Amanda Christensen

In 1883, Amanda Svensson, a farmer’s daughter from Gnesta, came to Stockholm at age 20 to begin working as a substitute teacher; however, that lasted only a short time.

In 1884, she began working at Edén as a cravat seamstress. Amanda was an incredibly enterprising and creative personality, so in the following year—1885—she started her own company. She acquired a small studio on Stora Nygatan in Gamla Stan and hired two additional seamstresses.

Amanda took on the surname Christensen when she married the Danish wood engraver Christian Christensen in the late 1880s. In 1890, Amanda made her first study trip abroad. Filled with inspiration and new ideas, she expanded her business, employing around ten seamstresses, and diversified her offerings to include cravats in various colours and patterns.

At that time, silk was an exclusive material that was relatively uncommon. However, Amanda’s foresight and attention to detail led her to establish collaborations with agents and suppliers in both Italy and France. Her inspirational and purchasing trips to Europe continued regularly, and in the early 1900s, she was often accompanied by her son, Rudolf. She was a prominent figure in a predominantly male world, and her now-classic quote summed up her success: