Inside Fjällräven, the Swedish outerwear brand’s first Toronto store

The hard-to-pronounce Swedish brand (it’s like “fyahl-rah-ven”) known for its colourful boxy backpacks now has a standalone flagship store on Queen West, just east of Spadina. It’s as outdoorsy as you’d expect from a company that named itself after an Arctic fox, and whose first product in 1960 was an external frame rucksack made from tent material.

Since then, they’ve become slightly more fashion-forward, and their most famous product, the Fjällräven Kånken, has become one of those rare street-style staples that also happens to be practical. The company only uses organic and recycled materials to make its sturdy totes, weather-proof jackets and super-soft basics, and its signature material, G1000, is a densely woven fabric made from 65 per cent polyester and 35 per cent cotton. The new 2,200-square-foot flagship has an in-store waxing station, where shoppers can instantly gain an extra waterproof layer, and an on-site tailor who can fine-tune their outerwear for free.

The company sourced local birch tree trunks for a rustic vibe:

Their trousers range from ultra-lightweight material ideal for trekking in humid environments (when you don’t want to get bug bites) to these $590 three-layer shell trousers for “advanced activities in mountainous terrain”:

Their backpacks come in a kaleidoscopic range of colours, and most have a light layer of padding so they can double as a makeshift seat. The popular Kånken model (from $90) was originally launched in 1978 in collaboration with the Swedish Guide and Scout Association, to combat kids’ shoulder pain:

Garments are made durable and water-resistant with Greenland Wax, which is made from high-quality paraffin and beeswax (so it’s more gentle—for people and the environment—than chemical-based stuff). A demo station lets shoppers see how it works, and they can add more wax layers when pieces get older:

Here’s the on-site tailor shop, where someone will make sure each piece fits perfectly before you go home:

356 Queen St. W., 647-340-0197, fjallravencanada.com