4 minute read
Nordic Roots
Absolutely Mama meets Finnish kids brand Reima
Interview CARLY GLENDINNING
Q What can we expect from the Reima AW20 collection?
A Sustainability plays a big role for Reima, and we approach it from two angles: technical and material innovations as well as classic design. This autumn, we present several new ecological advancements in our materials, and turn a spotlight on our best-selling, durable classic styles, which are an essential part of our brand’s DNA.
Q What’s the inspiration behind it?
A The inspiration for our Finnish designers has been the ultimate North and its legends. The prints especially in our baby, toddler and play age kids’ wear invite you to a wintery fairytale forest, with animals that both kids and parents love. Nordic folklore and folk art with their strong colours are also visible influences.
Q What should parents be looking out for when they are investing in outdoor wear for their little ones?
A First of all, no product is sustainable if it’s produced and then left unused. Therefore, comfort and performance always go hand in hand in our kidswear. A garment has to do what it promises, and feel good, or kids and their parents will not be happy – there simply isn’t any other way. Because of sustainability reasons, the durability of the outerwear is also very important. One can act against throw-away-ism by buying classic, high quality wear. Think of it as a long-term investment: you can easily sell (or donate) quality kids’ clothes to the next user and thus save not only money, but also resources. Another important factor is easy care. When a garment is used for a long time, the amount of laundering it needs (and the associated water, energy and detergent use) play a significant role in how big its environmental footprint will be. Therefore, buying kidswear that is easy to wipe clean, can save a lot of your time and effort, as well as resources. Plus, washing a garment less also helps keep it in better condition, because it reduces the stress on the fabric and the finishing.
Q Tell us about the role of sustainability in the business?
A Since we’re equipping the next generation of active, happy kids, preparing them for the world to come, sustainability is of course vital for us. For Reima, a sustainable product means it is safe to use, and made from fit-for-purpose materials and respecting human rights and the environment. The sourcing chains today are geographically long, but in our production, we’ve made them structurally as short as possible, meaning that we cooperate very closely with the makers of our fabrics, trims and garments as well as the first-tier factories that make the final products. We work with amfori BSCI and BLUESIGN, among others, to make sure there’s always a third party auditing us and our partners. We have ambitious sustainability targets for 2023: 50% recycled origin polyester, 100% recycled origin synthetic wadding, 50% bluesignapproved materials and carbon-neutral own operations – to name a few! Already next year, all of our cotton will be 100% GOTS certified. Finally, we see circularity as one of the industry’s biggest challenges: it’s not enough to use recycled materials, if the clothes themselves become mixed waste. That’s why we’ve created the monomaterial collection, including this autumn’s beautiful, lightly padded Kulkija jacket. It is made from polyester only (apart from the metal parts that are easy to separate), so it’s easily recyclable back to polymers that can then be made into new products. Kulkija means ‘wanderer’, and each jacket has a unique code that you can use to track its journey to other users and finally to recycling! We will collect the jackets at their end of life and make sure they end up in textile recycling. We believe designing for circularity is the future of the clothing industry.
Q How do Reima’s Nordic roots play into the ethos and aesthetic of the brand?
A We started our business in very poor post-war times by recycling old army uniforms into work wear and kidswear. Finns have always been good at making ends meet in an economy of scarcity, and this has probably also affected our design. ‘Form follows function’ is the golden rule for a lot of Scandinavian design, and we’re strong fans of this rule. Another clearly Nordic trait is kids’ outdoor activity. In our kindergartens, all kids spend at least two hours outdoors every day. They need to be equipped appropriately to enjoy the special fun that rainy days, snowstorms and heavy frost bring to outdoor play, and those are the conditions Reima has been designing for decades.
Q And finally, what should we be looking out for from Reima in the coming months?
A Our latest addition to the Reima range is our HOPEA collection: a compact selection of extremely high quality, you could even say luxury, outdoor items for kids. All made with special attention to the eco-friendliness and equipped with a unique code you can register for receiving support from Reima for lengthening the use life of the garment. Top level in performance for the slopes yet looking classic and cool in the city too. This collection has been our little secret, but now it’s finally time to share it with the world.
