Founded in 1960 in the Swedish town of Örnsköldsvik, Fjällräven began its journey as a problem-solving brand, like many of those burgeoning outdoor institutions of the day. Ten years earlier, young Ake Nordin, then just 14, found himself wondering if he could develop a more comfortable backpack than what was available to him at the time. And so began the story of Fjällräven.
While the world has changed immeasurably since a youthful Nordin founded the brand, Fjällräven remains steadfast in its core mission. They continue to innovate, and their roots remain very much in the outdoor environments that helped launch them. The popularity of genuine outdoor brands has never been greater than it is now. The pandemic and a shift towards nature have seen fashion embrace the wilderness like never before.
Beyond its traditional environs, Fjällräven found a fashion niche that began to grow organically more than 20 years ago. Now an established contender alongside familiar faces like The North Face and Patagonia, the Arctic Fox enjoys popularity beyond its traditional core consumer base.
Despite this, the brand remains as true to its roots as ever. Make no mistake, while the distinctive circular logo has become increasingly prominent away from the trees and mountains, this is a brand with its feet firmly planted in nature.
As part of its commitment to celebrate this provenance, the brand hosts the Fjällräven Polar. This immersive expedition takes in all the most inhospitable elements the Arctic can throw at those involved.
As huge fans and indeed friends of Fjällräven, we here at The Sporting Lodge were delighted to find ourselves offered a much-coveted space on Fjällräven's 'A Taste Of Polar.'
Our own Buyer, Tom Jacques-Milner has just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime trip, which brought together 20 people from across the globe for a 90km dog sledding experience across the arctic tundra. For three days, the participants drove their own dog sled across the vast landscapes of northern Scandinavia, experiencing a world utterly different from their own. On his back Tom had everything he needed for the 28-hour journey, ahead of Tom was his own pack of sled dogs, doing the heavy lifting both literally and metaphorically.
We'll be documenting Tom's journey this week and, in doing so, showing you a side of Fjällräven few customers are likely to experience first-hand. This is what sets the seasoned veterans of Sweden apart and keeps them at the forefront of the outdoor lifestyle, regardless of trend or not.
