At Swedish Stockings, we’re committed to collaborating with creatives and partners who are rethinking the future of fashion. Together with XV Production, we created a unique piece with Nicole Walker – a top made from stockings. We sat down with XV Production to learn more about their approach.
XV Production is a creative circular fashion studio based in southern Sweden that transforms existing garments and materials – such as overproduction, faulty production and deadstock – into new, elevated designs. They work with brands to unlock the creative potential in what already exists, combining circularity with self-expression, design and commercial value. Their approach is rooted in the belief that working with existing materials should not mean compromising on creativity or aesthetics, but can instead be the starting point for something entirely new.
What inspired you to build a business around remake and upcycling, and how has your vision evolved since XV Production began?
The starting point was a desire to challenge a linear and wasteful industry by proving that many of the resources we need already exist around us.
Our vision has since evolved from simply finding more responsible ways of producing textiles to building new systems for circular production. We have gone from creating individual remake pieces to developing our own processes, tools and tailored production models that explore how circular fashion can work at a larger scale.
For us, the interesting question is no longer only what can we remake, but how can we build an industry where working with existing resources becomes a natural part of production?
What are some of the biggest challenges when working with already existing materials, and how do you turn those limitations into creative opportunities?
The limitation is often the inspiration.
When you only have a certain number of existing garments to work with, you are forced to think differently. One phrase we often use in our product development is: “The width of the trouser leg is our greatest resource.” It sounds simple, but it captures the logic of remake perfectly. Instead of designing freely and ordering the material afterwards, the material itself begins to shape the design.
Working from finished garments also requires a completely different production flow. We have had to develop processes that a traditional factory simply does not need.
Fashion is changing quickly, and we do not know exactly what production will look like in a few years. That is why we are even developing our own digital systems to help us work almost “backwards” starting with the resources that are actually available and building the product and production process around them.
How did the collaboration between XV Production, Nicole Walker and Swedish Stockings come about, and what made the project interesting to you?
The collaboration came about as part of Swedish Stockings’ new chapter and rebrand. They approached us to help translate Nicole Walker’s creative vision into a physical product using Swedish Stockings’ own tights as the starting material.
The idea immediately resonated with us: how far can you stretch a pair of tights, both as a material and as an idea? Rather than seeing the tights as a finished product, we explored how far we could stretch their original purpose through design, construction and upcycling.
We were also excited by the opportunity to work with both Nicole and Swedish Stockings because of the perspectives they bring to the industry. It became a meeting point between creative direction, material knowledge and our expertise in product development and upcycling production, and an opportunity to explore new ways of producing fashion together.
What do you think collaborations like this can demonstrate about the possibilities of materials that are often overlooked or considered waste?
They show that materials carry stories and possibilities that do not disappear simply because their original purpose has ended.
If you take something considered waste, place it on a pedestal and shine a spotlight on it, is it still waste, or has it become art?
There are already more than enough clothes in the world to fulfil the basic function of clothing. Fashion is also about identity, emotion and expression. Collaborations like this can shift the way we look at existing materials and demonstrate that something overlooked can have aesthetic and emotional value when placed in a new context.
Sometimes the most interesting material is not the one you need to produce next, it is the one that already exists.
What are you hoping to change or inspire through XV Production in the years ahead?
We want to keep challenging the traditional boundaries of the textile industry.
Textiles exist everywhere, from fashion and interiors to automotive and healthcare, which means the potential for circular thinking extends far beyond clothing alone.
At the same time, sustainability has become increasingly difficult for consumers and businesses to navigate. We want to make it tangible. By developing local upcycling production in Sweden, together with new systems and scalable production methods, we want to demonstrate that circular production is not simply an idea for the future.
It is something we can build today.
Shop the Stockings Top here
