Outo

Sometimes a brand comes along that has instant and unreserved cool about it without even trying. Such is the case with Outo, a Finnish brand that we simply had to get on the store as soon as we had the opportunity.

The label was started by upcoming snowboarder and keen pro-am designer Ville Lahtinen in 2002 who took inspiration from a fellow snowboarder's handcrafted beanie to start making his own. Initially he was making one for himself every day of the week but soon started getting requests from fellow young people and snowboarders who wanted a unique and colourful beanie for themselves. Truly a brand born through the power of word-of-mouth on the back of a high quality product, Outo was finally registered as a commercial company in summer 2003.

Since that launch, Outo have produced over 2000 unique pieces of hand made headwear and an Outo beanie has become an essential piece of kit for the coolest snowboarders in Finland. The word Outo is actually the Finnish word for 'weird' but as a label stands for endlessly unique genuine handcrafted wear and gear and the trendsetting designs from this brand have made a big impact in Finland including helping to induce a renaissance for handicrafts among the young and old.

The success of the label has caused a real stir in Ville's homeland and he has made numerous media appearances, participated in design panels and run workshops to promote peoples' right to non-standardised, non-industrial products.

Outo beanies are worn by people who want to express their individuality and to enjoy the warmth and comfort of a genuine handmade garment and for kids specifically, Outo means adventure and safety, energy and softness. The first Outo baby beanie was made for Eeti, the son of a Finnish professional snowboarder.

At Nordic Kids we consider these hats as exceptional, both in build quality and design principles, and we're delighted to be the first outlet selling them in children's sizes. We're sure that when people get the chance to see these hats for themselves they will fall in love with them as much as we have and we fully expect Outo to have as much success in the UK as they have experienced in Finland!

Click here to view the Outo beanies available on Nordic Kids.

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