EARLY MOTHER’S DAY SHOUT OUT
KALOPSIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAMILY BUSINESS - OUR FOUNDATION ARE BUILT ON IT AND WE ARE REALLY PROUD TO BE PART OF A LONG HERITAGE OF FAMILY-RUN SCOTTISH COMPANIES.
For us, one of the critical things that make Scotland, and in particular Scottish textiles special, is its outward-focused heritage. As two non-natives (well one of us is by decent) it has always been important to stay open, innovative and internationally minded while keeping tradition and craftsmanship at the heart of what we do, and Scotland has always seemed like the best place for us to do this.
What this means in practice is that we operate the business in an environmentally friendly way by creating mindful products developed using skills and a timeless design understanding from Sweden to create more Scandinavian minimalistic products manufactured using traditional Scottish/British techniques.
No other event showed this all more than the recent official launch of our production space by UKFT President HRH Princess Anne. On top of this being a fantastic day and a wonderful visit, it was always an ideal opportunity to bring the team and family together.
Two key visitors were the director's mothers (early Mother’s Day shout-out here too!). Both are a true inspiration to us all and represent so much of what has brought Kalopsia into being and what the future of our business is too.
Dorcas, a fashion designer who trained under the industry legend Winifred Aldrin has always been a key adviser and advocate for what we do and generally for keeping textiles skills alive in the UK (and an original Kalopsia machinist). Her knowledge and experience of the British textiles industry before and after mass off-shoring was critical in developing our principles of how we would run a factory from a logistical and moral stance.
Anette from Nordiska Museet in Stockholm and powerhouse of hard work and focus. Anette has been a guide and inspiration for us and embodies the drive you need to make things work in business.
Her work with the Nordiska Museet represents the exciting future for Kalopsia. As manufacturing practices shift and we see a lot of brands looking to on-shoring or bring their production back to Europe, we are also looking to Scandinavia and the rest of Europe to find organisations that share our passion for sustainability and love for Scottish Textiles and the Nordiska Museet is defiantly one!
Having a representative from the Nordiska Museet here to meet HRH always raised a lovely point about family and the interconnectivity of us all. The Nordic Museum is soon to host a visit by the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, who is a distant cousin to Princess Anne! A small world and a lovely link for them and us.
I guess the point we are aiming for here is that family business, collaboration and sharing the wonderful things we do and create with those around us both near and far, is the best way to create a vibrate future for Scottish Textiles!
* The Nordiska Museet was founded in 1873 by Artur Hazelius. The imposing building on Royal Djurgården island and designed in Renaissance style by Isak Gustaf Clason, and opened in 1907 and was built by Anette’s granddad. Nordiska museet is Sweden’s largest museum of cultural history and stories about the life and people of the Nordic region.