January 28, 2024
I was a student at CWE’s Power Forward course in 2018, and it did just that - powered me forward. I brushed up my strategic thinking over the course, and received a lot of marketing information that has been useful.
What inspired Tove’s business?
Tove had asked herself: Where had all the good size pockets gone in women's clothing? Where did the A-line skirt go? Where were the good quality fabrics? In starting tove wear she knows she’s part of the solution to some of those gaps and is honored to create, design, and build a brand for folks that appreciate all of the above, with a production team that checks all of the boxes for responsible production.
Business Highlight
Tove wear garments are inspired by and created for the makers, change makers & non-makers who get things done, and tove wear offer work-to-play versatility for folks who don't want to compromise on durability, sustainability, or style!
Tove grew up in Småland, the “Glass Kingdom” of Sweden, and her influences come from a long-standing tradition of glass-making, Scandinavian design, music, and nature. With a deep appreciation for the origin of raw materials in general, and the craftsman/woman/ship that brings a product to life, she turned her design focus to clothing in 2017. With a Swedish fashion sense based on clothes by Polarn & Pyret, Katja of Sweden, and basic workwear, she drew up the original Maker Skirt: a classic-cut wrap skirt, overlapping in the back to provide just the right amount (lagom) of pockets.
She built connections with an innovative apparel production team and social enterprise in Bangalore, India, and their GOTS, Fairtrade, Oeko-Tex, and BSCI certified production eco-system deliver all of her designs today. Her home base is Burlington VT where she shares a space with AO Glass on Pine St. having an active role in the local creative economy. Her biggest inspiration in the US is the women behind the brand Dovetail Workwear in Portland Oregon.
Her business is growing and in 2024 She plans to scale the business. She has a solid production team that she has worked with since 2018, a hungry customer base, and not a lot of overhead.
How has CWE helped Tove in her journey?
“At CWE you will always learn something useful, whether you are starting a business or already have one.”
Owning a business changed Tove’s life in terms of knowing that one really can change things if one sets intentions and works hard while being open to possibilities and connections.
Tove describes how she feels about owning her own business as empowered, creative, competent, driven, free, and confident.
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