Disruptive dream weavers: the story of BYBORRE

Founded by Borre Akkersdijk in 2015, Dutch textile innovation company BYBORRE reconfigures the design process by enabling designers, interior architects, and creatives to design distinctive textiles on their own terms. Battling overproduction at its core, the inventive platform fuses digital and craftsmanship in all the right ways.

If you squint, clothes move like kinetic sculptures–living layered portraits, animated vessels of expressiveness, of raw resilience at times. Frameless, as they simultaneously reveal, conceal and inspire, all those twists and sparks tend to let us in on their internality. Designer and textile specialist Borre Akkersdijk has always been more fascinated by the process of piecing together a garment rather than the final outcome—that fascinating, gradually evolving intrigue.

That is what led him to create BYBORRE in 2015. Over the last decade, the company has metamorphosed from a creative textile studio into a trailblazing organisation that propels innovation and encourages positive change in the fashion and interior industry like no other. Giving designers the freedom to wholeheartedly work with textiles without constraints, while providing clarity on the impact of decisions at every step, the Amsterdam-based pioneer produces custom knitted textiles and offers ready-to-go textile collections. Minimizing waste and maximizing creative potential can be identified as the venture’s pillars.

With Byborre Create, Borre Akkersdijk (pictured above) seeks to kickstart a digital revolution by enabling fashion and furniture manufacturers to source their fabrics more responsibly. - © BYBORRE — Borre Akkersdijk (pictured above) seeks to kickstart a digital revolution by enabling fashion and furniture manufacturers to source their fabrics more responsibly. – © BYBORRE

Only a handful of architects, designers, or brands develop their own fabrics mainly because it’s almost impossible to do so. That is where BYBORRE comes in. Offering not only an accessible customization process but also a much more responsible production system, the company produces solely on demand. Their textiles are designed to meet high performance standards for a wide range of uses. Ensuring each textile performs well in its intended environment is at the forefront.

As a digital-first textile innovation company, the innovative venture challenges conventional norms by exploring new textile creation processes that are less wasteful, harmful and inflexible, and more collaborative, open and inspiring. - © BYBORRE — As a digital-first textile innovation company, the innovative venture challenges conventional norms by exploring new textile creation processes that are less wasteful, harmful and inflexible, and more collaborative, open and inspiring. – © BYBORRE

Following his studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and the Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Akkersdijk went on to work in the Paris studio of trend forecaster Li Edelkoort. Curiosity was his driving force: “I was fascinated by how textiles were created and how the supply chain worked. We saw an opportunity to build a new way of creating knits—both in process and aesthetics. Our early steps focused on integrating technology and researching how to control our own supply chain while creating aesthetically fresh and new textiles.”

Producing 92 million tonnes of waste every year and very much in need of contemporization, the textile industry still relies on outdated production models—complex, multi-step processes with little transparency and overproduction in every single step. As Mijke van Ballegooijen, CEO of BYBORRE, points out, “Custom textiles should be accessible to everyone—because in a time where personal experiences become more and more important, what you create should be just as unique as you are. We make it possible for every designer to control materials, colors, and textures without compromising on sustainability.”

The company's knitted textiles are designed for a soft, tactile experience, with interlocking loops that create a gentle surface. - © BYBORRE — The brand’s knitted textiles are designed for a soft, tactile experience, with interlocking loops that create a gentle surface. – © BYBORRE

A scalable, open-source platform operated through an online app, BYBOREE gives creators direct access to sustainable design choices, innovative techniques and creative tools. It democratises innovation by supporting responsible textile production and encouraging fitter-for-purpose, longer-lasting products. By breaking down the supply chain into four simple design steps–determining the function of the fabric, exploring knit types to find the perfect weight and structure to match a designer’s creative vision, composing the colour, and finally adding aesthetic elements–BYBORRE guides brands through an intuitive workflow. Creativity lies at the core. Akkersdijk describes how “Everything we build is about giving creative freedom. We provide the tools, platform, and textile medium so that anyone using textiles can bring their own creative vision to life and tell their own story.”

Thanks to their looped construction, BYBORRE's knits are inherently stretchy. This gives them the ability to conform seamlessly to various shapes and contours. - © BYBORRE — Thanks to their looped construction, BYBORRE’s knits are inherently stretchy. This gives them the ability to conform seamlessly to various shapes and contours. – © BYBORRE

Initiatives like the Textile Passport aim at pushing transparency and underline BYBORRE’s commitment to shaping a future of conscious textile creation. The company has a certified yarn library and the Textile Passport provides detailed insights into material origin, composition, and recyclability. It not only promotes responsible sourcing, but also empowers creators to make robustly informed choices.

A variety of validated material compositions, including wool blends, cotton, and recycled polyester, ensures a balance of softness, durability, and sustainability. - © BYBORRE — A variety of validated material compositions, including wool blends, cotton, and recycled polyester, ensures a balance of softness, durability, and sustainability. – © BYBORRE

In 2022, the brand launched a ready-to-order textile collection of its own. Through extensive research and advanced technology, they developed a trio of customizable structures. While AO2 is a two-layer textile and AO3 is a thicker, three-layer version, 3D is a high-relief knit that enhances texture and dimension, often used for bold, tactile effects. Offering color contrast possibilities, AO2 is available in cotton, wool, and polyester. AO3 is a durable all-over attached double jersey with a fill layer and even structure. A uniquely structured double jersey with a fill layer, 3D provides a striking 3D texture. But then there’s also the aesthetics.

Akkersdijk marks out that “What makes us stand out is our approach to color—we create color by optically mixing yarns rather than dyeing. This decision stemmed from a desire to avoid excessive dyeing and ensure consistency in color application. Optically mixing core yarn colors allows for hundreds of different shades without the inconsistencies that come with dyeing finished textiles. This approach has now become a recognized signature of BYBORRE textiles.”

BYBORRE x Swedish furniture brand Fogia. Unlike woven fabrics, the Dutch company’s knitted textiles easily adapt to curves and irregular surfaces, providing a tailored fit for upholstery, apparel, and many other applications. – © BYBORRE

The company’s collaborators, many of whom already use BYBORRE, include Nike, Moncler, Louis Vuitton, AZ Factory, BMW, Kering, Porter, and Natuzzi. BYBORRE has also unveiled numerous fashion collaborations with brands such as Ace & Tate, Palace, NN.07, Diemme and Albino & Preto. And yet, for Akkersdijk, the ultimate collaboration would be the one “where the brand BYBORRE is no longer needed—where designers, artists, and brands use our platform to create breathtaking projects, and we simply act as facilitators to bring those visions to life. Where textile is not an afterthought anymore, where everyone cares exactly what they use, wear and touch and where they have a say on production and resources.”

BYBORRE is set to launch a new configurator later this month, which will simplify and streamline the design process for custom textiles. Looking ahead, the brand hopes to set up hubs in Asia and the US to achieve proximity to its markets, another important marker of sustainable development. Led by their focus on eliminating overproduction and excess stock through digitisation of the supply chain and crafting a unique aesthetic that is both high-tech and human-centered, the company’s ultimate (and admirable) goal is a future where only responsible, on-demand textiles exist. Every step counts, whether it’s a giant leap or a gentle nudge. Powered by their unequivocal ambition and relentless spirit, BYBORRE is helping shift paradigms through autonomy.