Take good care of your hands; they’re your most precious features!

So says Marianne Knutsson-Hall, who has many years of experience as a glove designer for Hestra.

Marianne designs everything from finely tailored leather gloves to functional work and sports gloves. She particularly enjoys creating designs for the gardening collection, as she’s quite the green-fingered gardener herself.

Marianne Knutsson-Hall, designer

Hestra is one of the best-known brands in quality gloves, and the firm employs Sweden’s last two active skilled glove-makers.
Hestra keeps its time-honoured traditions, skilled crafts and superior quality going strong, and is run by the family-owned firm of Martin Magnusson & Co which was founded in 1936, and is currently presided over by the third and fourth Magnusson generations.

Marianne explains:
“When we come up with a new glove design, our ideas are always based on a given need and the wearer. The design work typically starts with the choice of material for the glove, followed by selection of colours and patterning.
The function of the glove is a key aspect, and the questions addressed in the design process concern the setting in which the gloves will be worn, and what they will be protecting the hands from,” says Marianne.

Construction and fit are the most important parts of the design process.

In fact, many people probably don’t realise just how complex glove construction can be. It’s like a miniature “garment” with lots of little pattern pieces to come together to fit the hand. Added to which is the number of layered materials that go into each glove. A glove might contain as many as 4-5 layers, depending on its intended use.

If, say, the glove, needs to insulate against cold, and protect against wet, it starts out with a shell material, which also needs to wear-resistant. The lining nearest the skin needs to be soft and comfortable to the touch, but still ensure that the gloves are easy to slip on and off.
In between the glove uppers and lining, is a layer of warming material and a layer to keep moisture and wet at bay.
In addition to all the pattern pieces and layered materials, is the fact that we have a right and a left hand, meaning that all the pattern pieces have to mirror each other. Hestra’s most complex design is a ski glove, which is made of no fewer than 109 pattern pieces!

“All the pattern pieces and textile layers add up to many small parts in a single pair of gloves, and the big challenge comes down to fit and comfort” Marianne explains.

We asked Marianne for her best tips for glove care.

The No. 1 thing is to keep your gloves clean”, she says. And if, say, they are leather, you’ll need to recondition them with leather balm. This extends the life of any gloves. Invest in a pair of well-fitting gloves and care for them the way you would a pair of expensive shoes, and they’ll last you longer, which is a good investment for you and the environment too.