Magniberg & Moomin

Launching the Magniberg & Moomin collection, a series of distinctive new garments that act as a canvas for Tove Jansson’s beguiling images and take her Moomin characters into a new realm of fashion and streetwear.

The full collection is based around the first Moomin story, The Moomins and the Great Flood, a story about hope that Jansson wrote as an antidote to war illustrated in black, white and sepia tones. The clothes, infused with Magniberg’s energy and attitude and the Swedish brand’s dedication to quality, are based around the book’s restrained palette.

Inspired by the artistry of Jansson’s pen and ink drawings and watercolour washes, Magniberg created its first denim pieces – an ecru denim jacket and pants; its first hoodie –pure comfort in fit and fabric, graceful T-shirts and pants in a drapey see-through viscose; a feminine fitted T-shirt; evocative blankets and scarves in soft 100pc virgin wool. Magniberg staples – the night shirt and long sleeve T-shirts became a medium for the artworks.

“Who thought you would look sexy in a Moomin T-shirt on the street or at home? We do,” says Magniberg co-founder Bengt Thornefors. A longtime admirer of the work of Takashi Homma, Thornefors commissioned the photographer to portray the collection through his lens. “He shot the series in a park near his home in Tokyo, capturing this beautiful light, and something emotionally poignant and also strong.

Thornefors and co-founder Nina Norgren were attracted to Jansson’s first Moomin tale for its story of hope, the importance of belonging and having a safe space to call home. In Moominvalley, you don’t need to fit in to belong. Each character is welcomed as they are and accepted for who they are.

“These themes really spoke to us. It is a story about hope in general, which resonates for Nina and me,” says Thornefors. “With Magniberg we try to create products from our point of view but we also want everyone to feel that they could belong to that story and create their own story. We used our garments as a canvas to take the Moomin story further for this generation and to connect it to our narrative. And we stayed within Jansson’s black, white and sepia tones painting with these colours on ecru denim, black and white poplin, rayon and 100% virgin wool.”

Norgren says their generation grew up with Moomin on television and in books. “Now I associate it with mugs, which are a cherished part of Finnish and Swedish culture, everyone has one, I have two. For us this collection takes the Moomin story further, with a contemporary message about migration, inclusivity and kindness along with a Magniberg sensibility. The clothes we have made reflect this.”

Ecru denim jacket and pants like a natural homecoming. A hoodie presenting Moomin as modern merch. T-shirts and pants called Love to fall in love with. A T-shirt honouring Tulippa and Marabou stork. A night shirt like a frame for the dramatic illustration. Blankets and scarves as heartwarming as a Moomin bedtime story.

“The Moomin & Magniberg collaboration is a celebration of some of the earliest Moomin images. The unbridled joy and ease of giving shape to an idea not quite fully formed or standardised is evident throughout the illustrations. We really felt that if anybody could handle this material, which for us is very precious, in a way that did it justice, it was Magniberg. ​

The way they’ve adapted it to this beautiful range of clothing shines a new light on one of the lesser-known corners of Tove Jansson’s Moomin universe. We are beyond pleased with the results; every piece feels well-crafted, highly desirable, and has a hint of mischief about it.” – James Zambra, Creative Director Moomin Characters

NOTES FOR THE EDITORS

About Tove Jansson and The Moomins and the Great Flood

Eighty years of Moomin stories began with Tove Jansson’s The Moomins and the Great Flood, published in 1945. A consoling and adventurous story about a displaced family and their quest to find a home, it ends in what will become known as Moominvalley, with its iconic blue house. It is a joyful place where everyone is welcome, a true symbol of a sense of belonging. The door is always open.

In her author’s note when the book was republished in Finland in 1991, Jansson says she started writing the story during the winter of war in 1939. She had an urge to write a fairytale without princes and princesses. The half-written story was forgotten until 1945 when she turned it into a children’s book with “my very first happy ending”. tovejansson.com

About Moomin Characters Oy Ltd

Moomin Characters Oy Ltd is the official copyright holder of all the Moomin characters. All characters from Moominvalley are trademark registered worldwide. The Moomins are central characters in a series of books and comic strips written by Finnish-Swedish writer and artist Tove Jansson between 1945 and 1980. They are one of Finland’s biggest exports and have a global fan base.

The company was founded in the 1950’s by Tove Jansson (1914-2001) and her brother Lars Jansson to manage the copyright of the Moomins and is still run by family members. Rights and Brands is the worldwide licensing agent of the company. moomin.com

About Magniberg

Magniberg is a bedwear brand based in Stockholm, Sweden that brings emotions and a new perspective to the world of interiors through fantasy, tactility, functionality and culture. After careers in fashion, Bengt Thornefors and Nina Norgren, set up Magniberg in 2016. Always about more than sleeping, Magniberg presents garments and home textiles in a fresh context, bridging art and culture, high and low, and finding balance through contrast. Its four catchwords – Dance, Gardening, Sleep, Romance – infusing everything they do. Each piece envisioned for how good it makes you feel and made with the utmost care, the best quality fabrics and a focus on details.