KANKENS.COM is the Fjällräven brand site of a UK-based retailer specialising in vintage and heritage-inspired womenswear. The Kånken, the iconic Northern European fashion day bag from luxury outdoor-wear designers Fjällräven, holds centre stage here. Since the Kånken's debut in 1978 it has been a staple among Scandinavian schoolchildren, although in more recent years its vintage, iconic status has seen it evolve into a universal fashion icon.

HISTORY
At the end of the 1970s, new statistics showed that 80 percent of the swedish population at some time suffered from back pain, a discomfort that was reaching younger and younger age groups.

Experts believed that if the load from school books was re-distributed from one shoulder to both shoulders, back would lessen and perhaps even disappear.

A long lasting idea
Fjällräven's founder Åke Nordin followed the debate on crooked backs and sketched a functional, affordable backpack that met the needs of children to carry books and folders to and from school.

Positive Results
Since the backpacks freed up the use of the wearer's hands, the section of the older population that used a cane was also an important target group. A massive campaign with experts leading the way launched the backpack with the hopes of encouraging Sweden's youth to follow the backpack trend

One of Kånken's secrets - Vinylon F
If you have a Kånken you surely know that the fabric feels in a special way, and has a durability that lasts over generations.

Vinylon F
One of the reasons Kånkens durability is Vinylon F. Vinylon F is the functional fabric that has made Kånkens daypacks seemingly immortal in the last 25years.

Durabale and long lasting
The unique thing about Kånken is the relationship between durability and the way it ages, Kånken justget more and more beautiful with the years. The weight of Vinylon F is 145g/m2, which is comparable to many modern lightweighted materials used in backpacks. So besides its good looks, Kånken also has a modern weightstandard.

Swells when wet
"While being a syntheitic fiber, Vinylon F still has many positive properties of natural fibers. Fabrics conventionally used for backpacks need a coating in order to become water resistant. However functional initiially, this coating loses its properties over time, making the backpack less waterproof. Vinylon F does not need a coating. Absorbing moisture better than any other synthetic fiber. Vinylon F swells like a natural fiber, thus making the weave more dense when it's raining. This gives the fabric waterproof qualities by construction eliminating the need for a coating."

So, now you know more about the material behind Kånken.