Today, the legendary Finnish sportswear brand Karhu and the British contemporary apparel company Universal Works are teaming up for a collaborative project. The project is part of Universal Works’ ongoing “Future Friendship” series.
Universal Works offers a new perspective on combining activewear with traditional cuts and silhouettes.
The Karhu “M” logo has been used throughout, but inverted to allude to the “W” in Universal Works. The “M” originates from the word “Mestari”—the Finnish word for champion.
The collection features reimagined versions of the classic Mestari Control and Trampas sneaker models crafted from soft, premium suede and nylon, as well as a small apparel collection comprising a range of super-comfortable, sporty pieces.
In addition to a lightweight running jacket, the collection features jersey pieces, including a dual-branded T-shirt and a cotton crewneck sweatshirt in two colors—all printed with the Future Friendship/UW and Karhu logos.
The muted colors—navy, ecru, and khaki—ensure that the pieces can be easily integrated into your existing wardrobe.
David Keyte, co-founder of UW, on the collaboration: “Karhu is a brand that holds a firm place in the history and evolution of modern athletic wear. Karhu’s heritage has always fascinated me.
The brand’s evolution, which has taken many twists and turns over time, is a fascinating story, and that’s something we’ve played with extensively in our joint project.
As with most partnerships, the two brands were already connected through mutual friends in the industry, so the collaboration felt very natural.”
Remko Nouws, Global Brand Manager at Karhu, explains how the two brands came together to develop the collection: "Originally, we wanted to work with Universal Works on two colorways of the Trampas, a Karhu training shoe from the 1960s that fits the Universal Works aesthetic.
With David’s love of running in mind, we suggested swapping one of the Trampas colorways for another running classic—one of Karhu’s most famous silhouettes, the Mestari.
So we updated the design with a larger, higher-profile sole to align with Universal Works’ contemporary style—a design change that was very important to David.
That was the moment the Mestari Control was born, and the final result looks incredible! When it came to branding, we flipped our M logo upside down on the side of both shoes to create a W, a nod to Universal Works.
This is something Karhu has never done in its 107-year history, but it fit perfectly with the Future Friendship Project. We’re very excited about this project and can’t wait for Universal Works, Karhu fans, and friends and family to see it.”
To celebrate the collaboration, Karhu and Universal Works present the short film “Inversion Illusion” featuring British Commonwealth Games athlete and 2022 Welsh gymnastics champion Benji Eyre.
Set in a gym in East London, the film references Universal Works’ British roots and Karhu’s athletic heritage, symbolizing a genuine, enduring friendship that transcends national borders.
Universal Works is a brand built on relationships, dedicated to making people feel good and look their best.
With influences rooted in the realism of 20th-century global workwear, the lightness of modern athletic wear, and the practicality of military uniforms, it’s no wonder that Universal Works’ fan base isn’t limited to any single social group.
The brand is headquartered in Nottingham and also operates three standalone stores and two partner stores. The standalone stores are located in the UK, in central London: on Berwick Street in Soho and at Coal Drops Yard in Kings Cross. A third location is in Nottingham, housed within the Rough Trade building.
The partner stores are located in Birmingham on Colmore Row in collaboration with Liqour Store, and in Berlin at Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße 28 in collaboration with Trüffelschwein Berlin.
The Universal Works webstore is also available for all international online orders. In addition, the collections are available at over 250 retailers worldwide.
The Karhu x Universal Works collection is available at Asphaltgold, Fortytree, HHV, Jumpnshoez, and SUPPA.
Photos via Karhu
