Scan Magazine – August 2018

22 | Issue 115 | August 2018

If you are tired of cheap and nasty umbrellas, Swedish umbrella maker Carl Dagg

may just be your solution. Three men from Sweden have made a business out of

high-quality and good-looking umbrellas that will keep you dry in style when the

rain is lashing down.

By Sara Lind | Photos: Petter Brandt

Three Carls: Carl Samuelsson, Carl

Cyrén, and Carl Markus Fougstedt. The

first two met at Konstfack — Sweden’s

largest university of arts, crafts and de-

sign, and they produce the umbrellas to

both look good and be functional. And

then there is Markus, as he is known,

even if he is named Carl too. Together

they are the force behind Carl Dagg.

“Carl was a self-explanatory name for

the company, but there had to be some-

thing else,” Fougstedt explains. “‘Dagg’

(dew) is a word we all like — it is a Swed-

ish word for a sort of ‘soft’ rain, and is

a poetic and nice-sounding word. And it

goes well with our name.”

Carl Dagg started to sell its first umbrel-

las in April 2017, after spending near-

ly two years designing and producing

them. They went global right from the

start, with Sweden being the company’s

largest market for the first few months.

Today, that position has been usurped by

North America, although the UK is also a

big market for Carl Dagg.

But why umbrellas? “Umbrellas are

usually gimmicky rubbish, shipped in

enormous amounts from China and

printed with some business name for

cheap selling. They are undersized, ugly

and are easily broken,” Fougstedt ar-

gues. He adds: “Think about it — very

few people would wear plastic cufflinks

branded with their local real-estate bro-

ker, would they?”

Carl Dagg sells most of their umbrellas

through their website, and Fougstedt as-

sures that the buying process is smooth

and easy, and always includes free ship-

ping and returns. That he is proud of both

Three Carls turn rainy days into happy days

Carl Dagg’s umbrellas and its customer

service is clear. “The umbrellas are made

in Sweden using top-notch materials,” he

says. “They are large, functional, and they

will protect you properly from the rain. At

the same time, they are good-looking.

True Nordic design is based on simplicity

and purity.”

Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Carl Dagg

Web: http://www.carldagg.com