Watching the rise of Fjallraven in North America over the past few years has been a real treat for all of us at Still Life For Him & For Her. A legendary Swedish outdoor brand, Fjallraven cemented their place in the global adventure market when they opened a showroom in New York City and official “came to America”. Now with a foothold on American (and Canadian) soil, the brand is looking to continue its growth in markets such as ours on the beautiful west coast of Canada. A brand influenced less so by passing adventure-sport trends and more by straight forward practicality in the great outdoors, Fjallraven Fall 2012 sees the brand back at Still Life For Him & For Her with a slew of colour options in some of our favourite outerwear, knitwear and rugged accessories. Rather than detail the entire history of the fabled Swedish brand (click here if you’re so inclined) we’ll run down the three biggest talking points of the brand moving into FW12:
- Fjallraven Kanken Backpacks: Undeniably Scandinavian, these deceiving little backpacks are more than meets the eye. Originally built for Swedish students, the Kanken is the most well known and loved product in the Fjallraven catalogue. Still designed and manufactured the same today as it was when released 30 years ago, it is available in a wide variety of colours to suite even the most discerning accessorizer. Made of a synthetic Vinylon F textile, the bags are extremely durable, wonderfully waterproof, and super lightweight. Used for more than 30 years now, the Kanken continues to prove its simple, durable, functionality year after year.
- Fjallraven G-1000 Garments: After establishing Fjallraven as a backpack and tent supplier, 24 year old founder Ake Nordin turned his hand to outdoor clothing. Using his grandfather’s tailor scissors and mother’s sewing machine he prototyped a jacket using the fabric from a tent. G-1000 fabric, now engineered for clothing, is a 65% cotton and 35% polyester tightly woven configuration treated with Greenland Wax. The fabric swells when damp, delivering wind and water resistance the worse the weather gets. G-1000 outerwear from Fjallraven for FW12 ranges from Heater Caps & Luhkka Capes at Still Life For Her to Oban & Greenland Jackets at Still Life For Him.
- Fjallraven Greenland Wax: In the early 1960s after experimenting with ski and bees wax on tent fabrics, Ake Nordin arrived at a unique combination of paraffin and bees wax for Fjallraven G-1000 garments. With the application of Greenland Wax, G-1000 garments are more resistant to wind, dirt and moisture. The wax can be washed out of clothing when little protection is needed, and more wax can be added to the garment in the field when maximum performance is required.
In preperation for the upcoming rainy months, we suggest you consider the Fjallraven adage “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing”. Swing by Still Life For Him & For Her and ask for a quick demonstration how the water-proofing Greenland Wax can better improve the water repellency of your Fjallraven garments – or click here to watch a video of the process.
Shop Fjallraven in store and online at the Still Life Online Shop: For Him or For Her.
