Have you heard of Named? With contemporary patterns and a Scandinavian touch, sisters Laura and Saara from Named leave their mark on the sewing world. We at Fibre Mood went to listen to our Finnish colleagues in this sector about the origins of Named, slow fashion and plans for the future! Curious about more? Then read on below...
When did the story of Named Clothing begin?
It happened in the fall of 2012, and the idea actually came to us all of a sudden, when we were sitting in a bus to go to have lunch at our parents’ place. We started chatting about what we would love to do for living, if we could choose any profession. We talked about sewing, designing and fashion - things that we both have a lot of passion for, and realized that having our own pattern label would be the dream job for us! During that 20-minute bus drive we had pretty much talked through our business plan, and as soon as we were there at our parents’ house, we started writing it down. After one year of work and planning, we had our web store up and running and our first collection out!
Since when did you learn to sew and draw patterns?
We actually learned to sew from our mother, who is a very passionate sewist and an upholsterer. It’s very hard to say at what age that happened, since we have been sewing pretty much all of our lives. Maybe we started sewing garments (at last wearable ones) at around the age of 12 or so, but before that we sewed a lot for our dolls for example. Later Saara studied fashion design and graduated as a pattern maker, and she is the pattern wizard from the two of us. Laura has studied footwear design, and we always design all collections together.
Did creativity come into it since childhood?
Yes, we do think so. Kids usually love to be creative, do crafts and try out weird stuff, so I guess it’s very natural for all children. We were always encouraged to do all that and of course we had our mother to teach us and to look up to. We remember loving to do things a little differently and amending patterns that we found in the Finnish crafts magazine, for example.
Who came up with the idea of founding Named Clothing?
It’s impossible to say, since the idea came to us both and we developed it together. We would have to say that it was the both of us.
Is there a meaning behind the name Named Clothing?
Actually there is a fun story behind the name! We had a very hard time coming up with a name for our pattern label, and it was one of those tasks that we just postponed time after time when we were in the process of setting up the business. Our web designer at the time required a logo for the web page before she could proceed with the design, and for the logo we needed the name. So, we were forced to create the name in order to keep in schedule! After a long time, we decided that whatever, by now the business simply has to be named. and so it was, Named. But the name felt natural after we came up with it! It sort of represents the individuality of self-making.
What do you stand for? What values do you want to radiate with your brand?
First of all we want to make everyone consider sewing their own clothes an alternative for fast fashion. We want to encourage people to find their creativity, and make them enjoy the joy of creating something, in an ethical and more ecological way.
Where do you get inspiration for new patterns?
We always design our collections around a specific theme. The theme could be anything that inspires us at the moment. Our last collection (Earth Science from Fall 2017), for example, was inspired by geology! The inspiration could be seen in geometric cuts and earthy materials. The collection before that (Playground from Spring 2017) got its inspiration from childhood and kids’ clothes, and was much more playful and casual. The sources of inspiration usually come from our own life - what we have seen and what inspired us.
Did creativity come into it since childhood?
Yes, we do think so. Kids usually love to be creative, do crafts and try out weird stuff, so I guess it’s very natural for all children. We were always encouraged to do all that and of course we had our mother to teach us and to look up to. We remember loving to do things a little differently and amending patterns that we found in the Finnish crafts magazine, for example.
Who came up with the idea of founding Named Clothing?
It’s impossible to say, since the idea came to us both and we developed it together. We would have to say that it was the both of us.
Is there a meaning behind the name Named Clothing?
Actually there is a fun story behind the name! We had a very hard time coming up with a name for our pattern label, and it was one of those tasks that we just postponed time after time when we were in the process of setting up the business. Our web designer at the time required a logo for the web page before she could proceed with the design, and for the logo we needed the name. So, we were forced to create the name in order to keep in schedule! After a long time, we decided that whatever, by now the business simply has to be named. and so it was, Named. But the name felt natural after we came up with it! It sort of represents the individuality of self-making.
What do you stand for? What values do you want to radiate with your brand?
First of all we want to make everyone consider sewing their own clothes an alternative for fast fashion. We want to encourage people to find their creativity, and make them enjoy the joy of creating something, in an ethical and more ecological way.
Where do you get inspiration for new patterns?
We always design our collections around a specific theme. The theme could be anything that inspires us at the moment. Our last collection (Earth Science from Fall 2017), for example, was inspired by geology! The inspiration could be seen in geometric cuts and earthy materials. The collection before that (Playground from Spring 2017) got its inspiration from childhood and kids’ clothes, and was much more playful and casual. The sources of inspiration usually come from our own life - what we have seen and what inspired us.
If you didn't do this job, what other sector do you see yourself working in?
Oh my! It would have to be something creative, like another field of design, or cooking or dancing!
Where do you see Named Clothing within 5 years?
This one is hard, as we don’t usually make plans very far ahead in the future! Hopefully we can go on creating new products and constantly improving our patterns and service. And maybe something new and different just to keep it more interesting.