Brand Spotlight: Fjällräven
Over the summer, Fjällräven backpacks have been seen everywhere, from festivals and camping trips to the trendiest of fashion blogs, and all places in between. The outdoor brand began life some fifty years ago in the coastal town of Örnsköldsvik, Sweden where its creator Åke Nordin designed a functional and simple backpack frame that would later become the cornerstone of all future Fjällräven ranges.
Although you might see the brand paraded on city streets, Fjällräven champion the great outdoors and are heavily involved in getting more people out into nature, having organised incredible events like mountain treks and dog-sledding expeditions - it's evident to see Fjällräven take nature and ethics very seriously, both in their actions and their collections.
Take the ever-popular Kånken – this style was originally created back in 1978 to improve back and posture issues in school children, who were laden with satchels at the time. The idea of a two-strapped backpack quickly caught on, and cemented the Kånken’s place as Sweden’s go-to bag. The style, seen here in muted, practical colourways, is created from the innovative Vinylon blend fabric, making it extremely durable and lightweight.
Also in the collection is the Re-Kånken, a fully-recycled style amazingly created from 11 plastic bottles. This style shares the same simple construction as the standard Kånken style, with spacious main compartment, simple adjustable straps, practical top handles and a padded backpad for the same levels of comfort and wearability as the entirety of the range.
Also featured is the heavy-duty Kånken 2. Constructed from Fjällräven’s own G-1000 fabric – a poly-cotton blend coated in wax, the resulting piece is incredibly long-lasting, and boasts a water and wind-resistant finish. If it’s good enough for the harsh climes of a Swedish winter, it’s more than good enough for those of us bracing ourselves for the upcoming British winter.
Each style is finished simply and in keeping with minimal and ever-fashionable Scandi style. Breathable, hardwearing nylon straps, padded laptop inner sleeves and clean, understated branding combined with the more unusual angular shapes of the styles confirm Fjällräven's place in the list of must-haves for 2016.