Bringing happy back: Moods of Norway
November 30, 2009 by Angela Gilltrap
Filed under Interviews, M. Designer Profiles
Jetsetting designers of Moods of Norway: Simen Staalnacke, Peder Børresen, Stefan Dahlkvist
“Happy clothes for happy people,” that’s the philosophy behind Moods of Norway, the Norwegian brand putting “fun” back into fashion. Based in Stryn, a picturesque town known for it’s breathtaking glaciers, abundant salmon fishing and one, new opened escalator, these three, gregarious party-boys have been steadily expanding their global empire. “We really like to spread some joy through our designs,” says Simen Staalnacke, one of the brands co-founders. Represented throughout the world by the finest agents in Norway, Sweden, Benelux, Switzerland, Spain, Japan, and the U.S.A; displayed in some of the finest stores internationally, their rainbow-love philosophy seems to be rubbing off. “One thing that triggers people’s moods is happy colors. There is no need to be grumpy when you can have a good time in happy clothes for happy people!”
Staalnacke’s partners-in-design, Peder Børresen and Stefan Dahlkvist agree. Zooming through L.A in their pale blue, stretch limo they live the life many would dream of. They continually travel the world seeking inspiration in the form of late night parties, day-time adventures and long days on the slopes all bringing their unique style to the mix. “I’m inspired by everything that’s super duper cool,” explains Børresen. “Everything that I see, feel, experience, touch, misunderstand, find and, not to forget, totally interpret the wrong way, from all over the world. Then I mix this with a tad of Norwegian inspiration, everything from my grandmother’s recipe for waffles, to Norwegian history, or Laplander pick-up lines. The result ─ the magic we like to call Moods of Norway.” Dahlkvist too, finds his homeland as equally inspiring. “Growing up in Scandinavia in the ’70s gives me an interesting connection to the European “retro” color combinations and print structures. Memories from happy Scandinavian children’s TV programs are always lurking in the shadows,” he laughs.
With no formal design background these three fashion musketeers fearlessly embarked on their fashion journey. “We had no experience when we first started out,” explains Børresen. “But we knew what we wanted. Our first collection consisted of about 20 pieces. Today it’s almost 400! We’ve picked up a few things since then…” Started six years ago, Moods of Norway continues to grow in strength, most recently opening a flagship store in Beverly Hills, quite a way from such humble beginnings.
After meeting in University in “sunny Oslo,” Staalnacke and Børresen decided to team up to bring their own savvy style to the masses. “Simen is a one-man party,” says Børresen. “He was the colorful guy with the hat that looked like a lot of fun. And he had a super cool rabbit costume and always wore it when no one else dressed up.” Not long after, Dahlkvist came on board bringing with him, as he explains, “adventure, an old motorcycle, a guitar and a heck of a sense of cocktail, swinging fashion.” The trio was complete. Now all they needed was a signature symbol.
Like many fashion brands, one small symbol can become synonymous with style ─ think Lacoste’s crocodile, NIKE’s swoosh. For Moods of Norway, it became the tractor. “We love tractors,” says Børresen. “We think it is a little bit of an underdog symbol. It’s a tribute to all the hardworking people who work the land. A lot of companies have a symbol that projects upscale living and sports, we like the tractors. Tractors are pretty cool, especially if they are gold or pink…”
Now, every Moods of Norway garment has the tractor symbol embedded somewhere within the design, sewn into linings and attached to accessories, this unexpected homage to their Norwegian roots is being embraced universally. “Our philosophy is to grow Moods of Norway into an international lifestyle brand,” says Staalnacke. “We are currently working on a lot of super duper top secret projects that can extend the brand to new product categories and markets. I think our new flagship store in Los Angeles is a fine and dandy step on the way towards bringing happy clothes to happy people…
Last but not least, are all the garments actually made by “really, really pretty blond girls” as the tag reads? “We sure hope so,” says Dahlkvist. “In the meantime, have a super duper day and thank you for taking part in the Moods of Norway fashion extravaganza that is spreading like pink fairy dust across the neon lit universe.” I couldn’t say it better myself. www.moodsofnorway.com
Related Articles:
