今年過了一半，留在家的時間是數年的總和，慢下來的生活節奏，讓感官漸漸變得靈敏，吃飯時感受飯粒的香甜軟糯、洗臉時毛巾輕擦臉頰的輕柔觸感，還有睡在清爽柔軟的被單裡，用心感受每一個細節都令生活變得真實又溫柔起來。來自丹麥的家居品牌TEKLA Fabrics，憑著功能為先、簡約而優質的設計，讓家裡的氛圍都變得寧靜輕盈起來。創立TEKLA的Charlie Hedin自小居住瑞典裡的海邊小鎮，追求自由和舒適早已成為他的生活哲學。家對身為北歐人的他來說別具意義，用心地佈置家居和生活，是最自然不過的事。「我小時候曾加入國家帆船隊，當時我把所有的船都叫作Tekla，這就是品牌名字的由來。」Charlie說。
跟許多設計師一樣，Charlie因為找不到合適的家用紡織品，於是萌生由自己創造出來的念頭。「從前在Acne Studios工作的時候，我經常搬家，阿姆斯特丹、洛杉磯、巴黎，現在的我則居住在哥本哈根。每次搬家都需要買新的毛巾或床單，但從來沒有遇到有一件產品讓我產生『就是這件了！』的想法。有時候，它們更像你在閒餘或睡覺時穿的衣服。」對Charlie來說，TEKLA就是他會想使用，而且實際耐用和漂亮的產品。TEKLA看上去雖簡約，卻有一種年輕活力的感覺，例如他曾與法國塗鴉藝術家André Saraiva推出沙灘毛巾和羊絨毛氈，在優良的品質裡加入幽默玩味，這方面大概與他待在Acne Studios良久有關吧。「我在二十多歲時成為了Acne Studios CEO的助手，後來輾轉到了巴黎，負責全球傳播行銷的工作，我因而學到很多東西，對我來說，這就是最好的學習經驗。由在時裝展裡工作到成為品牌的行銷團隊，幫助我去塑造、建立和了解自己的眼光，以及使我更渴望去創造屬於自己品牌。」
Only halfway through 2020 and time spent at home is already the aggregate total of the past few years. The slower pace of life creates a delicate sensitivity — being able to taste the sweetness and texture of a grain of rice, feel the softness of a towel on your cheek, and delight in the silky-smoothness of a bedsheet; every detail gives a more eloquent and genuine insight into life, and even the atmosphere at home becomes much quieter and lighter because of it. TEKLA Fabrics, a home textiles brand from Denmark, is known for its simple, quality and functional design that brings a sense of tranquility and comfort to the household. The founder of TELKA, Charlie Hedin, grew up in a small Swedish town by the sea. Freedom and comfort have long been his philosophy of life. Home, to him as someone of Nordic descent, has a unique and special meaning, and home styling is nothing but normal for him. “I was on the national sailing team when I was a kid, and I called all my boats Tekla. That is where the name of my brand came from.”
Like many other designers, Charlie couldn’t find suitable towels and other home textiles, and thus became inspired to create his own. “Back then when I was working at Acne Studios, I moved around a lot, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Paris. Now I live in Copenhagen. Every time I move, I buy new towels or sheets, but I have never encountered a product that would make me feel ‘That’s it!’ At times, they are not home textiles, but more like the clothes you wear in your spare time or sleeping.” For Charlie, the products from TEKLA are durable and beautiful making them products he wants to use himself. Although the designs may look simple, TEKLA’s products actually give off a young and energetic feeling. For example, they have invited French graffiti artist André Saraiva to create beach towels and cashmere blankets. The collaboration has added some humor and playfulness to the brand’s quality designs. Such design inspiration might be the result of his previous employment at the Acne Studios. “I became the assistant to the CEO of Acne Studios when I was in my twenties. Later on, I moved to Paris to take charge of the brand’s global marketing. I learned a lot from that. For me, it is the best learning experience. From working in the fashion shows to working on branding and sales, it helped me to shape, build, and understand my vision and the desire to create my own brand.”
