Our story

I’m an industrial designer, hiker and a founder of usva layers. Founded in 2020, we may seem like a brand new, inexperienced company, but the roots of the product and business date back to my childhood.

Nearly 30 years ago, my mom started her company, manufacturing and selling apparel to small local shops nearby the city where we lived when I was a child. I spent endless hours in her workshop around Japanese industrial sewing machines, rolls of fabrics and patterns hanging from the ceiling.

It was a small cosy workshop, with material storage in the back, and a long narrow space with large windows spanning from floor to ceiling. It was a place where I would hang out during cold evenings and play around with offcuts.

It was also a place where I would admire her process and everything that went into making a piece of clothing. The prototyping process, sourcing materials and testing out different techniques.

After 30 years, my mom’s company still exists. It remained a small business, and it’s the business that manufactures all of our underwear.

In the past decade, big chains and factories made things quite hard. But thanks to the increasing interest of small scale and locally produced items, it’s improving again.

Selling locally made products means if something breaks quickly, customers will come back and want repair. She’s made sure her products are durable, and if something did break, she had a repair service.

When you buy from us, you’re buying 30 years of experience, and supporting a small business that’s been out there since 1991.