The step towards transparency means working with family-run factories who share the same values as us. Luckily we found a great factory to work with in Barcelona that has a strong heritage and dedication to quality. The SS23 'Cass Dress', a lightweight knitted dress with a special needle-out detail was made to perfection by this team of talented individuals.
When was your business founded? Can you tell us about the heritage of the business?
In 2012, when Santi León (the CEO) decided to start his own business and build his factory. Before that, he worked in the industry with his Father, who worked in the knitting industry all his life.
Where is your factory located?
The factory is located in Sabadell, it’s the city where Santi has lived most of his life. It is also part of a textile area, so we are well located and well connected with other companies.
Could you run us through the different steps of creating a garment at your factory in bullet points?
- Study the design
- Choose the proper yarn for the garment, following the specifications of each client (gauge, composition, price, sustainability, recycled, etc.)
- Order the yarn
- Make the first samples to decide the density and texture before making the prototype
- Program the sample according to the chosen density
- Knitting the sample, sew, wash, iron and do the final checking
- Once the sample is confirmed by the client, the next step is to order the yarn for production (in case the client didn’t buy it at the beginning)
- Grade the pattern
- And start the production
How many members are currently working in your team?
Currently, we are 8 members.
What time does your morning start? Do you have a ritual to get the team together?
The factory opens at 7am and closes at 6pm, each worker has a different schedule. This way we have workers during all the factory hours. Our ritual is our weekly Monday morning team meeting.
How would you define the word “quality” in the textile industry?
Our concept of quality is a well-made garment, this concept includes a lot of key points, starting with the quality of the yarn, preferably natural yarns, avoiding synthetics. Secondly, workmanship is really important to have a good garment that has a long life. And finally, the quality control to make sure all the previous steps have been done well.
We also include in the term quality, the conditions of the people involved during the whole process and of course, a good team environment involved with the company.
What music do you listen to when you’re working?
This is going to sound like a joke, but our favourite music is the sound of the machines that we listen to all day long, and of course, this sound makes us know that we are working well!
Who is one of the longest members of the team? Can you tell us a bit about how this member.
The longest member of the current team is Maria José, she has been working with Santi since the day he started the business. They have a great relationship that has been building for all these years. She started as a programmer but as they were only 2 to do all the work, she got used to being a multitasking worker, so now we can count on her for any kind of task which is a great point in small companies.
Tell our community something they may not know about your factory?
Nowadays we are really happy to be part of a great team and also to continue working in the textile industry. The world of knitting is complicated and you never stop learning, something that motivates everyone in the factory.
