OUBAS / UK
Founded by Kate Stalker in 2012, OUBAS began with an old hand-flat knitting machine and a desire to bring clothing production back to her native Cumbria. Having studied knitwear and worked in fashion, Kate wanted to build a practice rooted in natural fibres, skilled making and a closer relationship with place.
Today, OUBAS designs and makes its knitwear in its own Cumbrian workshop, working with British wool – much of it undyed – alongside organic cotton, linen and NATIVA-certified Uruguayan merino. The latter is processed and naturally dyed with plants and herbs in Biella, Italy, using the first natural colouration technology approved by Woolmark. Garments are knitted to shape, creating very little cutting waste, and production is increasingly made to order.
For OUBAS, local production is also a social commitment: creating skilled employment in Cumbria and passing specialist knitwear knowledge on to younger makers. Its pieces are designed as long-term companions, intended to be worn, cared for and repaired over many years.
