Agata Jurago-Pach is a vegan environmentally aware sexy as hell pole dancer, who decided to create her own epic vegan eco-friendly pole wear brand, Sway! Naturally, as I am a vegan sustainable minded pole dancer myself, we became quick friends! Agata had always dreamed of being a fashion designer so when she found her way to pole and the options were limited there it was an obvious decision to make pole wear. But pole wear isn’t so easy to make. Pole dancers are strong, opinionated, super flexible, do crazy tricks, and need their skin to stick to the pole! One can’t just throw anything on them and call it a day! They need looks that will stay in place no matter what while slaying! We are also a pretty conscientious. This is where Sway comes in! Super sexy vegan conscientious pole wear that can handle everything we throw at it! Read on to learn more about Agata Jurago-Pach and her inspiring pole brand, Sway!

Where are you based?
I'm based in Gdańsk, Poland. I have lived here my whole life. I travel around the world but I can say with full honesty that I haven't found a more perfect place to live.

What inspired you to get into designing pole wear?
I wanted to be a fashion designer ever since I remember, I always loved dressing up and creating different characters for each occasion. When it came to chosing university I decided to study architecture as I thought it would be smarter career choice plus I love architecture too! After studies I got into pole. It was very early days and there was I think only one pole studio back then in my city. Also there were only a couple of pole brands around the world at that time (anyone remember Bad Kitty? Telll me how old you are without telling me how old you are). We were all wearing whatever — sports bras/bikinis tops/boxer shorts with tiny crotch and just hoped for the best 😁. Then I’ve decided to pursue my childhood dream but never thought Sway will become as big as it did and last for as long as it has!

Why was it important to you to have a sustainable vegan brand?
It comes from who I am and how I live. You have no idea how many times I regretted having a moral compass! I run a sustainable vegan brand but honestly it's not a sustainable business model most of the time. It's not only the eco fabrics (thankfully they are easier to get now but still many times more expensive than virgin fabric) but it's every tiny decision I make from packing to using every scrap of fabric/thread or adjuster. A big part of it is not to overproduce that means smaller orders and that means higher prices for sewing. It's very important for me to provide the highest quality and keep an eye on the whole production process. That's why I only work with local sewing rooms here in Poland. The current one is in Gdańsk, around 20min by car from where I live!

You are actually vegan yourself. What inspired you to go vegan?
Yes I am. It's 6 years now and I wish I went vegan sooner. It's going to sound silly but before that I didn't make the connection that the meat it's actually animals who were killed. I mean I knew, but I guess I was blocking this out? I went vegan with my husband when we moved in together when we both were still studying. We started thinking more about what we are cooking for each other and wanted to make it healthier and researching the subject. If you really look into this subject and learn about cruelty and the impact of the planet of meat and dairy industry there is truly no other way than to go vegan :-)

You are a Polish based brand, and even do all your production in Poland. What made you decide to go with this approach? How does your production look?
It started naturally. First designs that I put onto paper I took to a very talented seamstress (with whom I still work sometimes on custom pieces) and she created the patterns for me and first prototypes. When first orders came I was ordering each one as they came. This helped me keep the cost down. Not overproduce and have more different styles from the get go. After couple of years when there were just too many for her to make in reasonable time frame I had to move to sewing room. It may sound a bit like I'm control freak but I cannot imagine the stress of ordering big batch of clothes from some place far away and not have ability to check quality personally before they are ready. Also, I want to know the working conditions of people that create those beautiful pieces are good. That means not only fair wage, but access to healthcare and holiday, not working overtime — this is all very important to me. I try to keep professional but friendly contact with the contractors — I think that pays of not only because it's just more pleasant to work that way, but also because if I mess up something like stock quantities on the website and someone would order something I don't have they can sometimes make just one piece for me. I wouldn't never be able to do it if I order my stock from some country far away.

You have customers all over the world. Have you been feeling the tariffs?
Oh yes. A lot actually. Most of the orders I receive are from the US and we noticed a significant drop in sales the moment they were announced! Sadly it was so chaotic that I couldn't tell how much my clients would have to pay to receive their order. And those who ordered were sometimes hit with 60$ tariffs for 180$ order which is insane. Luckily I now work with a shipping company that provides better service and I can cover the tariffs myself within the cost of the shipping. Unfortunately those that were hit with big costs may never come back to my shop and will not know about this shipping option I have now. Other things are that the tariffs made everything more expensive and where I live cost of living is one of the highest in Poland anyways. That means my contractors had to put their prices up too and it's cascading into the price of my garment making them even more expensive and so my margins suffer.

Can you tell us a bit about your fabrics? How are they sustainable and vegan?
The main fabric I use is made from ECONYL — its Regenerated Nylon made from post waste (like mattresses and rugs collected from landfill and fishing nets that were discarded in the Oceans). what makes them sustainable is that it's virgin fiber, but also it's super durable. I have some pieces from 2019 when I first started using this fabric and the items look like new. So you essentially need just one outfit and you are set for your pole wardrobe! :-D . I actually had some clients “complaining” that the items look so good that they see no reason to get more (apart from the fact that they want different style or color). This makes their resale value higher which I think not many people consider when they are purchasing polewear. There are many reasons why you may want to sell your old gear. We change size or move to different hobbies or change our personal style and with polewear this good you can give your piece's new home.

Other fabrics I'm using are Bamboo or EcoVero viscose (for lingerie lining and lounge wear). Also for the Lustre collection I used recycled polyamide with Lurex metal thread for everlasting sparkle.

And what makes them vegan, apart from the fact that they are not made from animal derivatives, is that they're also cleaning up the ocean and landfill which helps the ecosystem of the Earth.

