A letter from Kraków.
Four years in. What we've built, what we've broken, and what we still don't know.
Andrew Alexander
12 April 2026 · 6 min read
“Within twenty minutes, I forgot about my phone, my emails, everything. There was just the leather, the needle, and the rhythm of the stitch.”
When I moved to Kraków in the spring of 2021, I didn't have a plan. I had a suitcase, a small set of leather tools, and a rough idea that I wanted to teach — though to whom, and how, and for what, I couldn't have told you.
The first maker class had four people. Two tourists who found us on Instagram, a local student, and a retired engineer who just wanted to try something new. Piotr, our leather artisan, taught them all. By the end of the three-hour session, every one of them had made something they were proud of. More importantly, they'd talked to each other. Shared stories. Laughed about their mistakes.
The space
Today we run experiences, maker classes, a graduate programme, and the Upcycle Collective. We've placed students from 24 countries into Polish design schools. We've diverted over 500kg of fabric from landfill. We've built a network of 50+ makers, artisans, and creative professionals who teach, guide, and inspire.
But the numbers don't tell the whole story. What I'm most proud of is the community. The students who arrive nervous and leave confident. The tourists who come for a class and return six months later to study full-time. The local makers who've found new audiences and new income through our platform.
Not everything worked. We tried a corporate team-building programme that felt wrong from day one — too polished, too packaged, too far from what we stand for. We killed it after three sessions. We partnered with a fast-fashion brand for a pop-up that contradicted everything we believe about sustainability. We won't make that mistake again.
We've had makers leave because the model didn't work for them. We've had students struggle with visas, accommodation, homesickness. We've had months where the numbers didn't add up and we weren't sure we'd make payroll. Building something real is messy. But it's worth it.
Time out
Can we scale without losing our soul? That's the question that keeps me up at night. We have plans to expand to Warsaw, Łódź, and Gdańsk. But every city is different. Every community has its own rhythm. What works in Kazimierz might not work in Praga or Wrzeszcz.
We don't have all the answers. But we're committed to finding them honestly, transparently, and always with our community at the centre. If you're reading this and you have thoughts, ideas, or criticisms — I'd love to hear them. Drop me a line at andrew@thefabricrepublic.com, or better yet, come to a maker class and tell me in person.
Thank you for being part of this. Whether you've taken a class, donated fabric, enrolled in a programme, or just read this far — you're part of the republic. And the republic is only just getting started.