The Square by åäö

The Square is a symbol of our philosophy, where nothing is left to chance. It represents the discipline behind every decision we make, and our refusal to compromise on detail.

It began as a few lines on a whiteboard. We didn’t know what it was, only that it felt right. It wasn’t to be printed. It had to be sewn. So we did just that, by hand, over and over again, searching for the stitch that matched the idea.

Standard machines were not enough. We wanted visible gaps between each stitch, a saddle stitch effect with character and rhythm. One commercial machine came close, but the result wasn’t precise. Eventually, we sourced a rare machine in the Czech Republic, twenty times the cost of the first. But it did exactly what we needed.

The first time we saw it run, the room stood still. A square, sewn in four precise lines, each made of seven stitches with exact 90° turns. A machine as tool, the result still hand-guided. The needle pierces the fabric, loops the thread, and resets. It took a year, and two failed machines, to reach that moment.

There was one final challenge. After repeated washes, the thread began to fray. The solution was found in Borås: monofilament thread, a continuous fiber with no loose ends. Clean, sharp, lasting.

The Square is stitched in yellow, our yellow. Intentionally placed, never printed, never loud. First on The Pants. Then on The Beanie. More will follow, but always in its place, always stitched to stay.