Swedish outerwear label Klättermusen demonstrates its dedication to sustainability and storytelling with its recent series, Crafted for Life. Launched last week, the series starts with a short film that profiles the work of multidisciplinary Swedish artist Boko Yout as he enjoys stunning Swedish landscapes, performs at Svalbard Pride and discusses his creative process.
Klättermusen has been a top player in the world of Scandinavian technical apparel since its inception in the 1970s. With its birthplace nestled in the village of Åre, an area famous for its stunning mountains, the label originally focused much of its efforts on creating apparel and accessories for climbing (Klättermusen means ‘the climbing mouse’ in Swedish). But over the last few years, international attention toward the brand has grown significantly. This shift can easily be linked to the fact that consumer habits continue to shift toward looking for longer-lasting garments, while ‘gorpcore’ has many millennials and Gen Z in a chokehold across the globe. Klättermusen boasts its ethos of ‘Maximum Safety, Minimum Impact’, a mission that has helped the label win a number of awards over the years for its dedicated to sustainable practices including the coveted ISPO Gold award in 2020 for its 100% organic Farbaute jacket.
The Crafted for Life series sets out to explore the label’s ethos by joining forces with inspiring figures who share their vision of a more sustainability-focused future. Boko Yout has been making waves in the Swedish music scene for the last few years thanks to his blended genre approach (something he defines as ‘afro grunge’) and lyrical storytelling. Beyond music, he also explores practices like needlework as a way to explore his identity. “For me, it’s a lot about sustainability. I want what I create to leave my mark on the world and not go to waste.” He shares. “Of course, there are differences and similarities between the disciplines I work between. There is a lot of textile work, and there is music. They are also two different processes. I think the common ground is spontaneity and being in a flow when I create. Not judging anything too quickly and working almost on autopilot”.
Captured by filmmaker Mats Ek, the short film travels through Stockholm and Svalbard, the home of the world’s northernmost pride festival, following Boko Yout as he shares his thoughts on creativity and his life-long journey of living on his own terms. The multi-hyphenate shares via voice-over, “I’ve always found it difficult to exist within an institution or any kind of structured system. I don’t know why that is. If someone tells me I have to do something, I instinctively resist. Even if it might be good for me. I think I’ve always strived for freedom and have lived with the need to be a certain kind of person in order to survive or to fit in”. Enjoy the film above or on the Klättermusen Youtube here.