Field Journal

Stories Behind the Gear: Haglöfs
Written by Harriet Osborne // Photography Courtesy of Haglöfs

A pioneering craftsman, Haglöfs founder Wiktor Haglöfs created the brand’s first backpack from a wooden cabin on his family-owned farm in Torsång, Sweden, in 1914. Harriet Osborne speaks to Head of Brand, Annsofie Jakobsson, and Head of Sustainability, Elaine Gardiner to find out more.

A carpenter by trade, Wiktor never considered himself an outdoors person. But, growing up on a farm exposed to extreme weather, he felt compelled to find a better way for outdoor workers to carry their equipment and produce across the extensive landscapes of Sweden. Wiktor bought rolls of robust fabric, cut them to a pattern he designed himself, and worked with a local seamstress to stitch the pieces together. They created a hard-wearing and functional backpack, enabling local farmers and loggers to work outdoors with nature rather than battling against it.

‘The heritage is very much still incorporated in everything we do today,’ says Annsofie Jakobsson, who has been responsible for preserving the brand’s history as Head of Design since 2019. ‘We always start our designs with the environment we aim to make products for. As a responsible outdoor performance brand, it’s our job to create a durable product that works well in all weather conditions.’

From humble beginnings to over 100 years of heritage, Wiktor’s original backpack with buckles and leather straps has evolved over the years. Haglöfs now has a complete collection of backpacks, apparel, and footwear specifically designed for hiking, mountaineering, ski and snowboarding, and everyday adventures. The brand’s Nordic roots are also reflected throughout, with colours named Tarn and Fjell – Swedish for woodland lakes and mountains – and dyes selected for the least impact on the environment.

‘We ask ourselves a lot of questions during the design process,’ Annsofie says. ‘Why are we making a specific product? Why are we using a specific fabric sealer? Why and how should we place the pockets? Everything is connected to our design philosophy and function-first approach. It also connects to our vision of being a responsible outdoor performance brand – to create long-lasting, functional gear in a sustainable way.’

This attention to detail stems from the brand’s big environmental ambitions to reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent over the next 10 years and use 100 per cent recycled or renewable materials in their main fabrics by 2025. The Winter 22 collection already contains over 60 per cent recycled materials. But it comes at a cost, both financial and functional, and it’s up to the design team to make sure sustainability doesn’t impact performance. ‘There are some good sustainable options, but they are not as strong as what we have used before,’ Annsofie says. ‘So it’s a challenge to find a balance when seeking the sustainable choice – something that is long-lasting or something that has a lower initial environmental impact but is not as durable.’ Annsofie is proud of the balance they have achieved in their new legwear programme, the OUT Series. The programme contains three different fabric combinations: Rugged, Mid, and Lite. ‘From the recycled fabrics we have worked with to having different fits in the same fabrics depending on the activity you are doing, this collection is exactly what we aim for in all our collections.’

Another key person helping the brand define and deliver responsible performance is Elaine Gardiner, who joined Haglöfs as Head of Sustainability in 2019. ‘Haglöfs has a real appreciation for the outdoors and the beautiful places we spend our time in. We see the changes happening with our own eyes, and our consumers do too. So we must do what we can to protect that for future generations.’ Elaine is the driving force behind a four-step plan to net zero, which looks at the company’s carbon emissions, energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and recycled materials. ‘Recycled fabrics are more expensive. So instead of changing one style, we need to make full ranges out of recycled materials. Then we can take that volume to suppliers and negotiate better pricing. It’s a smarter way of working behind the scenes.’

This year, the brand launched Haglöfs Restored, a collection of second-hand performance gear that’s just as functional as new garments and has the added benefit of reducing waste, carbon emissions, and water use while keeping premium materials out of landfill. ‘With Haglöfs Restored, we create value twice out of the same product,’ Elaine says. ‘This reduces impact and supports a broader ambition to keep products in use for longer. We have to consider the energy and resources that go into making new products. Often one consumer doesn’t use it long enough, so we’re creating an option for it to live on with another person. It’s about creating value without always having to make a new product.’

To create the collection, Haglöfs has partnered with The Renewal Workshop, a provider of circular solutions for apparel and textile brands. The Renewal Workshop receives products from customers, stores, or service centres before individually inspecting them by hand to identify any issues. Any products that can be restored move on to cleaning, repair, and quality control before they are labelled and put into the Haglöfs Restored shop. Any products that can’t be restored are recycled. Nothing is left to waste.

From the beginning, Haglöfs has been creating performance gear to make exploring the outdoors easier. Since then, the Swedish brand has focused on ensuring future generations have an outdoors they can continue exploring for many years to come.