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Q2 • 2022


BRANDS WE LOVE


Brands We Love


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olgaard defines itself as a “design-driven, sustainable luxury brand always ready


Adrian Solgaard Founder and CEO


for adventure.” Launched via Kickstarter in 2018 by Founder and CEO Adrian Solgaard, the company manufactures and sells suitcases and backpacks, as well as accessories such as watches and a solar boombox. The company’s mission is to offer premium products that improve life on the go. Its Canadian Norwegian founder also wants the products to be ethically made, sustainably sourced, and accessible to all. Those are lofty ambitions—especially pursued in combination with one another—but if the first few years of the company’s existence are any indication, Solgaard is well on its way, and it all starts with products. A stolen backpack triggered the Solgaard


story. When a friend’s backpack was stolen, Adrian asked his friends what features would be required to make the perfect bag. That led to the 2016 Kickstarter launch of the first Solgaard backpack design, the Lifepack—a solar-powered, anti-theft laptop backpack widely applauded for its innovative features. Solarbank and Solar Boombox compatible, the original Lifepack also had an integrated USB port for charging, a patented anti-theft lock, and a water-resistant bottom. CNET called it the best laptop backpack to travel with. In June 2017, Solgaard followed the Lifepack with the Hustle, which was designed with an original


shape to be the perfect daily backpack. A year later, Solgaard unveiled their hex watch collection, which features a hexagonal design that, according to the company, allows you to tell time faster. Based in New York City and with remote


employees scattered around the world, Solgaard says its audience is “global citizens” who desire premium gear. Adrian Solgaard has a bit of a history launching premium products. Prior to creating the premium luggage brand that bears his name, he invented InterLock, a bicycle-locking system that hides inside the seat post of the bike when not in use. His affinity for product design is clear on the Solgaard.co (not .com) product pages, where suitcases are categorized by whether you want to travel with a check-in piece of luggage or a carry-on. From there, each piece of luggage clearly indicates how long a trip you might take with it and how many outfits you will be able to pack inside. Every product page on the website also has a simple but useful section called “Why We Made It.” In the case of the Carry- On Closet, Adrian Solgaard realized after three years of living on the road that keeping a tidy room was impossible. Named one of the best travel inventions of 2018 by TIME, the Carry- On Closet has a patented, built-in shelving system that eliminates the disorganization that comes with unpacking at your destination.


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