Klippan Yllefabrik – Blankets from the loom of Sweden
In 1879, Jöns Petter Magnusson bought the bankrupt spinning mill in Klippan in southern Sweden and made his own business. Previously, he had accumulated a lot of experience as a master in the spinning mill of Landskrona prison. The business developed well and the wool yarn spinning mill flourished after the difficult initial years. Later the company also offered colored wool and the business grew steadily until the 1980s.
The Start of Klippan Blankets
After that, there was a sharp decline due to growing competition from outside Europe. Therefore, then the managing director of Klippan Yllefabrik Gösta Magnusson started with weaving woolen blankets. Because of the experience that the Magnusson family had by spinning with woolen yarn, it was easy to buy the right wool for the plaids and also let the knowledge flow into the production.
In 1992 Klippan Yllefabrik launched a joint venture with Latvian weaving mill Sia Saul in Riga. In 1997, the Swedish woolen blanket brand took over the Latvian factory. Since then the production has been greatly modernized and expanded in Latvia. In Sweden production was gradually discontinued. Meanwhile are also ready-made cotton products are produced in the factory in Lativa, which where before produced in India.
Artistic development
When Gösta started the woolen blanket collection in the 1980s, he began early looking for textile designers in Sweden to offer special patterns and design highlights in his collection. Thus, he early connected with the textile designers Birgitta Bengtsson Björk, Chiqui Mattson and Karin Mannerstål.
Bengt & Lotta
Later the well-known Swedish graphic designers Bengt Lindberg and Lotta Glave even joined the freelance team. Withthese two artists developed an intensive cooperation which continues until today. Thus the well-known graphics of moose, sheep and polar bear of Bengt Lindberg are offered as a children blanket, thick wool plaid or as a cotton blanket with the soft chenille weave in the collection. For many years, Lotta Glave has designed the annual Christmas pattern and other patterns such as Alma, Shorebird or Flower meadow for the ready-made textile collection. Furthermore, the two Swedish artists continue to design new patterns for high-quality wool plaids.
A special feature of the intense collaboration between Bengt Lindberg, Lotta Glave, and the Klippan Yllefabrik is that most of the patterns which the two graphic designers are designing can also be found at their own brand again. Especially the patterns of ready-made textiles can be found again on the Bengt & Lotta label as trays and cutting boards.
Minagawa, Billgren, Eksell
For several years Pernilla the daughter of Gösta has intensified cooperation with Swedish and international designers. For example, she has meanwhile commissioned the famous Lisa Larson(world-famous for ceramic figurines from the 1960s), the Japanese Akira Minagawa and Ernst Billgren for pattern designs. Since 2016 Pernilla has begun a cooperation with the heir of the well-known Swedish graphic artist Olle Eksell.
Klippan Yllefabrik today
Today the Swedish company in Klippan is one of the leading production companies and suppliers of woolen blankets all over Europe. The collection offers blankets from wool in many colors and patterns, high-quality plaids of merino wool and cashmere. Special features are the double-weaved woolen plaids with striking patterns from designers like Bengt Lindberg, Akira Minagawa, etc. Absolute specialties of the company are the soft cotton blankets with chenille weaving. They are perfect as a baby blanket as they are washable and warmer than normal cotton blankets and in the standard size as a sofa cover or picnic blanket.
Discover Blankets and more by Klippan online at scandinavian-lifestyle.com
The assortment of the Swedish brand Klippan Yllefabrik today includes blankets made of many materials for adults and children, ready-made textiles for the kitchen and the living area, a woolen felt collection with bags, purses and some children mobiles. The company also offers some cuddly toys made of chenille weave. Most Klippan Yllefabrik products can be found in the scandinavian-lifestyle assortment!