MANUFACTURING

Our clothes are manufactured in different parts of the world, at factories we visit and inspect on a regular basis. This is where the spinning, warping, weaving, dyeing, printing, garment cutting, stitching and pressing happens. All of these stages in garment manufacturing are based on centuries of skill and know-how. That know-how is part of every garment we make today. I’ve always been fascinated by the dedication of people in the textile industry, and contact with these artisans and manufacturers has a way of firing up the inspiration and creativity. The respect for the raw material, the artisanal skill involved in operating a handloom in India, the choice of a time-honoured vegetable dyeing and printing technique are examples of what keep the design team at Gudrun Sjödén passionate about textiles.

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Unique block prints 

Block printing is an ancient technique that is used to create patterns on textiles or paper. In Japan and Korea, people printed religious texts using block printing in the 8th century. In Europe, block printing on paper is the oldest form of printing. As early as the 1440s, Johannes Gutenberg used the technique when developing his method for printing books. At Gudrun Sjödén, we’ve been returning to block-printed patterns since the 90s. By using a technique that is thousands of years old, we are honoring a handicraft that could otherwise be forgotten. 

The technique involves cutting, carving and whittling patterns from a wooden block. It should be a dense wood that doesn’t chip, like pear or cherry wood. The number of wood blocks depends on how many different colors are being printed. Often, there’s a little mark in the block so that the different colors fit beside each other perfectly. The wood block is dipped in dye paste, and then skilled craftspeople quickly and expertly print yard after yard. The fabric is transformed into a palette of patterns, outlines and colors. 

 

In Jaipur, capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan in northwest India, block printing has developed into an art form that is deeply rooted in tradition and cultural history. That’s where our block-printed products are made – at small, family-owned workshops where the business is run side by side with farming. If it’s time for the harvest, everything is put on pause – the farm comes first. During monsoon season, the workshop goes on break because block prints are dried outside in the fresh air, which the rain makes impossible. In other words: fast, large-scale production is not the way here. Instead, we get something far more valuable – unique and personal products made with care.  

Manufacturing countries

Our products are manufactured in India, China, Greece, Bulgaria, Portugal, Italy, Morocco and Sweden.