Designed by Frida Bard and produced locally at Unitex, Svenskt Tenn's new staff jackets are a fitting ode to Swedish design and craftsmanship
The pieces at Svenskt Tenn are elegant and timeless, often passed down from generation to generation. The same can be said of the Swedish heritage brand’s new staff jacket. Designed by renowned creative director Frida Bard (having gone freelance, she’s recently lent her prowess to Magniberg and Stockholm Surfboard Club) and produced at Unitex workshop in Örebro, the workwear-inspired jacket was developed to mark Svenskt Tenn’s 100th anniversary. “We spoke a lot about longevity and craftsmanship, functional aspects and the possibility for each person to apply their own persona,” says Bard, noting that as a forever fan of “both Svenskt Tenn and uniforms” it was really a “dream project”. “A few aspects that I kept in mind during the process was that the product must stand the test of time, function for a person working and appeal to all genders.”
Angelo da Silveira and Frida Bard. Photo: Ludvig Rönn
Photo: Ludvig Rönn
Photo: Ludvig Rönn
For Unitex founder Angelo da Silveira, producing the jacket served as the “ultimate test to prove the level of craftsmanship hidden in the hands of Unitex artisans”. Founded in 2021, Unitex aims to offer Scandinavian brands the opportunity to produce locally, in small batches and with craftsmanship and quality at top of mind. To that end, Unitex and Svenskt Tenn have a lot in common. “We share the same commitment to craftsmanship and local production and are very humbled by the trust in our craftsmanship to add value to such a monumental celebration,” says da Silveira. “I am still hyped.”
The jacket itself is conceived to last for 100 years. Building on the tradition of Svenskt Tenn staff dressing in black (a concept present in one form or another throughout the brand’s entire history, the all-black uniform allowed for Estrid Ericson and Josef Frank’s iconic prints to stand out even more), the jacket is stunning in its simplicity. Bard describes it as, “a hybrid between a blazer and a classic workwear jacket but with the lightness of a shirt”. Manufactured from 100 per cent natural wool, its recognisable only by the Svenskt Tenn-green patch sewn into the inside. To give the jacket a clever hint of shape, Bard included a detachable leather cord to cinch the front waist.
Photo: Ludvig Rönn
Photo: Ludvig Rönn
Photo: Ludvig Rönn
Given that each piece is made-to-order exclusively for the staff of Svenskt Tenn, even Bard and da Silveira couldn’t grab a piece to slip into their own wardrobes. But that isn’t to say they aren’t interested. “It’s a classic, designed to last for a hundred years as everything ST is producing,” says Bard. “So let’s say I hope to get hold of one in the future.”