The History & Timeline

Established in 2012 by Adam Robertson and Nina Falk, Kalopsia Collective originated as a textiles artist collective. The founding duo, together with weaver Louise Weeden and designer Rachel Lobban they exhibited and celebrated Textiles as a conceptual and crafted art form.

Kalopsia Collective began with a foundation and approach in Constructivist and are actively creating new insights and skills by engaging in experiences and collaborative conversations, seamlessly integrating fresh information with their existing expertise together with approaches from many other industries such as the automobile.

The dedication to longevity, purpose, and functional products underscores the importance of a dynamic and evolving business process. This mirrors the ever-growing and purposeful nature of Kalopsia Collective today.

 

Adam and Nina Robertson Falk Kalopsia Collective textiles product manufacturer with daughter Ellis

Kalopsia Collective has been at the forefront of textiles waste management and sustainable production. From hosting Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy launch in 2016 to engaging in impactful discussions at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, our involvement spans high-profile events. We've been part of critical conversations, such as "Sustainable Innovations in Performance Clothing," and have contributed as panelists for "Next steps for waste and resources policy in Scotland" organised by the Westminster Business Forum in 2020.
- Our commitment to leading the way in sustainable practices remains unwavering.

 

KALOPSIA COLLECTIVE TODAY

Kalopsia Collective Assemble stockholm shoot 2019 daga dress in fabric by KYE

Today Kalopsia Collective is a registered social enterprise operating as a textiles product manufacturer in Dunfermline, historically the previous capital of Scotland.

Kalopsia supplies a range of clients from start-ups to luxury brands with high-quality, ethical and sustainable accessories and apparel from their standardised product collection ‘Assemble.’

Assemble has been a huge success for Kalopsia but manufacturing is far from what the Collective was originally created to do...

 

EARLY SHOWS


Kalopsia Collective was initially established with the aim to raise the profile of contemporary textile practice, which the collective believed was, and still is, neglected by some of the artistic communities. Kalopsia promoted and celebrated textiles as the third conceptual school of artistic thought, alongside painting and sculpture.The original exhibitions featured the work of all four members and showed a range of concepts and mediums all seen through the lens of the Textile thought processes. 

Before long, Kalopsia began to open up its exhibitions to other contemporary textile creators. Putting on yearly programmes of exhibitions featuring work by hundreds of international creators working with textile mediums or textiles thinking in a variety of forms.
Kalopsia Collective Gallery exhibition posters

Kalopsia’s exhibitions include 'What is Textiles?', 'Textiles Illustrations’, ‘Textiles Photography’, ‘Textiles Migrations - Refugee Week’, ‘The Scarf Creation’(in association with Macmillan Cancer Support,) ‘Contextiles-isation’, ‘Barefoot in Business’, 'Coburg' (a Coburg House Showcase), ‘The Space’, (an Edinburgh College of Art Masters Show), “Printed and Co with Friends”.

 

video installation from Contextilesation Kalosia Collective Gallery




THE TERMINAL

Ocean Terminal Edinburgh home of the Kalopsia Collective textiles gallery

Kalopsia’s early exhibitions were noticed by Ocean Terminal and the Edinburgh centre management eventually invited the collective to move into the centre in 2014, transforming empty shop units into gallery spaces. 

This partnership went on to be so successful that Kalopsia was made the official artist in residence for the centre in 2015. A position that was the first of its kind in the UK. 

During their time at Ocean Terminal, Kalopsia held 10 major shows as well as multiple live performances, art installations, project launches and screenings. 

Befab Be Creative exhibition at the Kalopsia Collective textiles gallery Ocean terminal 2015


THE FACILITY

The facility a kalopsia collective project logo - textiles communal working spaces

2016 saw the launch of Kalopsia’s most ambitious project to date - The Facility. A shared working space for textile practitioners. The space was to include, not just a working space, but also a shop, gallery and manufacturing services for Facility members and external companies. 

A feasibility study was run by Kalopsia in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland to assess the viability of The Facility model. 

 the facility a kalopsia collective project, space set up for sustainability talks about textiles

The Facility feasibly case study was released later in 2016, showing the resounding success of the project and opening up the model to the public. 

Kalopsia also took this moment to reflect on the study and past years of exhibitions, working spaces and projects and decided to close the facility in late 2016. 

It was through running the Facility that the Kalopsia team found their true passion. This was a passion for product manufacturing and they took the manufacturing service, that they had been running during their time at The Facility, and relaunched it as solely a manufacturer.  

KC MANUFACTURING

Kalopsia Collective Assemble Edinburgh shoot. Leith bag in fabric by Margo Selby

Kalopsia launched its textiles product service shortly after closing The Facility in 2016.  KC Manufacturing is built on their existing knowledge of the challenges of having products manufactured efficiently in the UK as well as their sustainability research conducted with Zero Waste Scotland. 

Assemble was developed to address both of these at the same time, offering a simpler and more accessible service for Kalopsia’s clients while at the same time reducing the waste produced per product. 

Since its launch in 2016, Assemble has gone from strength to strength, growing steadily year on year.