Who are you?
— I’m Ida Einarsdottir and I’m the fashion editor of KK, which is the biggest women’s magazine in Norway.
What are your feelings about Norwegian fashion right now? What’s its status?
— I think that Danish fashion has had momentum for a lot of years but now, Norwegian fashion is really stepping up. We’ve already said it for a few seasons or years and now is the time to shine.
And which are the brands to follow?
— Holzweiler, for sure. A lot of people have already heard about them and they’re now going international, taking on China and opening stores in Copenhagen and London. They’re maybe the single Norwegian fashion house — not only a brand but this international-scale ’house’. And I think that Celine Aagaard’s brand Envelope1976 is going to be big internationally. She’s already on Net-a-porter and the ’Norwegian Elin Kling’ (former influencer and co-founder of Swedish brand Tôteme, Ed’s note), where her path from influencer to designer has been really interesting to follow. Having that kind of background is a good thing for her when bringing her brand into the world. I also think that the jewellery brand Pearl Octopuss.y is having a kind of momentum on Instagram and is going to be really big. She has exciting jewellery and is a really cool designer and person. We also have By Timo with the dresses, Tom Wood — there are a lot of designers doing really good now, Einarsdottir states.
Speaking of jewellery, we meet you here at Oslo Runway and this edition marks the second time for a dedicated jewellery exhibition. Why are there so many emerging jewellery designers from Norway?
— It’s a good question. I feel that all the Scandinavian countries have many jewellery brands coming up and you also have the big ones like Tom Wood. For Norway, the Norwegian design heritage is really strong and that is, basically, wool, knits, and jewellery. Jewellery has been a part of Norwegian history for so long, just look at the bunad (a traditional Norwegian folk costume) with all the jewellery connected to it. So, it’s been a part of what we do for so long and I think that that is maybe a part of the answer to your question — a lot of them have it pretty much in their blood, making the jewellery in this old jewellery workshops in their home towns. It’s part of their heritage DNA, so to speak.
How are Norwegian brands working with sustainability and innovation?
— Sustainability is an important part of fashion and design in Norway now. Take Celine’s brand, for example — when she founded Envelope1976, it was on sustainability. That is the core of the brand. She uses recycled materials, non-dyed materials, and deadstock. And they all have to do it now, it’s a demand from the consumers — either if it’s used denim, recycled materials or Norwegian wool, they all have to be a part of this green focus in all parts of the value chain. It’s not only which materials you see, but also how you cast your runway show. Inclusivity is also part of sustainability. Casting models with different ages, different heights, different body types, different skin colours, and every part of social sustainability is also very important. I think that Norway is, not the best but getting there and we have to get there — or else it will fall off, for sure.
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