The Story Behind KLIPPAN's Custom Stoles, Part 1

Summer will soon be here.
But even at this time of year, the ZUTTO staff
are gradually getting ready for winter.

The wool blankets and
felt products we introduce each winter take time to arrive in Japan,
so we prepare our overseas orders about half a year in advance.
This year too, preparations are steadily moving forward toward a sales launch around September.

In this feature, we'd like to give you a small glimpse behind the scenes
of how the KLIPPAN original stoles
scheduled to be introduced in 2015 come together.

In Sweden, at the forefront of Nordic design,
KLIPPAN blankets are said to be so well known that
there's hardly anyone who doesn't recognize them—
they are beloved by the Swedish people.
Even in the depths of a harsh winter, Swedes
enjoy time on their balconies or in their gardens with a warm cup of coffee in hand.
And at moments like these, a KLIPPAN blanket is indispensable.

KLIPPAN was founded in 1879. For more than 135 years since then,
it has continued to be loved by the Swedish people as a textile maker.
The secret to the popularity of KLIPPAN blankets lies in
the high quality of the products themselves, a result of handling every step in-house
from wool spinning to weaving, dyeing, and manufacturing.
In addition, the recent involvement of young designers
has brought bright, playful designs that are also part of the brand's appeal.

The KLIPPAN ZUTTO original stoles are well received by our customers every year.

Starting as a custom-order item in the winter of 2012,
this will be the fourth year of the project.

We began with just one design,
gradually expanding the lineup,
and last year we introduced three different patterns.

The popular patterns of each year also serve as items that
color the ZUTTO website,
so some of you may find them familiar.

"Linnea Dark Gray"
2012. This was the first original piece ZUTTO created.
It gives a colorful impression, but combined with the dark gray base,
it comes across as sophisticated rather than overly sweet.

"Birka Gray"
Birka is a pattern with a white-toned colorway called "Natural" that
has been available for some time and has been well received by customers for years.
This "Birka Gray" was developed by taking that Birka pattern and rendering it in
a different color.
We added a pocket, giving it a more functional finish.

"Ines Bordeaux"
Among all the original stoles we've planned so far,
this "Ines Bordeaux" may well be the most popular.
It features a large block check pattern,
and on a single piece of fabric, bordeaux, pink, and navy
are arranged together in a striking, subtly nuanced color combination.

The patterns used for these stoles are
patterns from fabrics that, in Sweden, KLIPPAN's home country, are manufactured as wool throws
(large-sized blankets).

From among the throw patterns sold in Sweden that year,
we decide which pattern to make into a stole,
and this turns out to be quite a difficult task.

Colors that customers will cherish for years.
Traditional patterns that never grow tiresome.
Something easy to pair with any outfit, yet
with a touch of novelty that sets it apart from last year…

While thinking about things like this
as we work out the color variations,
"Isn't this too skewed in terms of color?"
"We also want a pattern that's easy to choose as a gift regardless of the recipient's age"—
comments like these get exchanged among the staff as well.

These stoles are a project you can't find anywhere else.
Whether customers feel they want to keep using them for a long time
is our guiding principle in everything, but since these stoles are sold in limited quantities,
we often find ourselves wondering whether customers are truly using them
with care after they arrive.

Once, quite by chance, we spotted a woman in the streets of Tokyo
wearing one of ZUTTO's original stoles.
It was the "Ralph Ivory" stole made in 2014—
a model with a gentle ivory color accented
by pale green embroidery.
Whether she had purchased it herself or received it as a gift, we couldn't tell.
It was just a fleeting glimpse, but for us on staff,
it was a reminder—even without seeing our customers' faces—that we must keep making things
they'll want to use for a long, long time.

For 2015, marking the project's fourth season,
we plan to introduce four original stole designs at the same time.

We'll talk about what color variations these will be
in our next feature, so
please look forward to it.

◇ Spring Reading: "Spring with KLIPPAN"

Besides wool, KLIPPAN is also known for its popular organic cotton
spring and summer blankets.
We are currently introducing the 2015 SS collection,
including collaboration blankets with minä perhonen and Lisa Larson.