A sustainable mission 可持續的使命

How the Eco-Shell series was created

When the Keb series was to be expanded to include waterproof hardshells the development team gave themselves a challenge: to create highly functional waterproof shell garments with the lowest possible environmental impact. This is the story of their journey.

Designer Peter Lindblom pulls a zipper on a shell jacket and checks how it glides along the opening. Henrik Andersson, Head of Innovation and Design at Fjällräven, is playing the part of dressmaker’s dummy and patiently lifts his arms and turns around according to Peter’s instructions. The familiar smell of campfires can be detected in the design office.

“Someone must have lit a campfire the last time this jacket was being tested out in the field. This jacket has seen quite a lot of action,” says Peter Lindblom with a smile.

The jacket he is talking about is Fjäll­räven’s latest addition to the Keb family; Keb Eco-Shell Jacket. It is a modern, minimalistic shell jacket designed for the toughest imaginable conditions in the mountains. But it is also Fjällräven’s answer to the question regarding what the world’s most functional waterproof garment that is also environmentally sustainable can look like.

It is the result of three year’s worth of persistent development work.

The first generation of Eco-Shell garments was released in 2011. At the same time, Fjällräven was working on the technical Keb family of garments for alpine trekking in demanding terrain. The basic idea with Keb has always been to develop a system of garments that work together, and not long into the process the idea came along to design waterproof shell garments as a complement to the jackets and trousers made from G-1000 and stretch fabric.

And these were not going to be just any shell garments:

“We decided to develop the most functional series of waterproof hardshells ever created, without making any compromises what-so-ever when it came to sustainability,” explains Henrik Andersson. “We don’t want our products to have an unnecessary negative effect on the environment and animal life. Achieving the highest level of functionality and lowest level of environmental impact are equally prioritised and it is not until we have achieved both aspects that we are happy with a product.”

With this goal, an intensive period of development work began.

The base for the new garments was of course Eco-Shell – a newly developed membrane laminate with the highest waterproofness and breathability performance, and that is made so it can stretch and thereby give a totally new freedom of movement to garments. But the real point is that all three layers are made from polyester, in part recycled, which gives the garment a fantastic advantage in the future as it can be recycled. In addition, garments are also climate compensated and impregnated entirely without fluorocarbons.

Why do you want to avoid fluorocarbons?

“Fluorocarbons are harmful to the environment, they bio-accumulate in living organisms and remain for an extremely long time in ground water and nature,” says Henrik Andersson. “Fluorochemistry is complex, and it is still legal to use these types of chemicals. But we are not waiting until the law changes – we don’t want to use fluorocarbons in our products.”

What compromises have to be made when choosing a fluorocarbon-free impregnation?

“When it comes to pure functionality, there are no decisive compromises. The waterproofness comes from the membrane, the impregnation is there to keep the outer surface of the fabric as dry as possible. A fluorocarbon-free impregnation is also water resistant – but it is not as resistant to oils and dirt as traditional impregnations and it needs to be renewed a little more often.”

Professional users are testing the prototypes

The jacket that Henrik and Peter are looking at in the office is one of ten prototypes that the development department have let Fjällräven’s test team scrutinise during drawn-out field tests. The group is led by production specialist Johan Skullman and consists of mountain guides, dog mushers and professionals who are outdoors for days on end, and who have taken Eco-Shell garments trekking, ski touring and alpine skiing. As well as on countless other everyday outdoor adventures.

The garments have been up to the top of Mt Kebnekaise (of course, it is after all where the collection got its name), they have been battling through swirling snow and head winds in Lapland’s mountainous expanses, rock climbing in pouring rain, and exposed to freezing temperatures in Svalbard and deep powder snow in Japan. But they have also been used by the development team on their own adventures, both in the mountains and forests closer to home.

