Torsa Studios 1.0 | Exploring Our Supply Chain
This week, we’re taking a look inside our supply chain. We work with a handful of the best manufacturers and fabric mills in the world, and we are always open to giving an insight into this side of the business.
Founded back in 2020, Torsa was established to create activewear that blended our Scandinavian heritage with the Japanese design principle of Shibui - known to the region as unobtrusive beauty.
The means to create an activewear brand that fulfilled this goal meant we had to work with the best; firstly through our internal design team, but also our supply chain partners, who are ultimately responsible for our final product. As a business, we set out to create activewear where quality took precedence. As a small brand, this isn’t straightforward because we simply don’t have the resources to invest heavily in R&D in house, trialling lots of fabrics, construction techniques, and multiple rounds of testing - like bigger brands though. That said, being small also comes with its advantages. The nature of our small size means we can build very close relationships with our supply chain partners, with our founder frequently visiting our manufacturers in both Portugal and Italy.
We’re very proud of the partners we work with and as a brand, we’re very happy to share who and why we work with certain partners, starting with our manufacturers;
Manufacturers
Malhas Sonix, Portugal
The factory where we started our journey, Malhas Sonix was founded in 1966 and has established itself as one of the leading manufacturers in Portugal for high-quality knitted garments.
We were fortunate to land such an established manufacturer with our small orders, but even so, the factory has always been supportive of our journey and helped us when we needed it. Malhas Sonix produced our signature Onyx and Otis T-Shirts as well as our Ace ¼ Zip Sweatshirt, using their extensive knowledge of knit garments to produce all of our top styles. As well as being masterful with the sewing machine, back in 2015, Malhas Sonix were given the honour of being the first company in Portugal to be awarded the STeP by Oeko-Tex certificate for its Sustainable Textile Production. They have gone onto make further innovative steps in sustainability from heating their offices through steam produced by the dye house, implementing solar panels, and harvesting rainwater to use for production.
P&R, Portugal
Our newest partner for AW24, P&R have vast experience with technical garments, being the chosen partner for some of the most well known sportswear brands across running and cycling.
Situated in Barcelos, Northern Portugal - an area rich with textile tradition - P&R agreed to come on board after we presented our AW24 concept to them. With the biggest onsite heat bonding specific area in Europe, and a team of more than 200, P&R felt like the perfect choice to further our product innovation. Responsible for our new Merino styles, technical training trousers, and run shorts, P&R used their experience and technical knowhow to help actualise our new collection. We’re excited to build a longstanding relationship with them as we continue to seek to design and develop innovative training and running apparel.
Sianso, China
Sianso is a new partner for 2024 and our first manufacturer outside of Europe. Located in Jiangsu, a modern city harboured along the Yangtze Rive, the Sianso group was founded in 2003. The 400 strong company specialises in producing apparel for the high-end markets, and when we placed our new AW24 windbreaker with them, we were blown away by their handling, accuracy and craftsmanship. Although early days, the immediate signs are that we will have a long relationship with Sianso.
Fabric Mills
SPW Fabrics
SPW, located in Spain, has been producing high quality knits since 1997. With a special focus on circular knits for the sports market, SPW has become a leader in the industry, constantly innovating and pushing new ideas forward to propel its business forward.
SPW partners with some of the most innovative textile companies in the industry such as Swiss textile firm HeiQ, in a bid to bring added performance to their fabrics in a sustainable way.
Labtex
Founded in 1997, Labtex is one of the most world renowned textile companies in the world. With over 30,000 fabrics to choose from, we have partnered with Labtex for both our Core Collection and upcoming AW24 collections. With speciality in technical fabrics geared towards sport and outdoor, Labtex works with many of the biggest brands in the world.
Bluesign certified and with a clear commitment to environmental change, as well as full transparency into their supply chain, Torsa is excited to build a longstanding relationship with this wonderful fabric mill
Li Peng
A new fabric mill for 2024, Li Peng are masters of lightweight technical woven synthetics. As we transition into introducing more technical fabrics for AW24, we worked closely with Li Peng to source the perfect fabric for our new collection.
Covering both polyester and nylon production, Li Peng specialise in producing recycled fabric and eco textile. LIBOLON - Li Peng’s parent company - are completely vertically-integrated, from recycled fabric spinning, fabric weaving, dyeing, up to post-finishing.
Truly a master when it comes to lightweight wovens, the vertical integration ensures transparency and quality throughout the whole process.
Global Merino
Merino wool is an important part of our business, and we are huge advocates of the natural performance properties that this unique fibre offers. We wanted to work with a mill that championed both quality and transparency.
Global Merino, based in the US, strives to be one of the best producers of Merino wool in the world today. They work closely with farmers in Australia and New Zealand to ensure they are sourcing the highest quality fibre available. Global Merino then works with a handful of spinning and weaving facilities to craft both 100% Merino and innovative blends such as their Rapt™, which can be seen used in our Otis T-Shirt.
Teijin
Simply put, Teijin is one of the biggest textile companies in the world. From developing raw materials all the way through to creating some of the most-well known textile technologies available today, this Japanese based company is truly at the forefront of textile innovation.
Naokichi Kaneko and two chemical engineers, Seita Kumura and Itsuzo Hata, came together in 1918 to establish Japan's first rayon production technology. In the 1990s, after the collapse of the so-called "bubble economy" in Japan, Teijin set its corporate philosophy to survive in the world of the 21st century and shifted its focus to high performance fibres and fabrics, and has never looked back.
Today, Teijin has over 22,000 employees globally and is one of the biggest textile producers in the world. Its commitment to quality and its relentless pursuit of innovation has seen the introduction of cutting edge fabric technologies such as Deltapeak™, Solotex™, Eco Storm™ and Octa™.
Teijin is one of biggest suppliers for globally recognised outerwear and sports brands worldwide and we, alongside these brands, share Teijin's values and unrivalled commitment for innovation.
Note from the Founder
Before our launch back in 2020, I initially spent two years, and the subsequent three that have followed, trying to source the very best manufacturers and mills for Torsa. As a small brand, in order for the best suppliers to agree to work with you, you have to put in the effort and time building relationships. That's why I went on the journey meeting over forty manufacturers and mills in Europe, passionately describing my vision for Torsa.
I am very proud to work with some of the leading suppliers in Europe and Asia, but it doesn't stop there. My commitment to elevate the Torsa product further is a never-ending journey, and if this means travelling to Japan to meet a small specialist fabric mill, or hopping on a flight to Italy to see one of our current suppliers, that's what I will do.
Torsa was built to inspire the pursuit of greatness, and we can only achieve that through channeling that mindset ourselves.