LIVSN: More Experiences. Less Stuff.

Passion for Life

If you happen to be learning Swedish (and even if you’re not), your Swedish word for the day is Livsnjutare, which is a word used to describe someone who loves life deeply and lives it to the fullest. This word is for people like Andrew Gibbs-Dabney, a creative powerhouse and minimalist devoted far more to his passions and experiences than his material things. As a lover of life with a passion for keeping his closest slim and it's functionality high, Andrew took inspiration from the concept of livsnjutare and founded LIVSN Design, a company dedicated to making sustainable, durable clothing designed to help you own less and do more.

The idea that less is more is the soul of LIVSN's mission to help you own less and live more. It’s natural to end up with an overcrowded gear closet as you discover and chase new adventures, but it often creates an oversized pack of things you don’t actually need. For Andrew, as time went on he began to feel that the more stuff he owned, the less time he had to do what he loved. In an effort to reclaim as much flexibility and freedom as he could, Andrew started getting rid of products that weren’t well-made, whatever didn’t do its job well, and anything that didn’t carry sentimental value – because you just can’t throw out your lucky climbing pants, no matter how ugly they are. At the end of his gear purge, all that remained was what really mattered.

The belief that “overconsumption of stuff keeps you from actually living your life” became a guiding force as Andrew began building LIVSN. The company focused on the idea that when you own fewer clothes, they have to do more and last longer. They have to be functional outdoors, look good as a part of your wardrobe, and be comfortable the entire time. With all this in mind, LIVSN also wanted their clothes to outlast the ebb and flow of seasonal trends, pushing Andrew and his team towards a timeless, slimmed down style. As if designing clothing that wouldn’t slow you down on the trail or make you stick out like a sore thumb in the city wasn’t enough, LIVSN also believed that their clothing needed to be ethically made and environmentally friendly. After all, the goal all along was versatility and sustainability. Involving the planet Andrew loved to explore just made natural sense.

Sustainability and Durability

Sustainably sourced fabrics are the starting point for all of LIVSN’s products, and the company is always seeking out materials that are natural or recycled. Most of the recycled material they work with comes from post-consumer plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in landfills, giving yet another emphasis to LIVSN’s determination to reduce waste and increase functionality. As LIVSN started making high quality clothing from eco-friendly materials, it became clear that sustainability and durability are two ideas cut from the same cloth. Their environmentally friendly and remarkably durable pieces last season and after season and trip after trip, proving that less really does do more (and last longer) when it’s used in the right ways.

With a belief that sustainability cannot exist without good, efficient design, LIVSN has put an immense amount of thought and intent into every stitch of their products that not only kick ass, but cover it – all while letting it stretch and move the way you need it to.

To keep up the momentum with reducing waste, LIVSN encourages repairs over replacements. While the easy thing to do would be to send out a new pair of pants, they’re a lot less concerned with ease and quick fixes than they are with doing things right — both by you and Mother Nature. Long lasting, durable, and repairable, their products allow you the freedom that comes from owning less. 

Own less. Do more.

Andrew Gibbs-Dabney founded LIVSN to help others find more flexibility in their lives by making quality clothing for people who value experiences more than things. By reducing or replacing the forgotten and mediocre clutter in our closets with pieces that are built to last, stuff stops getting in the way and our gear starts enabling us in the pursuit of remarkable experiences. LIVSN’s message is simple: Buy it once, buy it for life, and then go out and live it. Once you do, you might just find that you’re one step closer to livsnjutare.