“In order for us to understand how a garment works in reality, with everything from material choice and cut to the placement of the pockets, we have to be out there using it – both in extreme environments and in more everyday situations,” says Henrik Andersson. “And we conduct laboratory tests as well of course, where the durability, waterproofness and technical performance of the fabrics are analysed.”

A work without deadlines

This autumn and winter you will be able to see the results for the first time out in the stores. Henrik Andersson explains the process.

“When we work with this kind of project, we don’t have a deadline. There is no pressure to be finished for a certain autumn or spring collection. If it is going to be the best possible product then it has to be allowed to take the time that it takes.”

How did you approach the design of the products?

“Functionality and form are not opposites. If you start on a design of a product based on its necessary features, everything usually falls into place. There is not a single thing on the jacket that is not there for a reason – this is true for every detail from ventilation and pockets to the hood and adjustments,” says Peter Lindblom.

The new collection consists of a jacket, an anorak and a pair of trousers, all in both men’s and women’s models. In addition, there is a longer, lightly padded parka and a pair of bib trousers. The garments are designed to work by themselves and together – and they should be able to be combined with other garments in the Keb family, explains Peter Lindblom.

“The shell trousers are, for example, cut so you can pull them over a pair of trekking trousers in G-1000, as a reinforcement layer when the weather suddenly turns wet. All cuts are meticulously worked through for the best fit – they are snug fitting but still have room for an insulating layer underneath.”

“It has been a challenge to make a jacket as lightweight as possible at the same time as it must be able to handle tough conditions, give maximum freedom of movement and minimum environmental impact.”

Now Keb Eco-Shell Jacket and the other garments are available in stores, they have been shown at trade fairs and got their first early response from the outdoor industry – and the anorak has received an honourable ISPO Award. Are Peter and Henrik pleased?

“Yes, absolutely. We have managed to create garments that have adaptable functionality, and the response from the test team and early users has been amazingly positive. What makes us really pleased is that we have managed to do all of this at the same time as we have minimised environmental impact,” says Henrik Andersson.

Eco-Shell系列是如何研發的

當Keb系列擴展到包括防水外層時，開發團隊給自己一個挑戰：創造具有高防水性能而對環境影響最低的外層服裝。 這是他們旅程的故事。

設計師Peter Lindblom在外套上拉一個拉鍊，檢查它是如何沿著開口滑動的。 Fjällräven的創新和設計主管Henrik Andersson扮演著裁縫假人的角色，耐心地舉起手臂，按照Peter的指示轉身。可以在設計室檢測到熟悉的篝火氣味。

“ 上次這件外套在野外測試時，有人必須點燃篝火。從這件外套已經看到了很多東西。” Peter Lindblom笑著說。

他正在談論的外套是Fjällräven Keb家族的最新成員; Keb Eco-Shell外套。這是一款現代簡約的外套，專為山區最難以想像的環境而設計。但這也是Fjällräven對甚麼是世界上最具功能性又環保的防水服裝的回答。

這是三年持續發展工作的結果。

第一代Eco-Shell服裝於2011年發布。與此同時，Fjällräven正致力於技術性的Keb系列服裝，用於在崎嶇的地形中進行高山旅行。 Keb的基本理念一直是開發一套可以協同工作的服裝系統，並且不久就將設計防水外層服裝作為G-1000和彈力布料製成的外套和長褲的延伸。

而這些不僅僅是一件外層服裝：

Henrik Andersson解釋說：“我們決定開發有史以來最具功能性的防水外層系列，在可持續發展方面沒有任何妥協。” “我們不希望我們的產品對環境和動物生活產生不必要的負面影響。實現最高水平的功能和最低水平的環境影響同樣優先，直到我們實現了兩個方面，我們才對產品感到滿意。”

有了這個目標，開始了一個密集的開發工作期。

新服裝的基礎當然是Eco-Shell - 一種新開發的膜層壓板，具有最高的防水性和透氣性，並且可以拉伸，從而為衣服提供全新的活動自由度。但真正的重點是，所有三層都是由聚酯纖維製成，部分再生，這使得該服裝在未來可以回收重用。此外，服裝也經過氣候補償和完全浸漬，不含碳氟化合物。

