MASKA – timeless Swedish knitwear from fashion hub Gothenburg

Meet Maria Svensson and Esmeralda Vidfar, two wool-loving ladies from Gothenburg on the Swedish west coast. Based in an art-collective studio space with ten other designers and artists, they create the knitwear that they had always dreamed of wearing as spotted by the owners of the creative fashionista den of Gothenburg, Hotel Flora.

The pair founded MASKA (‘knitted stitch’ in Swedish) in 2009 with the belief that high-quality yet well-priced knitwear was missing from the market. In contrast to the thick, itchy, reserved-for-grandparents reputation all to often associated with knitwear, they work with precious, soft and lustrous natural fibres to create exquisite pieces for a new generation of wool lovers. And it’s all done with an environmental conscience.

Maria and Esmeralda endeavour to create clothes that endure in form and function, and believe that quality pays off, both financially and environmentally. They are strongly influenced by the craftsmanship involved in hand-knitted pieces worn in the pre-industrial era, when every garment bought or made was an investment in time and money.

Each MASKA garment is crafted from superior quality natural fibres including Mongolian cashmere, kid mohair, silk, alpaca, extra fine Merino wool and Peruvian Pima cotton, 95% of which is sourced from none other than Florence and spun all over Italy.

“Just like fine wine or chocolate, each yarn has its own unique quality like shine, drape and softness. Creating perfect knitwear is about deep knowledge of the materials and finding the right yarn for every design”, Maria explains. And with her background as a textile buyer teamed with Esmeralda’s background in fashion design, they most certainly know.

Gothenburg is known as the Swedish London and it sure has a buzzing variety of independent, creative led fashion labels – so be sure to drop by their studio at TREDJE LÅNGGATAN 13A for a chat and to experience some of the finest knitwear Scandinavia has to offer.