Handarbetets Vänner

What Handarbetets Vänner does

Handarbetets V\u00e4nner is a private membership-based economic association (F\u00f6reningen Handarbetets V\u00e4nner u.p.a.) founded in 1874 by Sophie Adlersparre in Stockholm, currently operating from a single owned property at Djurg\u00e5rdssl\u00e4tten 82\u201384 on Djurg\u00e5rden. It functions as an integrated center for advanced textiles organized into four units: an Atelj\u00e9 that executes large-scale commissioned tapestries and textile artworks in collaboration with Swedish artists, the Licium subsidiary that produces and restores ecclesiastical and heraldic textiles, HV Skola which delivers vocational education (one-year foundation programs in weaving and sewing plus a two-year Higher Textile Craft Education, plus short and evening courses), and HV Galleri which mounts public exhibitions. Production draws on both traditional hand-weaving techniques and computer-controlled equipment (Compu-Dobby and TC2 digital jacquard looms) alongside an in-house natural dyeing facility (f\u00e4rggeri).

The business model combines episodic, project-based atelier revenue from institutional commissions (Riksdagen, UN ECOSOC Hall, Kulturhuset, Folksam, churches and museums), recurring tuition and course fees from HV Skola, gallery admissions and sales at HV Galleri, membership dues from the V\u00e4nf\u00f6rening (~70 members at 100\u2013500 SEK/year), and product sales including the 550 SEK 150th-anniversary book, reissued embroidery kits, and hand-printed silk scarves. Atelier commissions are intermediated heavily by Statens konstr\u00e5d and involve very long production cycles (for example, 3,500 work hours for a single parliamentary tapestry).

Handarbetets V\u00e4nner has operated continuously for 150 years, was internationally recognized with two gold medals at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris (for the Carl Larsson 'Kr\u00e4ftfisket' tapestry) and a silver medal in 1878, and runs a small commercial ecosystem that includes annual student product lines through Designtorget and Kl\u00e4ssbols Linnev\u00e4veri. The organization is governed by a members' board chaired by Kerstin Brunnberg, with Kirsi Mattila as CEO since October 2017. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the entity has no external parent company or venture capital backing.

Name

Handarbetets Vänner

Legal name

Föreningen Handarbetets Vänner u.p.a.

Website

https://handarbetetsvanner.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1874

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Handarbetets V\u00e4nner is a 150-year-old Swedish membership association and integrated textile center on Djurg\u00e5rden, Stockholm, operating an atelier, vocational school, gallery, and ecclesiastical subsidiary (Licium) that produce commissioned tapestries, deliver textile craft education, and exhibit textile art for public and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Textile Art and Craft Education

NAICS

Broadwoven Fabric Mills (313210)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Textile & Fiber Arts Classes (Weaving, Knitting, Embroidery, Dyeing) (THAJAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Weaving & Loom Supplies Retail (CRALADAL), Needlepoint & Embroidery Shops (CRALADAE)

Keywords

• Textile art commissions
• Tapestry weaving
• Textile craft education
• Ecclesiastical textiles
• Art embroidery

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Atelier production and textile commissions: The atelier produces large-scale textile artworks for public and private clients in collaboration with Swedish artists. Revenue comes from commissioned works for public buildings, churches, and corporations. Notable projects include works for FN-skrapan (UN headquarters in New York), Riksdagen, Kulturhuset, and Folksam.
2. Licium - Church textiles: Licium produces and restores liturgical textiles for churches, cathedrals, and religious institutions. This subsidiary specializes in ecclesiastical and heraldic textile art, creating altar frontals, vestments, and other church furnishings.
3. Education (HV Skola): The school generates revenue through tuition for full-time textile craft programs (Textil hantverksutbildning basår – vävning, Textil hantverksutbildning basår – sömnad, Högre textil hantverksutbildning) and short courses, evening courses, and summer courses in textile crafts.
4. Gallery exhibitions and sales: HV Galleri showcases textile art and craft to the public. The gallery generates revenue through exhibition admissions, sale of exhibited works, and related merchandise.
5. Book sales and publications: Sale of the commemorative book 'En textil historia – boken om Handarbetets Vänner 150 år' published by Arvinius + Orfeus förlag. The limited-edition book is sold for 550 SEK plus shipping.
6. Membership fees: Handarbetets vänners vänförening (friends' association) collects membership fees: 250 SEK individual, 100 SEK family/student, 500 SEK legal entity. The association supports HV activities and awards scholarships to graduating students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Handarbetets Vänner is a 150-year-old Stockholm-based center that produces commissioned large-scale textile artworks and tapestries in collaboration with Swedish artists, delivers vocational textile craft education through HV Skola, exhibits textile art at HV Galleri, and creates ecclesiastical and heraldic textiles through its Licium subsidiary. It also retails branded products (silk scarves, embroidery kits) and supports its work through a Friends' Association membership program.

