Nikin and Spatz launch joint collection

(CONNECT) Nikin and Spatz have released their joint collection Nikin x Spatz. In a statement, the partners explain the idea behind this collaboration between the sustainable and fair clothing company from Aarau in the Swiss canton of Aargau and the tent manufacturer from Lindau in the canton of Zurich: “Spatz makes tents for the outdoors. Nikin develops products for people who feel at home outdoors. Together, they create products to bring camping vibes into everyday life”.

“Two Swiss brands, one shared history” – this is the motto under which the presentation of the collection stands. This common history stems from the fact that Nikin was founded in 2016 by two scouts, childhood friends Nicholas Hänny and Robin Gnehm. Their entrepreneurial roots also originate in the scout camps where they would spend time together, mostly in Spatz tents. “For us, Spatz is a true love brand”, Hänny comments. “Many of our fondest memories were made in those tents”.

The joint collection comprises, among other garments, T-shirts featuring pockets made from the original Spatz tent fabric in the typical brown color, caps and bags made from tent material, as well as a bivouac-poncho, which can be turned into a tent. In this way, the original Spatz tent fabric is recycled and integrated in new products – “the camping vibe of yesteryear, now to go”, as the product website states.

Spatz only returned to Switzerland in 2025, when Diego Walder, a former Spatz employee and founder of the Zeltmanufaktur Zelthangar from Illnau-Effretikon in the canton of Zurich, bought the traditional brand, including all stock. Prior to this, the company had run into financial difficulties and had been forced to relocate production activities to the Far East.

Walder, who is also featured in a blog post by Nikin, is set to appear as a guest at Nikin’s TreeHouse in Aarau on May 7 for a TreeHouse Talk. At the event, during which a pre-dinner drink will be served, Walder will touch upon a range of subjects, including tents, entrepreneurship and outdoor living. “Camping is more than just sleeping outside”, as Walder explains in the statement. “It’s about community, experiences and memories. That’s precisely what we want to convey with this collaboration”. ce/mm