Pole wear is a niche market. Do you feel pole dancers are more receptive to sustainable clothing than other populations?
It is the niche market — you are very right, but pole is a hobby or profession of people of all economic status and all the different convictions. Around 2018 I saw the rise of awareness and I was thinking things are going in the right direction, but with the rise of ultra fast fashion brands I noted the rapid decline in sales and I know for a fact that this was not a unique case for Sway. I'm still hopeful as when I meet my clients in person some of them tell me how sustainability is one of the big reasons that they choose my brand. However still more often it's because of the quality, softness of the fabric and the unique cuts. Given how inclusive and socially conscious the pole community is, one would expect that it would translate to the eco awareness aspect.

Pole dancers do lots of crazy tricks! How do you make sure your clothing “keeps everything in place”?
Trust me, I'm an engineer! 😁😁😁 And a professional pole dancer and a pole instructor so I understand the requirements needed. Plus, lots and lots of crush testing of various design prototypes. Over 10 years of experience and educational background in architecture and engineering helps to marry the form and function of Sway designs. On top of that I'm working very closely with super talented seamstresses who understand my concepts and can translate my drawings and pattern drafts into finished products. Our bodies are very different and of course it's impossible to create pieces that will fit and work for every-body but with some of the designs I came very close!

Good example would be Garter shorts with strategically placed straps that hold the crotch part in place but look cute as hell.

Your clothes are so pretty! What inspires your different designs?
Okay, so how long is your column again:-D? Honestly anything that comes my way — it can be anything from lingerie (Ruby/Garter shorts) to pieces of regular clothing I used to have or seen on the streets and because I translate those to polewear they gain unique shape and functionality. My engendering brain wants to make pieces that can be transformed or worn multiple ways (Bettie top /Arlene bikini/Alethea bodysuit). Some actually needed an instruction manual because they seemed too complicated at first — I'm talking about our Yulia Harnesses. As for colors I choose — and I think those are also a signature part of my brand. I have two main objectives — I try to choose those that I feel will be universally flattering for different skin tones, but also that they match colors I had in the past and that I want to bring in the future. This is for the simple reason that I want people to rediscover their older pieces and combine them with the new ones. I highly recommend following Arlene Caffrey and Jeni Janover (not only because they are amazing artists) as they own a lot of Sway pieces and they make the most incredible styling combinations.

Walk us through how your designing process goes? How often do you have new styles?
Oh! I have lots of notebooks with different drafts and ideas. I also have some already made patterns that have never seen the light of the day. To release the piece I want to be sure it's absolutely perfect. And once it's there I still improve them from time to time based on customer feedback. When I go to sell on live events I make notes of how the pieces look in different body types, of what concerns them, what they are looking for. I know it's impossible to create a cut that will work for every body type. We are all very unique creatures! But I try to make each piece adjustable so it fits the majority.

I'm also not trying to cater to all the tastes - I think that would make the outfits bland and I want them spicy, juicy or sweet. They are not for everyone and I'm ok with that.

And to answer your question;-). I always start with the idea of what I would want to own, what are the pieces I'm missing or what I persona want to be. I draft the complete collection and then I narrow down and narrow down until I have, I guess, a capsule collection. Then I take those drownings or if I already have them - ready patterns and I discuss them with very talented seamstresses who run the sewing room I work with. They make the first prototype and we adjust and they make the second that's usually final. I test them and ask my friends to try them on too. One piece can take up to 6 months before it's perfect. That's why I don't release them that often even though I can't wait for you to see them all!

Do you have an all time favorite piece and/or a must have piece?
It's like with children or pets — I love them all equally:-D. But I do have pieces that I wear all the time — that's a Carla top and Dolly Bra plus some thong (my current favorite is Agata Thong — hence the name!). I wear them instead of regular lingerie on most days — this way whenever I feel like it I can take my top and jeans off and dance! My schedule is packed so finding time to train or just dance can be tricky. That is why having polewear as base wear makes it possible for me to jump to open studio whenever I can. I do have at least one pair of heels in my car for this reason! Also all of these pieces are comfy as hell. I actually checked and the piece that was sold the most over the past 11 years was Temptress Top — this one has been with us since the first collection in 2015 and went through several iterations and now I think it's the prettiest and most comfy it has ever been!

We are living in crazy times, what do you do to stay positive?
It's really hard at times. As you know our neighbor — Ukraine has been invaded many years ago and the aggression escalated in the past few years. It's heart breaking to see what's happening there. I was raised and was born in Gdańsk and here you can still see the aftermath of World War Two. I believe that it will take time, but Ukraine will be victorious. But the sad truth is the consequences of this war will be healing for many many years after. I'm talking about this war because it's very close to home, sadly there are conflicts all over the world

On top of what social media did to our brains and the Pole community is scary really. I started pole before Instagram and I think that was much simpler and much more fun for the pole community.

To stay positive I try to stay away from social media as much as possible (it's very hard when you run a company) as I noticed the more I go there the more depressed I feel. I met the most amazing people through pole and I keep in touch with them and we try to visit each other as much as possible. The offline human connection is crucial to me. I also have small but close non pole friends and my lovely husband and two most amazing cats; so, I snuggle with them often to keep my spirits up!

What is your motto in life?
“Be careful what you wish for because it will happen.” My dad told it to me around the time I was finishing high school and was choosing my life path. I'm not sure if he even remembers that! But this sentence stuck with me and I think it's very powerful. As cheesy as it sounds if you put your mind and your heart into something it is going to happen.

To learn more about Sway please check out the links below:
Instagram: @sway_movewear and @sway_movewear_poland

Sway - Vegan Pole Wear That Can Handle All The Tricks!