According to the birth certificate, Håkan Fransson is Fabian’s proud father. At the time of inception Håkan Fransson worked as an in house designer at Fagerhult. With a safe hand and fluent lines he imprinted Fagerhult’s visual expression during the late sixties.
“I’ve always have had a soft spot for curved, chubby lines”, Håkan admits, while walking down memory lane.
“But I really do think that Fabian’s wild success was a spot-on combination of innovative material and design complimented by a very affordable price. Hey, it only took 11 seconds in assembly – that’s lean production!”
Innovation at its best
Young Fabian had been endowed with a range of fantastic properties, donated by his three fairy godfathers – former development manager Bernt-Olof Berntsson, engineer Jörgen Johansson and the late Elis Svensson, head of Fagerhult’s prototype workshop.
“At the time, Fagerhult was still a large supplier of domestic lighting and the marketing department called for a new wall mounted bedside luminaire with a competitive price tag”, as Jörgen Johansson – still a member of Fagerhult’s development team – recalls.
“Actually, our aim was to force the price all the way to the basement, and in order to do this we had to reinvent ourselves. Our eyes turned towards polypropylene that was quite new to the lighting industry.”
“No one really knew what it was really capable of. But as it turned out”, Bernt-Olof Berntsson continues, “we had a local supplier of this brand new material.”
The supplier’s main products were thermoses with a housing of injection-moulded plastics that came in two different sizes. The housings could easily withstand the warmth from the hot beverages– but could it take the heat from a bulb? Trial and error was the only way forward.
“We slaughtered two thermoses, one of each size, and from the two housings Elis created the first prototype”, Bernt-Olof remembers.
Several prototypes later the development team had created a seamless, screwless design that could easily be implemented in the production system. Due to the absence of screws, assembly could easy be done with the help of a special fixture. The procedure was clocked at 11 seconds flat.
Still, Fabian required heavy investments.
“I specifically remember one meeting when the supplier pointed out that this would require some new, expensive injection tools. But Bertil Svensson, Fagerhult’s founder and managing director, was in good spirits. ‘We are planning to sell 10 000 units of this fantastic luminaire. Just go ahead!’, he said encouraging. No one could have guessed that Fabian actually would sell 4 million copies!”, Jörgen Johansson laughs.
Fabian was off to a flying start as Swedish department store chain EPA placed an initial order for 5.000. The introduction price was set to 19.95 SEK, equivalent to 18.80 € today.
Fabian was cleverly marketed as an all-round luminaire that did not just belong in the bedroom, but in the living room and the study too. “You’ll need at least five Fabian at home!”, the ads stated. The fact that Fabian was offered in a wide range of colours following the latest interior design trends contributed to its persistent success.
Soon, Fagerhult became known as the frontrunner within plastics. This resulted in several iconic luminaires as Cobra and Lucifer, the later designed by the “it” team in plastics – A & E Design, Hans Ehrich and Tom Ahlström, who also created the classic Jordan dish brush.
Colourful reincarnation
Fabian was taken out of production in the middle of the nineties and the arena has changed from domestic lighting to public lighting for Fabian’s second incarnation. It has also been the subject of a slight face lift and is now produced as a pendant; the proportions are a little bigger and the plastic housing has been replaced by sheet metal or opaque glass. The opaque shade has a contemporary twist sympathetic to the most varied of interiors. And there’s still one Fabian for every room. Let it add some extra sparkle over café tables, desks and counters, in windows, bars and hotels.
The new Fabian has the same colourful spirit as the old one as the sheet metal housing can be coated in any shade you fancy.
“There are 26 standard colours to choose from. We also offer an exclusive version in opaque glass”, says product manager Peter Björkman who has made sure that Fabian is just as up to date now, as it was then.
“Fabian comes with a super-efficient and dimmable, long life, high quality LED-module. It is truly a child of its time!”
