ELKA is a textile studio based in Hampshire, where mother and daughter team Ellie Fisher, a textile designer specialising in woven textiles, and Claudia Gosse, a natural dyer,  produce bespoke hand woven textiles and yarn for fashion, furnishing and interior design. Our aim, through designing and producing sustainable, cruelty free products, is to get the message across in a positive, informative way. We’d like to show people that by making more sustainable, compassionate choices, you don’t have to compromise on quality or luxury, in fact, quite the opposite. Passing on our skills through teaching is now a fundamental part of the business and we love how much it helps to reconnect people to the value of well made, sustainable items, changing perspectives on mass manufacturing and the disposable society we live in.

Ellie spent a large part of her childhood living abroad and travelling. The vibrant markets of the Middle and Far East triggered her passion for colour, texture and pattern and this influence is expressed through her textiles. She completed both her BA in Textile Design, specialising in woven textiles, and MA in Design for Textile Futures at Central St Martins College of Art and Design, graduating in 2006. After graduating, she moved back to Winchester to set up her weaving business which was run, alongside various other projects, until September 2015 when she made the decision to give weaving her full attention. In 2018 Claudia, Ellie’s mum, started working with the business to produce naturally dyed yarns and, in response to an overwhelming demand for workshops, we are now delighted to be offering a range of online weaving and natural dyeing workshops.

Sustainability for us is a way of life, from how we live our day to day lives, to how we run our business.

We design and make ethical and sustainable products causing as little environmental impact as possible.

2016 marked the start of Elka’s complete switch to sustainable, cruelty free design when Ellie made her first 100% plant based product.

Now everything we sell has got at least one sustainable credential. We reuse and recycle as much as possible: from the yarns used in the workshops to the packaging that web orders are sent out in.

Hand woven textiles

Our handwoven fabrics are made from a range of plant based yarns including organic cotton, hemp, recycled denim and linen.We are currently working on our most sustainable collection to date: handwoven naturally dyed linen. 

Natural dyeing

Alongside developing our collection of naturally dyed fabrics, we have a growing collection naturally dyed linen yarn. 

Products & manufacturing

Our collection of bags and purses are made from both handwoven and carefully selected vintage fabric which is made into products by the awesome Kalopsia Collective in Scotland who are very focused on sustainability and reducing waste at all stages of manufacturing. 

Waste & packaging

We try and source as many materials as we can second hand or end of line that would otherwise go to waste. All the off cuts from workshops and commission weaving are used to stuff cushions. Wherever possible, the packaging we use to send out web orders is either recycled or second hand.