Maud Fredin Fredholm was a Swedish textile artist and fashion designer.

Maud Fredin Fredholm was born in 1919 in Gothenburg. She grew up in Alingsås. Both of her parents were artistically inclined and encouraged her to draw. Already at an early age she displayed great talent in drawing and she was encouraged to apply to the Slöjdförenings school to enrol in its six-year programme. During her studies she was commissioned by Bobergs Fajansfabrik (a ceramics factory) in Gävle. She initially worked mainly with ceramics, but quickly became interested in textiles.

Having completed her studies Maud Fredin Fredholm produced a pattern for the Ferdinand Lundqvist & Co department store in exchange for them advertising her skills as a pattern designer. As a result she became noticed as a pattern designer. She continued as a freelancer for several years at the department store, as well as for Nordiska Kompaniet, and consistently rejected all offers of permanent employment. She enjoyed the freedom of being self-employed and wanted to choose her clients herself. In 1945 she opened her own company called Maud Fredin Fredholm AB. From 1949 to 1950 she studied at Valand art school in Gothenburg, and from 1957 to 1958 she studied art history at Gothenburg University.

The Maud Fredin Fredholm AB company expanded to include several shops throughout Sweden, and also established international branches as well as networks with international retailers. The first shop, “Fönstret”, opened its doors in 1954 in Gothenburg. At its peak the company had five shops in Sweden, located in Malmö, Jönköping, Stockholm and Gothenburg. In addition to products that she designed Maud Fredin Fredholm also sold other products which fit in with the shops’ image. Her shops were furnished with items which she had acquired on her travels. The unique shop interiors led to her receiving interior design commissions. Two years after she had opened her first shop Maud Fredin Fredholm held her first exhibition at Röhsska museet in Gothenburg. This exhibition was particularly rewarding for her future career.

Maud Fredin Fredholm received many public commissions. She furnished hospices, churches, schools, restaurants, banks, town halls and hotels. She also furnished over one hundred homes for the elderly. Her creations were remarkable in their personal use of colour and shapes, as well as their functionality and versatility. Pattern templates could sometimes be printed directly on cloth so that the customer could cut it out themselves and use it to sew an item of clothing.

Maud Fredin Fredholm employed seamstresses in her company. She preferred to create the patterns. Each spring and autumn she would design a new fashion collection. The 1960s was her breakthrough period and that decade was also her most productive. She became famous for her tunics, shirts, and simple dresses bearing personal prints, which fit in well with the new London fashion trends based on graphic prints and strong colours. Maud Fredin Fredholm’s clothes could be found in the London-based fashion designer Mary Quant’s shop in Kingsroad, amongst other places.

During the 1960s Maud Fredin Fredholm began to work with batik patterns and she created some of her most classic textiles. She also experimented with plastic and designed trays, as well as other items. What distinguished her was that she always challenged herself in her creations and always learnt new things. In 1968 Maud Fredin Fredholm AB moved to Pixbo and not only her daughters but also her husband became employees. At its height the company had hundreds of employees. After 1995 only a part of the retail element remained in the studio in Pixbo.

In 2009, when Maud Fredin Fredholm turned 90, Röhsska museet celebrated her achievements in textile art and fashion design with an exhibition dedicated to her.

Maud Fredin Fredholm died in 2013.