Founded in September 2020 in the Swedish city of Borås, Textilfabriken is the brainchild of Malin Wiland and Linda Göthberg, who collectively boast decades-long experience across the fields of production management, retail, pattern cutting and design. Putting their combined skills to good use, their new venture serves as something of a consultancy and small-scale manufacturer rolled into one, offering local production with all the trimmings, and anything else needed to create a sustainable collection from start to finish.
The idea hatched as a result of the unsustainable practices Wiland and Göthberg witnessed when working abroad for some of Scandinavia's biggest brands, during which time they spent a considerable chunk of time in Asian factories. "We found it disheartening to see very high minimum quantities as standard, forcing brands to place much higher quantities than they would be able to sell," observes Wiland. "Our goal is to bring back manufacturing to Sweden so as to minimize overproduction, create job opportunities and a secure a transparent supply chain," says Wiland, adding that the level of interest in their proposition has been higher than expected. "We've been approached by smaller brands and big chains alike, mostly from Scandinavia and northern Europe," says Wiland. "Even major names with a long tradition of producing large volumes in low-salary countries now see the benefits of home-turf production – i.e. lower minimums, shorter lead times, cheaper transportation cost and a more transparent supply chain." 
What's needed to convert an even larger pool of brands – and what are the most common misconceptions about local production, in Sweden specifically? "The cost is a challenge – salary levels are much higher in Sweden than Asia and Southern Europe, for example. But the price difference is shrinking as shipping costs are increasing across the world," notes Wiland. "There's also a consensus that Swedish production may come with capacity problems, with difficulties recruiting skilled staff. At Textilfabriken, we've hired highly skilled new arrivals, who've gained solid machinist experience in their home countries, so there's no shortage of talented staff," says Wiland.
And what about consumer attitudes – is the pressure mounting in favour of local production in Scandinavia? "Increasingly, consumers seek out products that have been produced as sustainably and ethically as possible. The made-to-order production method is increasingly in demand as consumers like to order made-to-measure pieces, particularly since there's been a shift towards buying fewer pieces." 
Despite increasing awareness and a more holistic take on sustainability, the industry seems somewhat stuck in its ways. How does Textilfabriken go about educating and pushing brands to broaden their green thinking horizons? "There's still a lot of focus on eco-friendly fibers. A lot of people get in touch with us expressing an interest in using organic fabrics, and while this is a step forward, there are other ways to work sustainably," notes Wiland. "We tend to source a lot of surplus and deadstock, materials left untouched on rolls as a result of brands having to place bigger orders than needed. Most of the negative impact happens in the fabric manufacturing stage, and studies suggest you may decrease your environmental footprint with up to 80 % if using existing fabrics. Opinions might be divided, but we believe it's better to use existing resources rather than make new materials, even if these happen to be made from organic fibers," stresses Wiland. "It's encouraging to see that some clients have started making use of their own leftover fabrics, which they're eager to fashion into new designs with our help," she enthuses.
Textilfabriken's holistic offer spans a broad range of services beyond production. Clients can get help with everything in the creative process – from sketch to pattern cutting and the sourcing of fabrics and trims. "Local production is our most in-demand service, but we're getting increasing requests for help with pattern cutting, so much so that we've decided to invest in digital pattern cutting technologies," says Wiland.
Collaborative in spirit, Textilfabriken teams up with a range of suppliers, creating partnership set-ups to suits each client's needs. "Our aim is to work as locally as possibly, and we work extensively with Swedish knit manufacturers such as Andersson & Hjalmarsson, who offers a broad range and are flexible regarding minimums," says Wiland. Borås-based Rekotex is another key supplier – a purveyor of deadstock available in smaller quantities, making it a suitable Textilfabriken match.
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The idea hatched as a result of the unsustainable practices Wiland and Göthberg witnessed when working abroad for some of Scandinavia's biggest brands, during which time they spent a considerable chunk of time in Asian factories. "We found it disheartening to see very high minimum quantities as standard, forcing brands to place much higher quantities than they would be able to sell," observes Wiland. "Our goal is to bring back manufacturing to Sweden so as to minimize overproduction, create job opportunities and a secure a transparent supply chain," says Wiland, adding that the level of interest in their proposition has been higher than expected. "We've been approached by smaller brands and big chains alike, mostly from Scandinavia and northern Europe," says Wiland. "Even major names with a long tradition of producing large volumes in low-salary countries now see the benefits of home-turf production – i.e. lower minimums, shorter lead times, cheaper transportation cost and a more transparent supply chain."
Photo: Textilfabriken
Textilfabriken founders Malin Wiland (left) and Linda Göthberg
And what about consumer attitudes – is the pressure mounting in favour of local production in Scandinavia? "Increasingly, consumers seek out products that have been produced as sustainably and ethically as possible. The made-to-order production method is increasingly in demand as consumers like to order made-to-measure pieces, particularly since there's been a shift towards buying fewer pieces."
Photo: Textilfabriken
Zooming in on Textilfabriken
Textilfabriken's holistic offer spans a broad range of services beyond production. Clients can get help with everything in the creative process – from sketch to pattern cutting and the sourcing of fabrics and trims. "Local production is our most in-demand service, but we're getting increasing requests for help with pattern cutting, so much so that we've decided to invest in digital pattern cutting technologies," says Wiland.
Collaborative in spirit, Textilfabriken teams up with a range of suppliers, creating partnership set-ups to suits each client's needs. "Our aim is to work as locally as possibly, and we work extensively with Swedish knit manufacturers such as Andersson & Hjalmarsson, who offers a broad range and are flexible regarding minimums," says Wiland. Borås-based Rekotex is another key supplier – a purveyor of deadstock available in smaller quantities, making it a suitable Textilfabriken match.
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