Meet our Head of Design | Shop online at EQPE

Sara works in a dimly lit room, illuminated by a desk lamp, focusing on a task with concentration.

WHEN FUNCTION MEETS FEELING

Get to know Sara, our Head of Design

“THIS IS SOMETHING I WANT TO WEAR ALL THE TIME”

For Sara Kruse Eén, good design is never just about aesthetics. It’s about the feeling when someone pulls up the zipper for the first time. How the garment moves with the body. How materials, fit and function work together without the wearer having to think about it.

As Head of Design and Development at EQPE, she works at the intersection of technical performance and visual expression. It’s where textile chemistry, construction and functionality meet a more timeless approach to design. The goal is not to create products for a single season, but garments people return to, year after year.

FUNCTION IS PART OF THE EXPRESSION

Sara Kruse Een’s passion for design began in her early teens and has always balanced two worlds – creative expression and technical performance. Her education as a textile engineer gave her deep knowledge of materials, construction and textile chemistry, shaping the way she approaches every design.

For Sara, style and function should never compete. Materials, fit, freedom of movement and durability must work together from the very first sketch. Design is not just about how a garment looks, but how it performs when the weather changes, the body is in motion and the product is used season after season.

“That’s what makes technical products so fascinating,” she says. “Their complexity.”

Sara examining a blue garment in a dimly lit room filled with clothes

Sara's hands holding and examining a piece of textured grey fabric with careful attention

‘HOW SHOULD A GARMENT FEEL? LIKE A SLEEPING BAG OR A WARM HUG.’

DESIGN THAT LASTS OVER TIME

At EQPE, the design process rarely begins with a trend. It begins with a need. Often with a product the team feels is missing, or a function that could be improved. “We try to create the products we believe are missing,” says Sara. “There has to be a purpose and a real need.”

For her, sustainable design is about more than materials, certifications or production. It’s about creating garments people genuinely want to wear for years. “I don’t want you to be able to tell what year a jacket was made,” she says. “The design should stand the test of time.”

That’s why function, fit and materials always take priority over short-lived trends.

Sara's hand holding black scissors, cutting through dark fabric in dim lighting

DETAILS THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

For Sara, the difference is often found in the details. They may not be obvious at first, but they define how a garment feels in use. The hood, collar, sleeve construction and freedom of movement all have to work together.

“The hood and collar are especially important,” she says. “If you don’t get the fit right there, the whole feel of the jacket falls apart.”

Based in Åre, the team regularly tests garments with ambassadors, test skiers and colleagues in the environments they are designed for. It’s here that details only revealed after hours of movement, cold, wind and changing weather are discovered. For Sara, great design means confidence – the garment should simply do its job.