A fashion show in the small mountain village of Koniakow, high in Poland’s Beskid Mountains.

The models swimwear is all made of lace crocheted by the women in this village.

The lace has been made here for over 100 years.

It began as extra work, necessary to support household budgets.

Now it's considered as an intricate craft which is transformed into clothes which command high designer prices.

"In this tiny village in the Beskid Mountains, Koniakow, highland women create unique patterns from their imagination, compositions of thin threads, flowers, and stars. They are surrounded by beautiful nature, so it inspires their motifs. We have no templates, no patterns. We create everything from our imagination, and that's why fashion houses want to work with us, because every design, every napkin, every new dress is something new for us," Lucyna Ligocka-Kohut, President of the Koniakow Lace Foundation:

Blouses sell for at least 3,000 to 4,000 złoty ($750 to $1,000) and wedding dress prices reach up to tens of thousands of złoty.

The steep costs are based on the amount of time the women need for their needlework, with even a simple blouse requiring several weeks.

Unlike some other traditional craftworks around the globe, crocheting lace is not fading, it's flourishing.

Ligocka-Kohut says the lace has featured in the designs of high end fashion brands.

She says: "These include Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Magda Butrym, Rei Kawakubo, and Comme des Garcons. Koniaków lace has already appeared twice at Paris Fashion Week in 2018, specifically with a wedding tailcoat by Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo, and this year, Magda Butrym. Lace has graced the cover of Vogue."

The most valuable skill is patience—creating even a simple blouse can take several weeks.

Currently, around 700 women in Koniakow are involved in lace making.

Each summer, the village hosts a special festival called "The Lace Days", offering visitors a chance to learn crocheting.

As in the past, the tradition is passed down from generation to generation there are no textbooks or fixed rules for creating the village’s unique lace.

What is new today is that women learning the craft now use mobile phones to record and later replay techniques demonstrated by more experienced lace makers.

Wiesława Juroszek began making lace at the age of six.

She holds a record for completing the largest piece of Koniakow lace, which hangs on the wall of the local firehouse, now converted into a craft centre.

The lace measures 5.3 meters in diameter (approximately 17.4 feet).

Juroszek made it a few years ago, together with her mother and daughter.

"I've been making lace since childhood, around the age of six, so almost my entire life. I'm from Koniaków, and in Koniaków almost all the women do "hekla"- crochet, or as we call it, hekla. And for us it's a passion, for us it's our whole life," says Juroszek.

She explains: "The tradition dates back a long time. There was a woman who learned to crochet somewhere. There were these ribbons, and older women wore ribbons, we call them bonnets, and wore scarves tied under their chins. It was a decorative element; when a woman was married, she had her own. And later, women started making them as table decorations, like napkins, and the shape became round. And the women sold them, which was a way to earn money."

Now according to Juroszek the men of the village are taking interest, but she doesn't think that will go far.

Juroszek says: "It's a bit more of a problem with the men; they're cheering us on," but she adds "Well, gentlemen, I think there's one or two men who can crochet, but not really. It's a woman's job."

Today, she sits crocheting a new blouse for Ewa Lesiewicz from the city of Rybnik.

The most traditional Koniakow lace is made in white or soft ecru, reflecting its roots in bridal and ceremonial wear.

Bolder colours, deep red, black, and vivid green, are typically reserved for lingerie and swimwear.

Lace makers work on request and often bring to life even the most elaborate or unconventional ideas their clients come up with.

Ewa Lesiewicz is delighted with her order.

She says: "I already have a lace blouse, a lace bra, a set with panties, and I really like them. And I also want a set like this: a blouse and a skirt."

The bras, panties, thongs and G-strings are sold online for those who can't travel to southern Poland for lace shopping.

AP video by Rafal Niedzielski