In a small basement in the Swedish town of Örnsköldsvik, Åke Nordin developed an aluminum-framed backpack, condensation free tents and, in 1968, the Greenland Jacket, which today remains one of Fjällräven’s most iconic pieces. Fast forward 50 years later, the company gets set to release an updated Greenland collection in celebration of the brand’s first foray into apparel.
Back in 1966, a Scandinavian team embarked on an expedition to Greenland. They took with them Fjällräven backpacks and tents but as Åke Nordin had not yet developed outerwear, the expedition members had to take what was available at the time: bulky, heavy slow-drying jackets and trousers.
So began Nordin’s quest to make a jacket that was lightweight, fit well, and dried quickly. He settled on a material he originally ruled out for tents but that would work perfectly for apparel — G-1000. To increase the wind- and water-resistance of the material, he created a mixture of beeswax and paraffin, similar to the wax on his skis — Greenland Wax. The result was the Greenland Jacket.
For the new Greenland collection, Fjällräven adapted existing garments and introduced a whole host of new products under the Greenland name. The highlights include the Greenland Half Century Jacket, the Greenland Eco-Shell Jacket, and the Greenland Kånken.
While the classic style remains (albeit with a modern fit), the materials have been updated with the more sustainable G-1000 Eco in the Greenland Half Century Jacket (pictured above) with taped seams and new colors added. G-1000 Eco is made of organic cotton and recycled polyester and now replaces G-1000 in all of Fjällräven’s gear.
Fjällräven’s PFC-free Eco-Shell material is used in the Greenland Eco-Shell Jacket that offers three-layer shell protection. It’s good to note that the company has already been PFC-free for years. Finally, a special edition Kånken made from G-1000 Heavy Duty Eco is also being released.
The new Fjällräven Greenland collection will be available March 2018.