Kari Traa

"Free your spirit" stands for the personal philosophy of ski legend and founder Kari Traa – but also for the style of her brand’s sportswear and its sustainable orientation.

More about Kari Traa

Why is Kari Traa a WIR DENKEN UM brand?

Not only is the founder the brand’s namesake, but her personal sense of responsibility and desire to positively change the outdoor industry are tantamount to shaping the company’s direction. As a WIR DENKEN UM brand, Kari Traa stands out in the following ways:

- The company is committed to responsibility throughout the supply chain and is a member of amfori BSCI
- It prides itself on ecologically friendly, resource-saving production and is a bluesign system partner
- Kari Traa promotes fair working conditions and communicates transparently with regard to production sites in Asia and Europe

Kari Traa: A spirit of adventure combined with a sense of responsibility

"When it comes to sustainability, we should be less like competitors and more like partners. Let`s find solutions together!” says Kari Traa. That is why the Norwegian brand seeks to share experiences, contribute to more openness and inspire other players in the industry. As part of this effort, Kari Traa has collected production waste in order to reuse materials and give value to these resources. The materials used are predominantly natural, such as mulesing-free wool. Fluorine-free eco impregnation is used to waterproof the outdoor garments. In production, the brand ensures fair and safe working conditions such as equal pay for men and women, no child labor and compliance with working hours and breaks. Kari Traa manages its own office with 50 employees in Shanghai so it can be closer to the production sites in Vietnam, China and Myanmar. From here, the company carries out inspections of the production facilities, assures the prescribed product quality and builds long-term relationships with the factories.

From the small Norwegian town of Voss Kari Traa managed the international breakthrough

Technical, sporty, comfortable, feminine and fun – that is how Kari Traa describes this year's collection. The Norwegian Kari Traa herself, name giver of the label, is a multiple Olympic gold medalist in freestyle skiing and retired from top-class sports after the Turin Olympics to focus on launching her own sports brand for independent and sports-loving women worldwide.

She grew up in the Norwegian idyll - between fjords and mountains - in the city of Voss. Her heritage has not only given Kari her extraordinary talent for skiing, but also her eye for design and her creativity. Already during her career in freestyle skiing, the creative vein of the Norwegian showed. Unhappy with the predominantly masculine design of her skiwear, Kari used the breaks between training and competition to knit her own beanies and to personalize her clothing.

Today Kari Traa is one of the fastest growing brands in the sports clothing industry and includes in addition to the initial beanies also functional baselayers, jackets, shirts, pants, tights and socks as well as headbands, gloves and bags. Strong colors, unmistakable, feminine design and the highest technical quality characterize the products of the internationally successful label. Style and performance are perfectly combined - one thing does not have to exclude the other! In addition, the products consist of strictly controlled materials: All wool products are made of mulesing-free raw materials.

From women to women: that's the motto of Kari Traa

After Kari retired from skiing in 2006, there was no one who could follow in her footsteps. To close this gap and to counteract the strong male dominance in freestyle skiing, the Norwegian entrepreneur founded the successful Kari Traa Freestyle Team. But not only in the field of sports Kari Traa stands up for women. Every year, the Norwegian company launches major campaigns aimed at boosting women's self-esteem and self-awareness as well as women's health.

In addition to her own skiing team, Kari Traa makes use of worldwide ambassadors to inspire young girls and women and to encourage them to “Dare to Play”. Kari Traa's global ambassadors include young, independent women who share their passion for sports and exercise with Kari Traa. Besides volleyball players, triathletes and runners, bloggers and young entrepreneurs are also represented in the team of the popular Nordic label. These women are not only connected by their passion for sports but also by their enthusiasm for Kari Traa's stylish yet highly qualitative and functional sportswear.