The esoteric brand is founded, and ran by Mats Andersson. We sat down with Mats, talking about the development of the Yuma Blanket, where he gets his inspiration from and how a Swedish brand adopted such a distinctive American aesthetic.

What’s the story about making blankets as a denim brand?
The first product we held in our hands with an Indigofera label was actually a blanket. Even before we got our denim and shirt samples. So from the first day the item was in the collection and now after 10 years it has grown to be a full collection within the Indigofera brand. There used to be lots of wool producers in Sweden, but most of them terminated their business. In Norway there are still some craftsmen specialized in manufacturing woolen blankets. We work with the same factory since we started production.

Why Norway? Can you tell us about this special place where you make your blankets?
People in this small mountain village make wool products since 1952. The whole value chain is in Norway: from sheep to ready made blanket. The Norwegian sheep graze on clean, fresh mountain pastures, making their wool pure and more environmentally-friendly than most textile fibres. In combination with the flexibility and insulation properties that are naturally developed in sheep that dwell in the cold Norwegian climate, this is a fundamental reason for the superior quality and functionality of products made out of wool produced in Norway at this factory. 

What can you tell about this specific TDN design? 
The input you were giving was a 4 colourway blanket with inspiration from early 1900. Normally the limitations for our blankets is 3 colours. That is the part you where pushing us to make this blanket really interesting. The solution was to not let more than 3 colors meet at any given place in the blankets long side. 4 colours bring a more intricate look and depth than 3 colours do. Having said that, the colourway with the dust pink mixed with beige and brown makes it stand out from anything we have done before. The colors and a pattern gives you a sense of old Americana and wooden cabins. I think that was intended, right?

What does the future hold for Indigofera as a brand in general? What’s your plan for 2019? 
Well, you had your 10 year anniversary, now its our turn, haha. We are continuing to develop our clothing- and blanket collection. So you will of course see more of that. Two collaborations coming up this year to celebrate our anniversary, and also a capsule of iconic Indigofera items we had in the collection over the years, with small updates to celebrate the garments long and faithful service for Indigofera.

Where did the love for the Western look come from and how did it reach you in Sweden?
I grew up in the country side, with sea view in three directions. Whereas I mainly travelled by bicycle - and later motorbike - I needed durable clothing to withstand those harsh weather conditions. Denim, leather-jacket and boots worked out fine, and I kind of never let it go. Later in life when I was starting to work with denim and looking back at my years I connected the dots between quality, durability and functionality. And I believe it lóóks good too. The brands I wore were American, and I started to create a deeper interest in the history of the garments I was sporting. I became a collector of vintage denim, but really I did not see myself as such until later, it was just fun to go through thrift stres and see what you could find. At the time you could find all sorts of collectors items from the American brands.

We heard a rumour you will soon collaborate with Red Wing Shoes. Anything you can share already with us?
Sorry, not yet… I can confirm it is happening, but that's it.