Oskar Metsavaht
About
In 1986 the young sportsman Oskar Metsavaht created a coat he could wear on an expedition to Mount Aconcgua, in the Andes, and the piece not only protected him from the cold but was also greatly admired by his mountaineering and skiing friends. Encouraged by the success of his creation, Oskar Metsavah decided to launch the Osklen label, specializing in sports jackets with a clean and funky style.
Within two years time, Oskar Metsavaht had designed a whole collection of sportswear. The first store was opened at the resort town of Búzios, in Rio de Janeiro state, in 1989.
In 1991, Metsavah combined surfing and snowboarding, his two great passions, in a new line geared towards adventurous sports. The concept worked out well and Osklen had its first fashion show in the Golden Room of the Copacabana Palace Hotel.
A leader in sportswear, Osklen has now created a line of womenswear, and has two shops in Rio de Janeiro.
In 2002, in partnership with a team of biologists, he launched the environmental group e-brigade, the origin of a whole collection designed with recycled materials.
Currently, Osklen has 26 stores in 9 Brazilian cities. Its products include sportswear, accessories, shoes and a more fashionable collection for men and women.
The Look
Osklen's style is a perfect portrait of its creator. Its collections are all inspired by the expeditions and adventures that he takes part in or sponsors, in the four corners of the world: High Xingu, Indonesia, the Amazon, the Andes, Pantanal, Alaska, Fernando de Noronha, Himalayas, Bonito, Nepal, Floresta da Tijuca, Africa. Osklen is the only brand in the Brazilian market right now which can make beachwear look chic and modern, and which manages to keep its coolness even for fall. The collection was just what you would have expected from the brand: a parade of solids in off-white and black, with a splash of green and brown in between, and a fantastic floral print interpreted in different fabrications here and there. The play on volumes was also characteristic, with samurai pants and oversized hand-knitted sweaters paired with long johns and tailored jackets.