R A I N C O A T S
Swedish melancholy at its driest
Our story My granddad was a wonderful man. He often went out fishing from Arholma (an island in the Stockholm archipelago) during stormy weather and then later in the evening he wrote poems and managed a big theatre in Stockholm. He scared me to the bone every time he set off to sea to catch fish (or life, as he said), defying the worst weather, the heaviest rains and the loudest of thunderstorms. It was just recently that I discovered his old raincoat in an abandoned barn. At that moment, old memories struck me and I instantly wanted to wear his coat. It was both stunningly cool and very practical (although as big as a tent). With great care, I brought it back home to my kitchen and imagined it in an updated, contemporary version. A homage to my granddad, and the quest for life. After my discovery, I went out to buy a piece of oilcloth. I put it on the kitchen floor and cut out a design using the old coat as a pattern. I showed the sample to a couple of friends. And after some improvements, there it was – the 60‘s raincoat from the archipelago, updated to fit the modern man and woman. I brought the prototype to the last standing textile factory in Sweden – in the small town of Borås. As soon as I met the manager, Johan Käll and the seamstresses Birgitta and Lena, I knew they were the right people. A perfect match. With their skills, craftsmanship and great attention to materials and detail we realised our raincoats should be handmade. A great way to honour my granddad’s durable and practical raincoat.
And there it was. The coat. With all its seams taped and sealed. In the very best quality. Handmade and with a discreet, classical cut. The first 200 coats – Arholma Svart – were made and sold in my apartment. Each coat was signed and numbered by the seamstress (they still are) to really make sure the quality matched the very highest of standards. After a couple of months, (when my neighbours became too suspicious of all the people in black coats) I had to move my business to another location. The new store, showroom and headquarters, in which I wrote this text, became our very own venue for experiments within the realm of rain and darkness. And from now on, it’s here where every new idea and product is born. I am very happy (although I am melancholic from time to time) that I have managed to give new life to my granddad’s old coat. A coat to wear out in the countryside, at sea or just when strolling around the city. To be well dressed, even in bad weather conditions, is now possible. I truly hope that you will follow this wonderful project in the future. I’m happy to receive any ideas of new items, colours or designs. Welcome to embrace the demons lurking outside and hiding within. Sincerely, Alexander Stutterheim
Arholma No Gore-Tex. No Velcro. No mass production. And no straps or strings dangling from every seam. Meet the Arholma – the last raincoat you will ever need. Using the finest craftsmanship, materials and details, the Arholma is a state of the art version of the traditional raincoat worn by generations of Swedish fishermen (and the occasional genius film director). It is hand sewn by one of our skilled seamstresses at our factory in Europe. To meet our high standards and to guarantee that every coat is 100% wind and water proof, every single seam is carefully sealed with tape. Finally, each coat is individually controlled, numbered and signed by the seamstress who has sewn it.
A r h o l m a B l ac k
Ar h o lma yellow
A r h o l m a W h it e
Arholma green
Arholma Blue
Inferno & Beppe On the face of it, Inferno is a handmade all-weather coat sewn in the finest cotton fabric and fortified with a special waxing. But we like to think of it more as a pièce de résistance in the everyday struggle against inner as well as outer demons. With its comfortable fit and sturdy outside, we have dedicated it to all artists who have ever been inspired by the drizzling rain and their own clouded thoughts. Melancholy has long been a trademark for Swedish poets, directors, and artists of all sorts. But one stands out as a bottomless source of melancholic inspiration – August Strindberg. Ingmar Bergman called the 19th century novelist and playwright his “companion through life”. Strindberg called his memoirs “Inferno”. Pouring rain is always beautiful, but never as beautiful as when it trickles down the rim of our rainhat Beppe. Sewn in the finest waxed cotton Beppe comes in five different colours to match your favourite Stutterheim raincoats.
I N F E R N O B L A C K / b e p p e b l ac k
INFERNO blue / beppe blue
INFERNO green / beppe green
INFERNO red / beppe red
I N F E R N O C A M O / b e p p e ca m o
Lydia Lydia is a luxurious rain cape made with inspiration from the Stockholm novel The Serious Game (Den allvarsamma leken) by Hjalmar Söderberg. A melancholic, beautiful romantic drama with Lydia Stille and Arvid Stjärnblom as the loving couple striving to have a life together. It was my granddad’s favourite novel and I remember him reading it in front of the fireplace with tears in his eyes. The Stutterheim rain cape Lydia is handmade with classic, iconic ambitions in a special waxed cotton fabric from a factory in northern Italy. We think it’s stunning – simplistic, sleek and classic with a modern expression for the urban, melancholic woman. We love Lydia as much as Arvid did.
ly d ia
Stockholm Meet the Stockholm coat, the rawer version of Arholma and have the same understated style, double welded seams on a cotton fabric in the best quality. The coat have snap closures, drawstrings and exemplifies versatility and durability in updated design. Using the the finest craftsmanship, materials and details the Stockholm coat also have undergone severe testing in horrible conditions both at sea and in city. Each coat is individually controlled by a skillful seamstress.
S T O C KH O LM B L A C K
S T O C KH O LM R ED
S T O C KH O LM O R A N GE
S T O C KH O LM G R EE N
S T O C KH O LM YELL O W
S T O C KH O LM B LUE
S T O C KH O LM C O B O LT
S T O C KH O LM G R A S S G R EE N
S T O C KH O LM WH I T E
S T O C KH O LM G R EY
S T O C KH O LM B U R GU N DY
S T O C KH O LM L O N G B L A C K
ﾃ僕and The rubberized raincoat ﾃ僕and is inspired by the Lydia cape, but this is a rougher, rawer and more bikeroriented cape with straps inside holding the cape down when cycling. It also has a specially designed hood allowing riders to take a quick look around the sides when biking. The cape has doubled-welded seams, a thick waterproof outer layer with cotton lining and hidden front buttons made in copper. It comes in one-size fits all. ﾃ僕and is one of the most beautiful islands in Sweden, by the way.
Melancholy Feeling blue inspires creativity. What if August Strindberg, Ingmar Bergman, Karin Boye and hundreds of other famous Swedish artists had felt happy all the time? Would they have produced their fantastic work? No. Being melancholic is an essential part of being a human being. If we try too hard to get rid of melancholy it’s almost like we’re settling for a halflife. To embrace melancholy is ultimately to embrace joy. Melancholy shouldn’t be confused with depression. Melancholy is an active state. When we’re melancholic, we feel uneasy with the way things are, the status quo, the conventions of our society. We yearn for a deeper, richer relationship with the world. And in that yearning, we’re forced to explore the potential within ourselves – a potential we might not have explored if we were simply content. We come up with new ways of seeing the world and new ways of being in the world. Melancholy and creativity go together like ebony and ivory on a piano. Let’s embrace Swedish melancholy. Embracing rain is a good start.
STUTTERHEIM RAINCOATS Skånegatan 108 se –116 35 Stockholm PRESS johan@stutterheim.com SALES john@stutterheim.com
www.stutterheim.com