Beyond Borders - OLEANA the Norwegian Story
Posted August 31st, 2009 by bevg
Beyond Borders - OLEANA the Norwegian Story is one of 9 posts by bevg.
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For their most recent collection, the Norwegian company OLEANA looked to China for inspiration - an ancient culture with strong design and ornamentation traditions that has left its mark on the west from as long ago as the early Viking explorations.
OLEANA gathers new inspiration along the silk route and then takes it back home to Norway where their production is made in a small factory close to Bergen, by a crew of 60 highly skilled and respected workers. Oleana sets an example for sustainable clothing production and ethical business practices.
OLEANA stated as a company 17 years ago in defiance of growing outsourcing of what had been a rich Norwegian textile tradition.
It is a company with a soul and an eye for beauty. They have built their company on the belief that women need less, but more beautiful clothes.
In September 2009, OLEANA will hold an exhibition at the Pendulum Gallery that will illustrate how pattern knows no borders. From Norway to China, designer Solveig Hisdal has followed the silk road finding inspiration in silk damasks, floral ceramic, and mosaics, for her richly patterned knitwear.
The exhibition was conceived as a handshake from Norway with Vancouver on the occasion of the 2010 Olympics. The exhibition (co-sponsored by Innovation Norway) will open on September 10th hosted by the Designer Solveig Hisdal, co-owners Signe Aarhus and Kolbjorn Valestrand, with special guest, the newly appointed Norwegian Ambassador to Canada, Else Berit Eikeland.
For more information about OLEANA, please contact: Julia Manitius www.urbanity.ca
Come and meet the designer! Solveig Hisdal, author of “Poetry in Stitches” will be signing your copy of the book on September 10th between 2 and 4 pm in URBANITY, 207 Abbott Street, Gastown. Poetry in Stitches is out of print, and as such is now quite valuable, as well as being a beautiful book.