Story of ELVINE

As true Gothenburgians with the harbour, a sense of humour and bad weather in our blood, the city has become the very basis of our existence. The unpredictable weather has pushed us to design solid, functional jackets for a city lifestyle and as inhabitants of Sweden’s second city with a strong worker culture, we feel comfortable in an effortless collection. But best of all is the pleasant atmosphere in Gothenburg, which has made ELVINE an exuberant and welcoming brand for all people.

Daniel Mänd – Founder and Creative Director

From Estonia with love

ELVINE was founded in 2001 by the Swedish street artist Daniel Mänd. He named the company ELVINE in homage to his grandmother Elvine Mänd, a rigorous seamstress from Estonia who fled to Sweden’s second city Gothenburg in the 50’s. Her creative grandson inherited her passion for craftsmanship, genuine quality and a keen eye for detail.

Growing up on the streets in a suburb called Kortedala, Daniel wanted to create something that came entirely from him and Gothenburg’s unrefined street culture, but made in the tradition of his grandmother.

ELVINE was born, and has since then offered casual no-nonsense clothes with a touch of smartness and great fit for a relaxed lifestyle in the city. In other words, sophisticated clothes for unsophisticated behaviour that suit sidewalks rather than catwalks. 

We love Gothenburg

The harbour city of Gothenburg is at the very heart and soul of ELVINE. We find great inspiration in the pleasant atmosphere – a relaxed and friendly attitude combined with a great sense of humour and playful approach.

our heritage deeply rooted in a humble worker culture, at ELVINE we take pride in making affordable, but stylish collections for all kinds of people in most situations.

And last but not least, Gothenburg is known for heavy rain and wind, which has had a major impact on ELVINE in regards to our focus on designing stylish jackets with functional features. ELVINE simply make jackets for a bearable lifestyle in Gothenburg and other cities alike.
At ELVINE we take great pride in our research and development work when designing and producing our characteristic jackets.

Dedicated maker of jackets

From the moment ELVINE launched our first jacket, we have been associated with great jackets. This was not a conscious decision, but living in a city where one minute there is heavy rainfall and fierce wind and the next the sky cracks open to offer some sun just to let the rain take over again one hour later, it was only natural that functional jackets for a smart urban lifestyle stood out on the collection agenda.

At ELVINE we take great pride in our research and development work when designing and producing our characteristic jackets. We put a lot of time and effort into finding new interesting fabrics, paddings and other material, and smart details, fits and solutions or techniques to constantly develop new up-to-date jackets. As we have been working with the same suppliers and factories since the beginning, we know them well and have made sure that we share the same basic values when it comes to working conditions, animal rights, environmental responsibilities and other important ethical issues.

We love our friends

ELVINE frequently collaborate with friends and other talented people, like the well-known street artist Ekta who has created t-shirt prints, or Ollio who painted a wonderful mural in our store in Stockholm. And we have listened to creatives in Shanghai, Reykjavik and Tokyo to create the ultimate functional jackets for their specific cities.

Of course we also give back to our community. For several months we offered Creators Inn, a hotel room where creatives from all over the world could stay for free. And we ran a campaign together with ad agency Forsman&Bodenfors where each pair of jeans sold gave someone in need a home shelter for a night.

Want to read more?

Care Guide

Care Guide

A company with self respect

A company with self respect

City Function©

City Function©

The Story of ELVINE

The Story of ELVINE