First workshop week!

It's now over a year since the first upcycled jacket was born in Harestua. Imagine that the leap into my arms from the 5-year-old, when I came home with a åkle from the secondhand store that ended up on top of a Norrøna jacket lying on the floor in the hallway, would give me the final push. The rest is history, and my hobby has evolved into something I hope will someday grow beyond being a start-up. In January this year, we established the small "RE-Factory in Hadeland" in the heart of the Fjordlandsbyen Jevnaker. A collaboration made possible by Moving Mamas, Jevnaker municipality, NAV Jevnaker, and the SpareBank 1 foundation.

This week, we had our first workshop and production of Recouture Two of a Kind products. I am humble, proud, and grateful for what these women contribute to me, in sewing, but most importantly on a personal level.

Meet Lisa from China.

She is 57 years old, married in Norway, and has one child who lives in China. She's a wonderful woman who brings her creativity and passion to Moving Mamas. When she arrived in Norway 13 years ago, she worked in hotel cleaning.
Now, she has found her place where she gets to do what she loves most: sewing and repairing. She has 32 years of experience as a tailor in China. If you see a big smile or hear laughter, it's Lisa.

Meet Sofia from Afghanistan.

She is 42 years old, married, and has 6 children. She lives in Jevnaker.  Sofia came to Norway in 2016. She started primary school and has worked in cleaning. Her dream job is to be a tailor. Now that she works at Moving Mamas, she has learned to sew and repair, and she is well on her way to becoming a tailor.

Meet Tetiana from Ukraine.

She is 52 years old and lives in Norway with her 10-year-old son. She arrived in Norway in May last year and has been attending Norwegian courses since then. She started at Moving Mamas in January. In Ukraine, she worked as a tailor since she was 18 years old and is very happy to be able to sew in Norway. And I must say, her sewing is lovely.

When Tetiana came to Norway last year, she was told that there weren't many job opportunities for seamstresses here. She loves to sew and has worked as a tailor in Ukraine for 34 years. When she told me that, emotions flooded over me... I became speechless, angry, surprised, no, not surprised... After spending the week with these women... we've sewn, serged, steamed, gotten to know each other, had lunch, talked, laughed, used Google Translate, been a little frustrated, argued about thread colors, learned, mastered, completed, hugged, and felt like a TEAM. Different ages, different nationalities, different backgrounds, different circumstances... yet still so united. I'm left with great optimism for the future, for Tetiana, and for the rest of us. Together, we will create (or revive) a new garment industry in Norway. Because, there are many of us who need it. The people, the environment, those excluded, and a fair fashion industry.

Re-factory in Hadeland!

Meet the little 'RE-Factory in Hadeland' that is in the process of establishing itself in the heart of the Fjord Village of Jevnaker. The RE-Factory is a new and exciting collaboration consisting of Moving Mamas, Jevnaker Municipality, NAV Jevnaker, SpareBank 1 Foundation, and Recouture. Together, we will share our passion, learn and inspire each other, and offer both repairs, redesigns, and small-scale productions based on reuse.

Moving Mamas is a social enterprise working to include and integrate immigrant women into Norwegian society and the workforce. "We are a safe learning environment, a school set up like a workplace. Our ambition is that together, we will achieve sustainability in all aspects, for both people, society, and the environment. In addition to textile reuse and redesign, this collaboration will help ensure that immigrant women have dignified job opportunities and that MM can continue its work to reduce exclusion. MM is humble and grateful for this opportunity and looks forward to starting work with Hilde Hoff Nordskar at Recouture!"

Recouture is passionate about creating unique garments based on existing resources, where craftsmanship traditions from the past meet future products. "I am incredibly proud to have partnered with Moving Mamas. Together, we want to challenge linear solutions, and through innovation, automation, and collaboration, we will create a circular, sustainable, and competitive system for the future.