Meet the Brand Series
We poured a virtual cuppa for our lovely ladies at Named to get the goss on business, sewing and what really goes into running a pattern brand.
Thank you Saara and Laura for sharing your story with us!
Can you tell us a bit about your brand and how it began?
The story of Named began in the fall of 2012, and the idea actually came to us all of a sudden, when we were sitting in a bus to go to have lunch at our parents’ place. We started chatting about what we would love to do for a living, if we could choose any profession. We talked about sewing, designing, and fashion – things that we both have a lot of passion for, and realized that having our own pattern label would be the dream job for us! During that 20-minute bus ride, we had pretty much talked through our business plan, and as soon as we were there at our parents’ house, we started writing it down. After one year of work and planning, we had our web store up and running and our first collection out!
Before starting Named, Saara had recently graduated as a fashion designer and pattern maker, and Laura as a shoe designer. Saara was working as an assistant costume designer at a theatre, and Laura was a design assistant for a handbag brand. But we had been passionate about sewing and fashion design for all our lives, so founding our own pattern label felt like the most natural next step.
Hearing this business idea come to life excites this fellow entrepreneur. Having a spark of an idea on a bus ride and then laying out a whole business plan within hours – all in one day – is exactly the kind of thing I would do, ha-ha! I think us ladies would get on very well... *Rosie now Googling how she can move to Finland.*
I think this is how most of us entrepreneurs start – from that one idea to suddenly saying, “To hell with it, what are we waiting for?!
Who are the people behind the brand – can we meet the team?
The Named team is a team of two sisters, and it’s definitely an advantage to work as a sister duo! We have a very similar sense of style, so designing together is easy. We complete each other quite well, so tasks are divided between us pretty naturally.
Laura has a good eye for the visual stuff, and she’s a better writer, and Saara is a phenomenal pattern maker. Saara takes care of all pattern-making related tasks, such as drafting and grading the patterns, as well as developing them into PDF, printed, and projector pattern files. Laura writes and illustrates the instructions, and puts them together into a PDF and printed files. Of course, there are other tasks involved in running a small business, such as customer care, web shop deliveries, sales, and video editing, which Saara handles, and marketing, social media, and photography, which Laura takes care of.
What products do you offer?
We currently sell Named patterns and our books, Breaking the Pattern and Building the Pattern. We try to design our patterns so that not only the end result – the finished garment – is pleasing to the eye, but the process itself is fun and rewarding. We do this by designing surprising cuts and constructions, and by including new sewing techniques collection by collection, so that you can always learn something new, while still using the skillset you’ve already built. Shop the Named Patterns
If you had to pick a favourite product, which would you choose – and why?
When designing new designs, they often become favourites for a while, but some remain favourites for a longer period of time. For example, the Hali wrap jumpsuit from our 2022 collection was fun to design! The construction is based on our Helga playsuit pattern from 2017, but it’s such a fun construction that we really wanted to repeat it.
Hali Jumpsuit and Wrap Dress
Kielo wrap dress and jumpsuit is definitely our most popular pattern, and no wonder: it has a unique shape that flatters many body types, but it’s still surprisingly easy to sew.
Kielo Wrap Dress
In 2023, we also released Lilja wrap dress, pinafore, and blouse pattern that has the same construction but is designed for woven fabrics. It was fun to re-imagine the iconic Kielo in different fabrics and with some new details!
Lilji Wrap Dress
What does a typical day look like for you?
Our work varies a lot depending on which stage of the design process is underway. Every day, we deal with things like customer service, updating social media, and mailing orders for the online shop customers and retailers.
When we start producing a new collection, we first draw and polish the designs for a week or two, then sew prototypes and samples for the photoshoot. The most time-consuming part of the process is working on the patterns and instructions to make them ready to be sold in their many formats.
I can completely relate to this! I’ve just created my first pattern for the Summer Box customers (soon to be released to the public), and one of hardest parts wasn’t drafting or sewing – it was writing the instructions. After sewing half a dozen samples to test the pattern, I knew every step off by heart. But that made it harder to write clear, broken-down instructions as if I’d never seen the pattern before. I haven’t ventured into garment patterns yet – that feels like a whole new level – so I have so much admiration for the skill, detail, and joy that shine through in your sewing patterns.
What part of your work brings you the most joy – and what’s the trickiest?
Creating something new and getting inspired by something is great. Saara also loves drafting the patterns, and sometimes being able to just focus on small repetitive things when editing the pattern sheets.
The hardest part of the job is having to take care of everything with the limited amount of time we have. We are both creative people, and sometimes all the side of the company, bureaucracy, and sorting things out takes a surprising amount of time and energy.
