35 years ago, Terrassa was very different. Textile factories dominated the landscape and also lifestyles in a city where most of the population worked in the textile sector either directly or indirectly. Then came the relocation of these industries, the fast and cheap fashion industry at the expense of workers, and factories began to disappear. The era of fast fashion was beginning.
This is the context in which Teixidors was born. At the beginning, its founders, Juan Ruiz and Marta Ribas, were only looking for a form of therapy that would improve the lives of people with learning disabilities. Soon, they discovered that some manual looms that were very popular in the 19th century had very good results, and they didn’t think twice: there would be no place like their city to start a new textile project.
In the same workshop where they are today, they built wooden looms and trained 6 employees to begin creating products. Quickly, they realised that far from employing people who were “disabled”, they were employing people with a spectacular ability to carry out artisanal work that required a level of meticulousness and dedication not found in other people.
Now, there are 42 employees. The fact that it is a completely manual process means that each machine works at the rhythm of its operator, allowing unique finishes and an exceptional quality with minimal electricity consumption. What’s more, the raw materials are the very best: wool, cashmere, linen, silk and yak down, coming from farms with social and sustainable principles.
Visiting the Teixidors workshop is a moving and enriching experience, as you get to know a big family. Everyone feels part of the company, and although economic gain is unimportant, many highly-qualified, committed and satisfied people work there.
