OSKA Behind The Scenes
A jacquard jersey made in Tuscany
When it comes to sourcing high-quality materials, we rely primarily on European manufacturers. Many of them have been working with us ever since OSKA was founded in 1998. The casually draping, wool-free jacquard jersey in a tweed look, that was knitted in Italy. In the heart of Tuscany, lies the headquarters of this family-run company, established in 1968. At the beginning, this creative company specialised in the production of wool fabrics for women’s coats. In the early 1990s, they shifted their focus towards knitted fabrics, i.e. jerseys in a wide variety and of the finest quality.
A jacquard jersey is a particular type of jersey, in which the pattern is knitted in rather than printed onto the fabric. The result is a particularly luxurious and high-quality look. This manufacturing technique makes it possible to create complex patterns that are incorporated into the fabric using a variety of yarns. You can recognise this method, by the slightly blurred pattern on the reverse.
The design of our tweed jacquard jersey was designed by OSKA in Munich. Its sporty look is rendered soft and feminine by the gentle drape of the viscose blend. Made without wool, this particularly easy-care fibre blend guarantees a pleasant feel, even for sensitive skin. You can simply machine wash your favourite items and wear them again straight away without ironing.
Be it for the office or theatre, you will always be perfectly dressed in this Italian fabric.
Everything starts with a sketch
The journey from the first sketch to the finished garment can be a long one. Unique, creative tailoring is an integral part of OSKA’s language and is developed season after season by our seasoned team of pattern and garment technicians. Ideas and workmanship possibilities are explored, buttons are selected and the perfect fit is finalised. Years of collaboration, creativity and skilled craftsmanship are the key to bringing a drawing to life.
However, at the very beginning of this long process is the design, the sketch. Watch our clip to see how our jacket 420 is drawn.
The result of the sketch is a draped jacket that is very typical of the OSKA silhouette. It develops its unique look when viewed from the side.
Creating new fabrics at OSKA
For each OSKA collection, we develop new fabrics. This doesn’t just mean new prints or new fabric patterns, but we design the fabric, from fibre to thread to finished material. This process often starts with a specific kind of look we are after or a specific design we want to realise. For these particular challenges, we have been collaborating closely with a German weaving mill for many years, who recently also acquired a jersey knitting mill in Italy. This has enabled us to create a unique, particularly refined and yet easy-care jersey.
The idea was to knit a warm, soft yet lightweight jersey for the OSKA Autumn/Winter 2024 collection. It has to have a beautiful drape and it has to be machine washable. To create the typical OSKA look, the edging of the styles was to be left unfinished, i.e. cut. A real challenge for the weaving mill!
After countless tests, however, we found the solution. It was the spinning of the finest, RWS-certified virgin wool fibres (Responsible Wool Standard) with sustainable TENCEL™ Lyocell, that were then knitted into a jersey fabric. From the yarn to the finished fabric, everything comes from a single source. The result is a truly special material that impresses with its feminine drape and softness. Without the use of elastane, our jersey has natural stretch and suppleness. Pure nature.