100% can confirm the hardest part of running a creative business isn’t the ideas – it’s the admin. I swear non-creative businesses don’t have this battle! When your brain wants to be sewing, sketching or dreaming up something magical... but your laptop’s just sitting there, silently judging you like, "Nice try – but have you done your bookkeeping?"
I spend 90% of my time on admin, 10% buying and stroking fabrics hah!
How do you stay inspired creatively?
We usually design our collections around a specific theme. The theme could be anything that inspires us at the moment. For example, in the past we have been inspired by themes like geology, childhood and kids’ clothes, and travelling.
How do you incorporate sustainability or eco-conscious decisions into your business?
We have calculated our carbon footprint, and because we are a tiny company, it is very small. Our premises are not too spacious, and we use green electricity in our company. We only make purchases when we need to, and we don't spend unnecessarily. We recycle all our waste and avoid plastic in our packaging. We also try to choose and recommend fabrics with a low environmental impact. We also share information on our website about the environmental impact of different fabrics and sustainable sewing. We even travel to work either by bike or public transport!
Our core values include sustainable and sensible consumption, and our aim is to create carefully designed patterns that encourage people to create a practical wardrobe that can withstand time and use. We design our patterns so that they are pleasing to the eye and also offer an opportunity to learn new and different – even unusual – techniques. Our designs are timeless, basic clothes that nonetheless include interesting details. To balance out the pressure to sew as much as possible as quickly as possible, we want to use our products to emphasize the fact that the most wonderful thing about sewing is the opportunity to keep developing yourself and learning new things. Quality over quantity is our motto!
Part of our values at Sew Eco Fabrics is to stock suppliers who use their business to build back better, which is why we are so proud to stock Named Patterns. Sometimes it really is the little things that make such a big difference.
I think we often forget that it’s not just about the products we sell, but how people do business. When a brand actively measures its consumption, footprint, and the way its products are created in the first place, that’s when you find businesses that truly care about the planet and its people.
Are there any challenges you face in trying to be more sustainable?
Absolutely, as a small company, everything is more expensive. We have been involved in the 1 % for the Planet and tree planting programmes, but unfortunately, for financial reasons, we have had to give these up.
We would also like to use recycled materials in our printed patterns, but the cost would be significant compared to what we currently use. Nevertheless, we only use plastic-free packaging materials, even though they cost more, and reuse packaging materials wherever possible.
Are there any certifications, materials, or processes you're proud of when it comes to becoming a more sustainable brand?
We use green electricity, renewable packaging materials, and conscientiously recycle all our waste. We use fabrics and materials with a low environmental impact as much as possible. We are also vegan, so our ecological values extend to all aspects of our lives.
Why do you think sewing/making is important in today's world?
By making your own clothes, you not only reduce mass production, but you also get to see the process of making clothes for yourself and influence the final result. By choosing sustainable and ecological materials, by altering the pattern to suit your body, you can get clothes that are both more sustainable and that fit you and your style. By seeing and learning the whole sewing process for yourself, you may also learn to appreciate your clothes more and create an emotional attachment to them, which in turn encourages you to take good care of them, repair them, and prolong their life.
From Our Cutting Table:
Sewing is such a beautiful art form, and that’s exactly why I fell in love with it. I can only dream of a world where everyone tries sewing just one garment for themselves, to see the skill it takes to bring something to life. I loathe how fast fashion drowns out this craft, turning it into a mass-produced, unethical churn of capitalism.
It’s so true that when you sew something for yourself, in your own style, you don’t just create clothes – you find beauty in yourself and in the new skill.
Rather than another Shein haul, I’d love to see more people empowering each other to make a sewing haul their new-found passion instead.
Do you have a favourite make you’ve ever seen using your product?
We have one quite challenging and detailed pattern, the Isla trench coat, and it's great to see sewists taking on more challenging projects! People have sewn incredibly personal and artfully made coats using the Isla pattern. We are always so proud of our customers for the amazing creations they have made.
What’s one thing you’re loving right now – doesn’t have to be work related...
Saara loves to do all kinds of crafts in her free time, such as knitting, painting and macramé. Punch needling is now one of her favourite things. She also enjoys dancing and aerial acrobatics.
Laura enjoys cooking, photography, reading, and working out at the gym. She is also a passionate crossword puzzler.
I've got quite a few projects lined up from Named Patterns at the moment, including: Laurie Tee, Ninni Culottes, Taimi Top and a Kielo sleeveless jumpsuit. Some of which I'm taking to Sewing Camp with me, but also hoping to get a Taimi Top finished before I go too!
We currently stock the PDF versions of Named Patterns, but you can also purchase the Paper versions too. (UK stockists for Paper Patterns available on the Named website)