Product overview

Handarbetets Vänner is a center for advanced textiles, art, and design with four integrated units: the Ateljé (workshop for producing large-scale textile art and commissioned works), the Skola (school offering textile craft education programs), the Galleri (gallery for exhibitions), and Licium (subsidiary specializing in ecclesiastical textiles). The organization also sells retail products including silk scarves, embroidery kits, and commemorative publications. Founded in 1874 and based on Djurgården in Stockholm, it serves as both a production facility, educational institution, and cultural venue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Licium: Subsidiary specializing in church and heraldic textile art, liturgical textiles. Founded in 1904, acquired by Handarbetets Vänner in 1952.
• HV Skola
• HV Galleri
• Handarbetets Vänner Ateljé

Products and services

• Handarbetets Vänner Ateljé (Atelier) Workshop service that produces large-scale commissioned textile artworks (tapestries, curtains, wall hangings) for public institutions and corporate clients in collaboration with Swedish artists.
• HV Skola (Textile Craft Education) Tuition-based vocational education programs in weaving and sewing, including foundation years, a two-year Higher Textile Craft Education program, and short/evening/summer courses for individual students.
• HV Galleri (Gallery and Exhibitions)

Quantifiable outcome

• Works displayed in Riksdagen (Swedish Parliament), FN headquarters in New York, Kulturhuset, and public buildings nationwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kasthall Design StudiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Amanda Borgfors Mészáros collaborated with Kasthall Design Studio in 2024 to create sculptural fashion pieces celebrating the launch of Kasthall's new rug collection 'VICHY'. Mészłos deconstructed Kasthall's woven rugs and combined them with her sculptural leather bodies.
• Lars LerincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Artist collaboration creating the tapestry 'Burfåglar' (Cage Birds). Lerin provided the original watercolor design which was interpreted into a large-scale tapestry by HV's master weavers Malou Andersson and Hanna Sköld. The work took approximately two years and will be installed at Folksam's headquarters.
• Klässbols LinneväveriminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Royal court supplier Klässbol collaborated with HV Skola and Designtorget on a towel collection. 11 new pattern designs by textile students were manufactured by Klässbol and sold at Designtorget in limited editions of 20 each.
• DesigntorgetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018Annual collaboration where HV Skola students create products for Designtorget, Sweden's design gift shop. Products are handcrafted at the school and sold exclusively at Designtorget in limited editions. The collaboration has run for multiple years.
• Beckmans DesignhögskolaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaboration partner in the Nobel creations project and other educational exchanges between Swedish design institutions.
• NobelmuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Collaboration for 'Nobel creations' project where students from HV Skola, Beckmans, Kungliga musikhögskolan, and Fotoskolan STHLM interpreted the 2016 Nobel Prizes through textile art.
• LiciumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1904Founded in 1904 by Agnes Branting and Mimmi Börjeson after leaving Handarbetets Vänner. In 1952, Licium was acquired and returned to Handarbetets Vänner as a subsidiary. Licium specializes in church textiles and ecclesiastical art, continuing a significant sacred textile tradition under the HV umbrella.
• Statens konstråd (National Art Council)coreOthersGovernment body that commissions artwork for public buildings and frequently engages Handarbetets Vänner for high-quality textile art with demanding specifications. Key intermediary for many institutional commissions including FN in New York.
• Arvinius + Orfeus förlagminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher of the 150th anniversary book 'En textil historia – boken om Handarbetets Vänner'. Released December 12, 2024 in a limited edition.
• ABOMÉ Studio (Amanda Borgfors Mészáros)minorOthersSwedish designer with background from Beckmans Designhögskola whose work combining fashion and textile craft has dressed artists including Katy Perry, Swedish House Mafia, and Loreen. Graduate of HV-affiliated programs.
• FolksamminorOthersCorporate client for the 'Burfåglar' tapestry by Lars Lerin. The completed work will be permanently installed at Folksam's headquarters in southern Stockholm.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Svenskt Tenn: Long-established Stockholm interior design retailer and brand with deep textile heritage (Josef Frank prints). Svenskt Tenn operates as a broader incumbent in the Swedish high-design textile market, distributing curated textile products at scale versus HV's bespoke atelier and educational model.

Direct peers

• Kasthall: Swedish premium rug and textile manufacturer with a Design Studio in Kinna. Kasthall collaborated with HV-affiliated designer Amanda Borgfors Mészáros on a 2024 rug collection launch, and operates in the same intersection of traditional Swedish textile craftsmanship and contemporary design.
• Beckmans College of Design: Stockholm-based design school that is a HV strategic partner (Nobel Creations collaboration) and competes in the same niche of high-end Swedish design and craft education. Both institutions train designers who bridge craft and contemporary art, producing alumni who collaborate with leading Swedish artists and brands.
• Klässbols Linneväveri: Royal Court-supplied Swedish linen weaving company and HV Skola partner that produces hand-woven textiles using traditional looms. Klässbols operates in the same traditional Swedish weaving niche, collaborating with HV on student product collections sold via Designtorget.
• Konstfack (University of Arts, Crafts and Design): Sweden's largest university for arts, crafts, and design, with overlapping textile and craft education programs. Konstfack competes with HV Skola for students in textile crafts and produces graduates active in the same Swedish craft ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Penland School of Craft: North Carolina-based craft education institution offering workshops and residencies across book arts, ceramics, fiber, glass, iron, metals, and wood. Penland is comparable in mission (intensive craft education with a working studio) but operates in a different geography and at a smaller niche scale than HV's integrated model.

Others

• Svensk Hemslöjd: Swedish craft association promoting traditional crafts including textiles. Svensk Hemslöjd is an adjacent ecosystem organization that supports craft education and market access, and which has recognized HV alumni (Jennie Jakobsson, 2019 Renewer of the Year).
• Designtorget: Swedish design retailer and HV Skola's main commercial channel partner. Designtorget sells HV student-produced products in limited editions and is an adjacent distribution ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HandarbetetsVanner
• Instagraminstagram.com/handarbetets_vanner
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/handarbetets-v%C3%A4nner

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Handarbetets Vänner