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Fagerhult sets new industry standard: switching to the latest LED technology
Fagerhult is setting a new standard in the lighting industry and switching to the latest LED technology in its luminaires. One outcome of this is that the operating time is being doubled from 50,000 to 100,000 hours. “We want to make it easy for our customers to make the right choice, both for their wallet and for the environment,” says Marcus Fagerlind, Technical Manager for Smart Lighting at Fagerhult. Fagerhult is now taking the next step in the evolution of lighting technology. Going forward, the luminaires will be supplied with the latest generation of LEDs featuring Flip Chip technology. For our customers, this means lighting that offers higher energy efficiency, lower energy consumption and superior light quality – while also doubling the operating time. “Flipped” technology Flip Chip is a premium-segment LED chip that is based on proven technology. The thing that sets Flip Chip apart from standard LEDs is its design. Image gallery: LED-chips Section: Flip chip headline “An LED chip is made up of several different layers of material that determine the light’s wavelength and properties. A traditional standard chip is built like a cake with multiple layers, which the light shines up through from the bottom. Electrodes are attached at the top of the ‘cake’ and connected via gold or silver wires. Since these contact surfaces are located at the top, they also block some of the light, which affects the light output and, consequently, energy efficiency. These metal wires are also subjected to ‘stress’ in the event of temperature changes, making them a potential source of failure that can affect the working life of the LED chip,” explains Marcus Fagerlind: Marcus Fagerlind, Technical Manager for Smart Lighting at Fagerhult, at the Experience Centre in Habo, where lighting solutions are explored and demonstrated. In a Flip Chip, the cake is simply turned upside down, with all the contact surfaces at the bottom of the chip. This allows the light to flow freely, and the chip operates more efficiently without interference. Placing the contact surfaces at the bottom also helps avoid potential sources of failure in the connecting wires. As a result, the Flip Chip technology delivers a product that is both more efficient and more robust. Significant energy savings Equipped with the latest generation of Flip Chip LEDs, Fagerhult’s luminaires will increase energy efficiency by 5–10 percent, depending on their previous configuration.An efficiency improvement of this magnitude naturally has a significant impact on energy consumption and operating costs, but also on the system’s climate impact.“In an uncertain world, with energy crises following hot on the heels of each other, it has become even more important to accelerate the green transition – and to ensure that energy efficiency, economic considerations and environmental concerns go hand in hand. Every kilowatt-hour counts,” says Marcus Fagerlind.The operating time is also being extended – from 50,000 hours to 100,000 hours. A doubling of the working life, in other words, which makes Fagerhult’s luminaires a safe and profitable investment for the future. All upgraded luminaires will also have a constant light output, providing secure, stable, high-quality light throughout their working life. Extended lifetime from 50,000 to 100,000 hours, with stable, high-quality light throughout. New industry standard The switch from standard LEDs to Flip Chip covers the majority of Fagerhult’s Indoor range. Luminaire models that already feature Flip Chip will be upgraded to the latest generation of Flip Chip, as will all models that were previously equipped with standard LEDs. This change can improve the energy efficiency of the luminaires and reduce electricity consumption, meaning that with a small amount of effort, it is possible to achieve a very big impact.That sounds like a major change, doesn't it? “Absolutely,” says Marcus Fagerlind: “But this approach – daring to take the lead and make the tough decisions needed to bring about change – is very much part of Fagerhult’s DNA. We have never compromised between ergonomics and energy efficiency, choosing instead to drive our innovation efforts to find new solutions. This is an obvious step we have to take, not least for the sake of the climate. We want to take our share of the responsibility. This ought to be the industry standard.” Platinan in Gothenburg features 12,800 luminaires in one of Fagerhult’s largest innovation projects - demonstrating how the latest LED chip technology supports improved light quality and energy efficiency. Does this mean that the luminaires will become more expensive?“That’s exactly the point. We don’t want our customers to have to choose between what’s good and what’s actually even better. We also don’t think they should have to choose between strong finances and climate considerations. The cost of the upgrade will not be passed on to customers in the form of more expensive luminaires, but will be financed through the logistical benefits that the change will bring. With our pricing model, our customers gain access to the latest technology – at the same price as before.”
Innovation in every fold – Wrapped exceeds in engineering brilliance
As sustainability is no longer a choice but a necessity, innovation must begin with the question: What if we did things differently? For Fagerhult’s R&D team, that question became the spark behind Wrapped, the world’s first pendant luminaire made of cardboard. Traditionally, pendant luminaires are built with metal frames, which is a durable, familiar, and safe method. But the team behind Wrapped wanted to explore another path. Together, they decided to find out if they could create a luminaire that not only performed at a premium level but with minimized environmental impact. After thorough consideration, Solid board – a renewable and recycled cardboard material that had previously only been used in hidden components – now plays the leading role. Wrapped is more than a luminaire, it’s an exploration of forward-thinking and creativity. With no ready-made solutions to lean on, the design team had to start from scratch. Every element, from the construction to the mounting, was looked into and the result is a luminaire that’s both technically solid and environmentally conscious. Gallery: Wrapped details The luminaire body is made of up to 65% recycled cardboard and folds together with high precision cut-outs that fit perfectly. Engineering elegance Wrapped’s body is composed of two primary parts: the inner body and the outer body, both designed to work in harmony for strength and stability. The outer body is held together by a rib made of 75% recycled post-consumer aluminium, locking the folds in place and ensuring shape retention. Its end caps are made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic and snap into precision-cuts, securing the structure without the need for screws. The junction box is snapped into place and the driver is mounted using small clips, made from recycled post-consumer plastic. The LED board is mounted onto the lens, protected by a cover of Solid board, and the entire light module is locked into place with a louvre. The result is a seamless, screw-free construction that embodies thoughtful design. Design with purpose Fredrik Beckius, Design Engineer at R&D, reflects on the journey:“The challenge was working with a material that we had never used for a pendant luminaire before. We couldn’t mount components the usual way, so we had to find alternative solutions.”Martin Gustafsson, also a Design Engineer, adds:“We had to find a way to produce the luminaire cost-efficiently, both for us and our suppliers. Every design component had to serve more than one purpose.” This dual-purpose thinking is evident throughout Wrapped’s design. It’s not just about aesthetics or sustainability – it’s about engineering brilliance and making every part count. Quote: Martin Gustafsson Sustainability without compromise Wrapped is manufactured in Fagerhult, Habo, using locally sourced recycled and renewable materials. It’s a product born from Swedish innovation, rooted in the legacy of previous sustainable designs like Multilume Re:Think and Kvisten. Unlike many eco-conscious products, Wrapped is quietly confident – and sustainable in its DNA. With high-precision cut-outs, a stable construction, and rigorous testing throughout the process, Wrapped meets all quality standards without compromising its environmental ethos.