Culture? introducing Dreams of Norway..

DREAMS OF NORWAY

....Each Saturday, culture? will have a small feature on either fashion, interior, beauty, movies, music or books..This week I have the great honour to present the highly interesting jewelry-company Dreams of Norway. With their use of natural materials and keeping the shapes simple, Dreams of Norway has found a formula that works. The pieces are rough and tender and I would use them to upgrade the basic white singlet and jeans..

-Can you tell the readers a little bit about yourself, name, age, where you live etc?

My name is Iselin Strømsvåg (29), I live in Oslo, where i run the jewelry business Dreams of Norway, and study clothing design at my 2. year at ESMOD. My compagnion Nina Einarsen (43) lives in Trondheim, where she is studying art therapy, and designs jewelry!

　

　

-What inspires you?

We are first and foremost inspired by the norwegian nature, witch is full of contrast- the woods, the mountais, the fjords, the beaches, and the fields. It is wild, and calming at the same time, an endless source of inspiration, and always a little bit mysterious... Often we create a collection in a special invironment, like in a cabin in the mountains, or by the sea in south of Norway. Or we may travel in other parts of the world, but we alway have the norwegian backdrop "with us". We are very influenced by the environment that we are working in at that moment.

　

Also, I think we inspire each other a great deal. We are two very different individuals, but at the same time we have so much in common. This way we have a very dynamic design-process, where we go back an forth until we reach the best of both of our worlds.

　

　

-Who is your target costumer?

She may be of any age or type- the most important thing for us that she is passionate about the pieces she buys. We make each design with real love (and with our own hands!), and the hope that someone is going to keep treasuring it! We wish for our jewelry to really lift an outfit, and make the woman who weares it feel special.

-How did you come up with the idea for the line, who has been involved and where can we buy it?

The spring/summer line 2011 was inspired by elements from nature, we wanted to pick elements from the living part of nature and the "dead" part of nature- what we can not see immediatly, but the beauty that lies hidden- like sceletals and stone. We are very much facinated by quartz crystals, and also other natural shaped stones. We have combined these stones with natural branches made in real silver, with natural feathers, leather, and bird sculls. The collection has been kept in a very summerly and light clour palette, and with a bohemian feel to it. We designed it in a house in the norwegian woods in Trondheim, with a dream of sandy, sunny shores... I believe we have made a mix of these two feelings. I hope that every woman who weares one of these pieces will want to walk barefoot in the sand!

This collection may be bought online at www.miinto.no, or at http://www.etsy.com/shop/DreamsofNorway?ref=seller_info. You can also contact me directly at dreamsofnorway.com.

　

-What makes you happy?

The design process, creating, always! Nature, summer, the sea, travelling, love, and my best friends!

culture? Dreams Of Norway!