About Shyness and Anna Bilén

Behind Shyness is its founder, Anna Bilén, a textile engineer who graduated from the Swedish School of Textiles in Borås. Anna spent twelve years working in design and purchasing for national and international brands, followed by product development in collaboration with leading textile manufacturers around the world. During these years, she developed a dream of creating her own brand, characterised by consistently high quality and a distinctive design identity.

In 2009, that dream became a reality with the launch of Shyness. The inspiration behind the designs comes from Anna’s childhood on a farm in the plains of Östergötland, Sweden. It was there that her grandmother taught her to recognise and appreciate textiles, sparking an interest that would shape her future. It was also where she developed her belief in textiles designed to last and to be passed down through generations. Rural life taught her the importance of common sense, an open mind and determination. This perspective, combined with modern influences, has shaped the identity of Shyness.

When Shyness was launched in 2009, the brand was founded on a long-term design philosophy, creating textiles to be used and appreciated for many years. This philosophy has remained at the heart of Shyness ever since and continues to guide the development of its collections.

2010 Anna’s work received recognition when the Sober and Serenity bed linen collections were awarded Bedroom Product of the Year at the ELLE Decoration Design Awards. The jury described them as “timeless yet modern in both design and materials”.

2018 Formex selected Anna as one of its featured inspirational figures.

2020 BioInnovation featured Anna and Shyness in its annual report.

2021 Shyness participated in the Swedish government initiative Textile & Fashion 2030 and the Big Do Design Hackathon, contributing ideas and expertise towards a thriving textile industry.

2026 Shyness took the next step in its work towards the textiles of the future by developing its first prototype for a digital product passport.

Welcome to Shyness!