Amanda Christensen History

In 1863, 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.

At that time, the production was exclusively white bow ties. This was a practical accessory, as the gentlemen of the higher social classes in the capital regularly wore tailcoats in the evening. Over time, the range expanded to include black bow ties, and her clientele grew beyond the capital.

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:

The company grew steadily, and by 1909, they had moved into a large building at Kungsbroplan 1, where Amanda’s name still adorns the façade today. It was around this time that she reorganized the company into a limited company, and her son Rudolf took over the daily operations.

Two more generations of Christensen ran the company in Stockholm before it was sold to the then-modest company, Jens Engwall AB. With the same dedication to quality and style that Amanda had, Jens Engwall took care of the brand and merged the two companies into Amanda Christensen AB. Maintaining a brand that is over 100 years old requires respect for history, knowledge of textiles, and good style.

Today, the company still holds the title of Royal Warrant Holder, an honour first granted in 1949. The headquarters are located in Ulricehamn, and while most of the production takes place in Italy, some of it still with the same suppliers Amanda herself worked with