九月末，是倫敦時裝周，也是刻意地同時提出改革方案的Sustainable Fashion Week，我懷著好奇的心態走到位於London Bridge和Fashion and Textile Museum附近的 Freeweaver Studio，一步進就看見創辦人Erna Janine，和一位靜靜地在織布的男生，原來他也叫Toby，更是一位建築師:「我覺得過程十分療癒，我織了這一塊，打算把它掛起來，像一件藝術品般展示。」
As London Fashion Week coincides with Sustainable Fashion Week at the end of September, I found myself drawn to Freeweaver Studio, nestled near London Bridge and the Fashion and Textile Museum. Upon entering, I was greeted by founder Erna Janine and a young man quietly weaving—his name is Toby too, and he’s an architect. “I find this process incredibly therapeutic. I plan to display this piece on the wall as a work of art.”
Janine occasionally opens her doors to interns, inviting them to assist with workshops while providing them space and materials to explore their creativity. Currently, there are eight interns, including Toby. About 60% hail from design and art schools, while 40% come from diverse backgrounds, including anthropology with a focus on the history of textiles.
The studio regularly hosts various workshops, attracting both locals and travellers. For many participants who have never engaged in textile creation before, the process is straightforward and logical. “We craft the space together, amplifying each other’s creativity,” Janine explained.
Reflecting on her childhood, Janine recalled, “While my peers’ grandparents wore casual city attire, my two grandmothers were steeped in tradition. One was a shepherdess who sang folk songs while caring for children, and the other was a Dutch woman who proudly donned traditional garments adorned with meaningful patterns and intricate gold details. Each piece was handmade, repaired by hand when damaged, or mended by a goldsmith.”
Janine was born in Apeldoorn, a city historically linked to the royal family and home to the Orange-Nassau dynasty for over 300 years. The city also houses The Fashion School, which teaches innovative fashion, design, and sewing to children as young as six, instilling a sense of individuality and well-being through fashion.
In the Netherlands, textile crafts have long been a part of education. Children learn to weave on simple shoebox looms in kindergarten, embroider their names by age six, and by ten, start cutting, sewing, and knitting.
In contrast, upon moving to London from a weaving workshop in Iceland seven years ago, Janine was struck by the disconnect many people had with these traditional skills. This realization fueled her desire to bridge the gap between modern society and age-old craftsmanship, helping people appreciate the techniques and history behind textiles. She hopes that when they visit museums or exhibitions, they can discern the material. “Oh! This is wool, and this is cotton,” offering new perspectives on textiles and fashion.
“Today, textiles are often viewed as disposable,” Janine remarked. “But I believe they represent a vital human element for the future. When we choose to create in a human way not by machines, it’s an echo of humanity. Historically, textiles have shaped the world, becoming the second largest industry in the world.”
一塊沒完沒了的布是由不同人隨意加入、天馬行空地共同創作的，客人可以米作單位地購買。
The studio’s unique approach allows guests to purchase fabric by the meter, creating a collaborative tapestry that embodies diverse contributions and imaginative visions.
Textile creation can be simple; it only requires us to slow down. Watching fabric grow from a single thread into a tangible creation is a vital process—a tangible experience that technology cannot replicate.
Freeweaver’s yarn is sourced from various factories, including remnants from Nike, through Yodomo, a nonprofit organization that bridges the gap between manufacturers and designers, ensuring leftover materials are creatively repurposed rather than discarded.
Janine is passionate about visiting places that honor traditional fabric arts, such as India and Japan. She spent three months living with tribal communities in eastern India, learning to gather silkworm cocoons from trees and weave them into fabric—all without machinery. This natural process ensured that all costs benefited the community.
Sadly, the younger generations often hesitate to continue these traditional crafts. Janine hopes to help preserve these skills by bringing them to London, potentially organizing visits for urban students to foster mutual learning and collaboration.
Among her memorable projects, Janine fondly recalls bringing descendants of Mahatma Gandhi to London Fashion Week. She led participants sitting in a circle through a week-long Charkha weaving process, creating Khadi cotton clothing symbolizing Gandhi’s ideals of self-sufficiency and freedom.
Recently, she has taken on the challenge of offering bespoke clothes-making experiences, allowing customers to weave their own textiles, that are then passed to the tailor to make into a personalized coat, sent directly to them.
“Textiles is a universal connector,” Janine concluded. “Everyone has a unique story.”
