Svala’s history

A honeymoon at a knitting mill

Not every honeymoon heads for the palm trees.

Kyösti, the son of Svala's founders, and his new wife Raija travel to Britain. In Leicester they visit the Bentley factory: new knitting machines have been ordered for Kärsämäki, and the newlyweds want to learn their secrets.

A romantic trip – at least if you work in textiles.

Looking back, the honeymoon was much more than a factory visit. Knitted fabrics and what they could do would one day become the heart of Svala's future.

Outdoor life runs in the family

In time Kyösti takes over the running of the factory, but his world doesn't end at the factory walls.

He goes cross-country skiing in deep, untracked snow, runs marathons, fishes and rides snowmobiles. Sometimes he heads into the forest in the small hours to photograph birds and plants before the working day begins.

And Raija is never far behind.

She doesn't think of herself as an athlete, yet she completes the 60-kilometre Vaskoolihiihto cross-country ski race six times, cycles long distances and runs marathons.

“Never for the prizes – always for the joy of it.”
– Raija Svala, 2026

In the 1990s a group of like-minded outdoor people gathers around the Svalas. These friends test the clothing on the fells, in the forest and on trips, and share their experiences at trade fairs and outdoor events.

Kyösti and Raija are always on the move themselves, trying new materials and comparing what works and what doesn't.

Product development doesn't just happen in the factory. It happens where the clothes are worn.

An adventurer's dream shirt

In the early 1990s, Kyösti has a problem.

Cotton mesh shirts get soaked with sweat, and the technical underwear of the day doesn't stretch the way he wants. He's looking for a shirt that moves moisture away from the skin, helps hold in warmth and moves with the body.

Nothing fits the bill.

So Kyösti decides to develop one himself.

With his team he searches for new materials and finds a promising fibre at a trade fair in Germany. But the decisive breakthrough lies in the knit.

Together with W. Ball & Son, a long-established British knitting mill, Kyösti develops a new kind of stretchy mesh structure, using an attachment he designed for a warp knitting machine. The fabric's colours are finished in Nivala.

The idea behind the mesh is simple: the air trapped between your skin and the next layer helps insulate, while moisture passes through the open structure and away from your skin.

But a good idea is only the beginning.

The real test awaits on the open sea.

Across the Gulf of Finland in a rowing boat

Kyösti sets off with his friend Heikki Haavikko to row from Helsinki to Tallinn.

In an ordinary rowing boat.

And not just once, but twice. The pair also row from Vaasa to Umeå.

At the oars, the sweat pours. During breaks the sea wind feels cold, and there's barely any room in the boat for spare clothes.

Kyösti is wearing the new mesh shirt from his own factory. It dries quickly and works exactly as he hoped.

Airbase is born.

His fellow rower Heikki Haavikko – son of the writer Paavo Haavikko and founder of Umpihankihiihto, an off-trail cross-country skiing event – is given a new mesh shirt as a souvenir of the trip.

Some time later, the phone rings in Kärsämäki.

Heikki has a complaint.

The new shirt, he says, is too good. His other technical shirts are going unworn.

“You should start putting a warning on these: they can be addictive.”
– Heikki Haavikko, 1995

It became one of the most memorable pieces of customer feedback in Svala's history.

From Kärsämäki to the world

When Kyösti and Raija eventually retire, new people take Svala's story forward.

Encouraged by a friend, textile industry veteran Onerva Aakko seizes the chance to become an entrepreneur and buys the company. Kimmo Aakko, Onerva's spouse and an experienced business leader, joins too.

Together they set out to take Svala in new directions.

Their eyes turn beyond Finland's borders. Technical clothing developed for professionals, in particular, finds new users across Europe.

In the 2020s international business grows strongly. Svala's products are used in demanding conditions, both outdoors and at work, and European organisations in the tactical sector become an important part of the customer base.

The world around us may change, but one thing stays the same: Svala products are still made in Kärsämäki.

The same curiosity grows into something bigger

Over the years, a community of people who share a love of outdoor life has grown up around Svala.

Hikers, cross-country skiers, hunters, cyclists and fans of many other activities. People who want to move in their own way, try new things and enjoy nature.

Their experience and feedback help us keep improving our products.

Kyösti's original insight about air and layering has grown into a complete system: the Svala AIR System™.

Each layer has its own job, but they share one goal: to make being active outdoors as comfortable as possible in all kinds of conditions.

“Our job is to make outdoor people happy.”
– Kimmo Aakko, Chief Growth Officer, 2026

The Svala Freebirds community is built around the same idea. It carries on a tradition of sharing experiences, developing gear together and seeking out new adventures with curiosity.

Back to the jacket

Remember how it all began?

With a jacket.

When we listen to our customers and look at layering as a whole, we can see that one important piece is still missing.

The Svala AIR System™ needs an outer layer. One that protects you from wind and weather and works seamlessly with the other layers.

It's time to go back to our roots.

In winter 2026–2027, new, carefully designed shell jackets made in Europe join the Svala range.

With them, the Svala AIR System™ grows into a four-layer whole: from the Zero Layer to the Shell Layer.

We've come full circle. But the story doesn't end here.

The next chapter has already begun.

Svala For freebirds.