為什麼要避免使用碳氟化合物？

“ 碳氟化合物對環境有害，它們在生物體中生物累積，長時間停留在地下水和自然界中，”Henrik Andersson說。 “氟化學是複雜的，使用這些類型的化學品仍然是合法的。但我們不會等到修改法律 - 我們不想在我們的產品中使用碳氟化合物。”

選擇不含碳氟化合物的浸漬時，必須做出哪些妥協？

“ 當談到純粹的功能時，沒有決定性的妥協。防水性來自薄膜，浸漬是為了保持布料的外表面盡可能乾燥。不含碳氟化合物的浸漬也具有抗水性 - 但它不像傳統浸漬那樣抗油和污垢，需要更頻繁地更新。”

專業用戶測試原型

Henrik和Peter在辦公室裡看到的外套是開發部門讓Fjällräven的測試團隊在抽取現場測試期間仔細檢查的十個原型之一。該團隊由生產專家Johan Skullman領導，由山地導遊，狗狗和專業人士組成，他們在戶外連續幾天，並且已經穿著了Eco-Shell服裝行山，滑雪旅遊和高山滑雪。以及其他無數日常戶外探險活動。

這些服裝能經起考驗一直到達Kebnekaise山的頂部（當然，它畢竟是這個系列的名字），他們一直在Lapland山區的暴風雪和大風中作戰，在傾盆大雨中攀岩，在Svalbard和在日本深粉雪的地方暴露在冰點溫度。但是它們也被開發團隊用於他們自己的冒險活動，無論是在山區還是靠近家鄉的森林中。

“ 為了讓我們了解服裝在現實中是如何運作的，從選材和剪裁到口袋的放置，我們必須在那裡使用它 - 無論是在極端環境還是在日常環境中，”Henrik Andersson說道。 “當然，我們也會進行實驗室測試，分析面料的耐用性，防水性和技術性能。”

沒有最後期限的工作

今年秋冬，您將能夠在商店中第一次看到結果。 Henrik Andersson解釋了這個過程。

“ 當我們處理這類項目時，我們沒有期限。沒有壓力需於某個秋季或春季系列完成。如果它是最好的產品，則必須允許花費時間。”

您是如何處理產品設計的？

“功能和形式不是對立的。如果您根據其必要的功能開始設計產品，那麼通常都會落實到位。外套上沒有任何東西是不合理的 - 從通風，口袋到帽子和調整的每一個細節都是如此。” Peter Lindblom說。

新系列包括一件外套，一件半開襟外套和一條長褲，均設男士和女士款式。此外，還有一個較長身的，輕薄襯墊的長外套和一條圍兜長褲。 Peter Lindblom解釋說，這些服裝的設計是為了單穿和整套穿 - 它們應該能夠與Keb系列的其他服裝結合使用。

“ 例如，外層長褲的剪裁，您可以將它們配上G-1000的行山長褲，當天氣突然變濕時作為加強外層。所有剪裁都經過精心設計，以達到最佳配合 - 它們貼合舒適，但仍有足夠的空間放置下面的保暖層。”

“ 製作一件盡可能輕便的外套一直是一項挑戰，因為它必須能夠抵禦惡劣的天氣，提供最大的活動自由度和對環境造成最小的影響。”

現在Keb Eco-Shell外套和其他服裝都在商店裡出售，它們已經在展會上展出，並得到了戶外行業的第一個早期反應 - 而半開襟外套已經獲得了一項榮譽的ISPO獎。Peter和Henrik滿足嗎？

“是的，當然。我們設法創造了具有適應性功能的服裝，測試團隊和早期用戶的反應非常積極。讓我們感到高興的是，我們完成所有工作同時已經設法對環境造成最小的影響。”Henrik Andersson說。