TEKLA的品牌名字包含了Fabrics一字，代表了Charlie對布料的重視。在成立TEKLA之前的兩年，Charlie一直四處尋找優質的原材料，一種像樣肌膚一樣柔軟，而且環境友善、可持續性的材質。「我們的產品不會跟著潮流走，也沒有花巧、多餘的設計；相反，簡約設計、實際耐用才是我們想做的東西。駕駛帆船的經驗深深地影響著我設計的方向，以及建立一些重要的理念。好像是一條毛巾能把身體抹乾，毛氈能讓身體溫暖起來，就是這麼簡單。開始時以功能為先，然後才考慮設計方面。TEKLA是代表著自由，對我來說，功能性即是自由。」除了功能性，TEKLA在選取材料和生產過程中盡可能減少對生態環境帶來的負面影響，例如混合再生棉於棉質產品裡。「對我們來說，在現今世界找尋合適的物料，相等於找尋持久、可持續性的材質。對於因疫情爆發而受到影響的人，我深感同情，但在這樣不確定的情況下，我們也有更多的理由去維持創意和啟發身邊的人，避免自己活在憂慮之中。對於地球和人類來說，疫情或許能帶來一些正面的影響，因為人們終於能夠慢下來，他們經常旅遊、生產和消費的習慣也將會改變過來。」
The word “fabrics” in the brand name TEKLA Fabric ensures that everyone knows where the company’s focus lies. In the two years before TEKLA was founded, Charlie looked around for a high-quality raw material that is environmentally friendly, sustainable and durable while at the same time as soft as human skin. “We don’t just follow the trend. We try not to over-complicate things too much and focus on building a genuinely simple and durable product. My background in sailing has a significant influence on my design path and key values in general. As in, a towel should get you dry and a blanket should warm you up. It is as simple as that. I always start with the function and then add the designs after that. TEKLA is about freedom, and to me functionality is freedom. In addition to functionality, TEKLA makes an effort to minimize the negative impact on the ecological environment through the selection of materials and production processes. For example, they adopted the use of recycled cotton. “For us, finding the right materials that work in the modern world means also finding something that is long-lasting and sustainable. I have compassion towards those who are affected by the pandemic. It just adds more reason to stay creative and inspire people around to prevent ourselves suffering from anxiety during these uncertain times. Ultimately, this might lead to a positive outcome for the planet and its people; hopefully people will slow down, and that their regular travel, production and consumption patterns will shift.”
使用TEKLA的產品時，你會感受到它的真誠和產品帶來的寧靜氛圍。「我認為人們開始了解到家裡物品的角色，它們可以改變氣氛或是我們對周遭的感知。我認為簡單地生活是不需要擁有太多的東西，如果我們能生活在一個簡約的空間，並擁有著更美好的家具，不但能使人平靜放鬆，更能提升生活質素。」Charlie說，TEKLA是關於創造一個讓人愉快和溫暖的房間：「家是每一個人的安全網，也反映著你是一個怎樣的人。無論搬到哪裡，你也會渴望身處一個舒適的空間，渴望被不同的感覺、情緒包圍著，就像回到寧靜的童年時光一樣。有一些能讓你逃離的東西，比起現在還要重要。」逃離也是自由的一種，躺下來，身體淹沒在TEKLA安靜溫柔的環境裡，好好地睡一覺。
When using a TEKLA product, you can feel a sense of sincerity and tranquility. “I think people are beginning to consider the roles of different things at home, and how they can change the atmosphere and also our perception of our surroundings. I think to live a simple life, one doesn’t have to have too many things; to live in a simple space with beautiful, durable furniture can make everything much more relaxed, and adds to our overall quality to life. Charlie said, TEKLA is about creating a space that is warm and pleasant, “Home is your safe space, and also a reflection of who you are. Everywhere you move, you are conscious of being in space that is comfortable. You want to be surrounded by different feelings and emotions as if you are back to the serenity of childhood. Something that you can escape to matters more than ever now.” Escape is also a kind of freedom. Lie down, submerge your body in the serene and gentle world created by TEKLA. Enjoy a moment of freedom, and have a good sleep.
TEKLA is now available at Lane Crawford.
