these products, we could expect these products to be relatively expensive and would be relegated to the category of luxury items. So to make their products more accessible to people other than the bourgeoisie (and expand their market), they have to create products with smaller surface areas. Most producers of luxury items from Lindt to Zwilling do this-- produce a premium line and a "value" line to capture a broad spectrum of consumers.

The question now facing Koniakow makers is what lace product with low surface areas to produce. Fifty years ago it would've been handkerchiefs or coasters, like what the lace makers in Batangas, Philippines, now sell at souvenir shops. But instead, they chose to make lace thongs, g-strings, and brassieres-- a big depature indeed from altar pieces for the Pope. It's not that the Koniakow lace makers are a more sexually liberated bunch-- the report describes Koniakow, Poland, as a "deeply Catholic village" with at least one maker asking her priest whether it's a sin to make lingerie. I think they came to this decision after studying the present market-- what crochet lace product would have the most chance to sell? The answer-- lingerie, because people like to wear lace when they're feeling frisky. And they were right.

Moral of the story: Demand drives supply, even if the suppliers are hesitant to supply it.

Btw, the above image is from a website selling Koniakow lace: http://koniakow.com/index_en.php. Visit it to see images of, um, their other products.