The clothing from the Novopolotsk manufacturer has long won the hearts of our family and has firmly occupied a place in my wardrobe. At any convenient opportunity, I try to visit the "LUBAWA" brand store, if only to look at interesting prints or try on models from the latest collection, if not to buy something new. That's how we women are, the opportunity to see ourselves in a stunning outfit can lift our spirits and give us a lot of pleasant moments. Of course, standing in front of the mirror, I have often wondered: how does such beauty come about? How is the idea of a particular knitted item born? Does the artist have to adapt their inspiration to the available fabrics and yarn, or does the company purchase them based on the created clothing sketches? To find out, I went to the production workshops of the "Lyubava" company.
— It happens in different ways, — the company's artist Lyudmila Kornasevich admitted to me. — Sometimes yarn is purchased first, and then I think about what can be made from it. And sometimes, I envision a certain model, and then I select the yarn, knit, and finishing for it.
As Lyudmila Fyodorovna explained, the artist's role is not the only important factor in creating an outfit. The sketch of a specific product, for example, is created by fashion designer-constructor Oksana Garanina. Much also depends on programmers, as today a significant part of the work is done by smart modern equipment, which must be tasked correctly. That is, it is not enough to come up with an openwork pattern for a jumper, it is also necessary that the knitting machine can reproduce it. And this is where knitting equipment technicians-programmers Oksana Nesterenko and Natalia Kirik take over. At SOOO "Lyubava", they unanimously say that these are, without exaggeration, unique specialists not only for Novopolotsk but also on a republican scale.
When the developed model is launched into production, it must go through many more stages before the idea is embodied in a real item ready for shipment to the store. I never even thought before how many operations separate the artist's idea from the finished garment. The details need to be knitted, steamed, if necessary, a pattern or embroidery applied, rhinestones glued with a press, and individual elements assembled into a whole product. By the way, at "Lyubava" they try to move away from ordinary stitching of shoulder seams, mainly using кеттлевка (kettling), when loops are neatly joined on a special machine. As a result, the models are of higher quality and more delicate, without the rough seams characteristic of cheap market knitwear.
The decoration of clothing produced under the "LUBAWA LIS" brand is a topic worthy of a separate discussion. To make the products interesting and unique, the company uses laser cutting, ribbon embroidery, appliqué, thermal printing, and sublimation (a type of fabric printing). Additionally, they decided to implement the finishing of models with patterns made of felted wool. This is not an easy task, as creating a delicate volumetric pattern requires manual work, but the result is worth it: the beauty is incredible. Upon seeing the trial samples, I couldn't take my eyes off them. Although they only recently began mastering this technique at "Lubava," the first such items have already appeared in the company's retail chain. However, as noted by Anna Golubeva, the head of the production department, it is unlikely that there will be mass production of clothing with decorations made of felted wool. After all, manual labor is not cheap, so only limited series of models will be presented in stores.
The high level of finishing of "Lubava's" products is noted not only by customers but also by various enterprises. Many manufacturers are now placing orders for applying patterns to their fabric cuts. Thus, thanks to skilled programmers and artists, and modern equipment, the Novopolotsk company can also earn money by providing such services.
Liliya Ivchenko. Photos by Dmitry Osipov. "Vitebskiye Vesti".
