10/25/2010

Teixidors, close-Knit community

Based near Barcelona, the Teixidors Cooperative produces beautiful hand woven products, from blankets to scareves in wool, linen, cotton and silk.

Informed and inspired by its surroundings, Teixidors has developed its own way of working and its own style, one that is intrinsically different to any other textile business currently operating in Spain. Teixidor´s mission is to create hand-made design produts using traditional and sustainable production methods while promoting social action and self-sufficiency. It was founded not as a business but as not-for-profit cooperative to provide an occupation for people with learning disabilities.

Teixidors products are without doubt a reference to tradition and high quality craftsmanship, but constantly strive to explore new textures, materials and structures in unusual combinations like cashmere with linen or merino wool with silk. The resulting designs are sober, honest, timeless and thus always modern.

Founder and director Juan Ruiz explains the thinking behind the enterprise.

Interiors From Spain: You only use natural fibres: cashmere, linen, silk and merino wool. How do you work with them?

Teixidors: The sophisticated softness of cashmere is used to create extremely light, insulating fabrics. The resistant delicacy of linen is used for pieces that promote relaxation and wellness. Silk is combined with other noble materials to achieve softness and resistence. Meanwhile, the honesty of merino wool achieves a rustic, warm result.
Each material complements the artisanal nature of the weaving and is combined on the wooden looms to create beautifully-made natural products such as scarves shawls, blankets, curtains, tablecloths and towels. While we have an eye for fashion, the pieces have a timeless design.
The workshop´s age-old methods of weaving mean that each piece is unique depending on the material and the weaver.

IFS: Since it was established in 1983, Teixidors has had a strong social remit. What are the origins of that remit?

Teixidors: It was set up as a not-for-profit cooperative, to create jobs for people with learning difficulties. My background is a technical engineer in electronics and textiles and I founded Teixidors with Marta Ribas, who is a psychiatric social worker.
At the moment, we have 23 disabled staff and eight support staff. The vast majority of these people live in the city of Terrassa, where we´re based.

IFS: How does becoming involved with Teixidors benefit your disabled staff?

Teixidors: We offer support in three ways: helping the individual communicate with their instructors and their peers; making them self-sufficient enough to get from their home to our workshop; and learning for trade.

Some of our staff has not only learnt the norms of the workshop, they have also got to grips with socialisation in the outside world. So, by giving them an occupation we are also able to help them become integrated members of society.

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Teixidors, close-Knit community

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