The sweater Svartstick (Blackwork) is knitted in Swedish wool and has details inspired by Swedish folk costumes.

Slow fashion

Ulrika Lundgren, Lulan, has her atelier in an old station house, a few miles from Sunne in Värmland. Design, knitting and sewing take place in the atelier and then the finished garments are delivered straight to the customer.  It is important for Ulrika to work environmentally sustainable. She uses natural materials, has few transportation needs and makes clothes that last, both in style and quality. Ulrika is not striving to sell an endless amount of clothes, instead she wants you as a customer to find a favorite garment that you will use until it wears out, then mend it, and use it again. This means ONE garment of quality rather than several low-quality garments.

Inspiration

The characteristics of Ulrika’s designs are clean and simple with clear inspiration from historic garments. Ulrika thinks there is value in looking back at the past, both to be inspired by elaborate design but above all to learn from how recourses were valued and handled, which is of upmost importance for sustainable practices in the future.

Inspiration for the pattern on the sweater comes from Blackwork embroidery from the areas of Leksand in Dalarna, Sweden, which is characterized by black stitches on a white background, The technique originates from the Orient and spread to Europe during the 16th century. Ulrika says that it is beautiful and thought provoking that something we see as traditionally Swedish is in fact something we share with people from a completely different culture. To provoke thought Ulrika also uses the tradition of working in the year the garment was made into the pattern.  This is a way to emphasize resistance to fast trends and remind us of the value of things aging, the value of using and reusing.