Poland's NecroExpo: where the Grim Reaper cashes in

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2009

KIELCE, Poland (AFP) — This season, grey is the new black. And pale pine is in. If you're a trend-conscious undertaker looking for the latest in funeral-wear and coffins, or simply hunting for a hearse, then Poland's annual NecroExpo is where it's at.

The three-day event, which just wrapped its third edition in the southern town of Kielce, is a magnet in a business where the Grim Reaper is as much about rewards as souls.

Like any trade fair, NecroExpo has its share of scantily-clad hostesses -- but in this case they pitch high-end Italian hearses or kitsch white coffins lined with lace.

At one stand, exhibitor Grzegorz Szymanski showed off swish ensembles including ceremonial undertakers' outfits.

"Contrary to what people think, really dark colours don't...