Rooted in Tradition, Inspired by Wool
Timmi B. Kromann, founder of Kokolores, grew up in a small village in Northern Germany, where needlework was a natural part of life.
From an early age, she was trained in many textile techniques, and it was there that her fascination began: the wonder of being able to create and shape with nothing more than a thread and a needle.
Today, that same fascination remains her driving force. The thread is always the starting point, it sparks her creativity. There is a knowledge in her hands, one that has been there since childhood, now combined with her formal education as a textile designer specialized in knitwear. With its many qualities, textures, and transformative possibilities, wool has become her favorite material.
Beyond Fashion: A Philosophy of Making
During her studies, Timmi was gifted a large industrial knitting machine. With no predefined plan, she began searching for a place to establish a workshop. “Things came naturally, one after another.”
Kokolores was founded in 2001 and is based in Svaneke, on the Danish island of Bornholm. The core of the project is simple: to create garments that last.
“A garment is truly sustainable only if it lasts, if it can travel through the years, if it can be passed from one person to another.”
For Timmi, this is not merely an aesthetic choice but an ethical one. She does not identify with the fashion system:
“Fashion is selfish. It runs, consumes, replaces. The world of craft is different: there, ideas, tools, and solutions are shared. It’s another way of being together.”
A Life Woven in Wool
In her daily practice, Timmi moves fluidly between different modes of making. Her work is threefold: she develops small-scale series of garments, creates unique one-of-a-kind pieces, and works as an established textile artist, participating in exhibitions both in Denmark and abroad. This interplay between design, craftsmanship, and art nourishes and enriches her overall practice.
For her knitwear collection, Timmi produces the fabrics herself. The wool comes from spinning mills in Italy and England, carefully selected for the quality of their fibers and artisanal expertise.
“Wool is precious. It’s natural, it breathes, it doesn’t need to be washed often, and it can last for decades. No synthetic material can compare.”
For the products made from woven fabrics, only deadstock materials, leftovers from major Italian fashion houses, are used. This means that no fabric is produced specifically for Timmi.
“My wish is to create favorite products pieces that are not dependent on the whims of fashion. Products that last for many years, that are timeless in expression and material, and comfortable to wear. Objects that people like to keep, repair, and love. Objects that can be passed from hand to hand.”
Because these fabrics exist only in limited quantities, many garments become unique pieces. And giving new life to what was destined for waste means restoring value.
“Wool is a precious, inherently versatile material, but it takes effort to bring it to light. Recycling it is essential if we want to be truly sustainable.”
Timmi’s work seeks to nurture a culture of attachment to objects a culture of slow time, of care, of keeping.
