Cool Brands
After lagging behind their design-minded neighbor, Norway and Finland have finally stepped up their game in the fashion industry.
With designers either too modest or too awed by the power of their common neighbor Sweden, Norway and Finland have historically come up short on the high streets and runways of fashion.
However, a generation of Norwegian and Finnish fashion brands, shop owners, and designers has boldly stepped forward to create a long-deserved fashion shake-up. Holzweiler is a Norwegian fashion agency that started making its own label. Tom Wood takes pride in its authenticity in Scandi-minimalism and craftsmanship that enable all products to last for generations. A concept store, F5, specializes in showcasing the best in Norwegian fashion to the global market.
Helsinki’s Aalto University consistently ranks as one of the top fashion and design colleges in the world. To get a sense of Finland’s best fashion houses, check out the conceptual style of Rolf Ekroth, the classic shoe brand Saint Vacant, and the minimalism of Nomen Nescio, which only makes black garments. Not to forget Marimekko, whose distinctive patterns strongly influenced late 20th-century taste.
Sources: Monocle Film (Celebrating Fashion in Oslo) | The Monocle Minute (January 10, 2018) | Image: Laura Pittaccio