15 Best Sustainable Fashion Brands to Watch

There is an infectious sense of happiness, energy and optimism in Oslo. Norway’s capital has undergone major changes in recent years, from the rebirth of the Rodaun Docklands to a revamped shopping area spearheaded by Scandinavia’s first Dior store and historic department store Stein & Strom. The Docklands district has been transformed into beautiful new apartments, Norwegian fashion brands and restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Maemo. And overlooking the fjord are two new architectural gems: the stunning Opera House with its street-to-ceiling pedestrian terrace and the stunning Munch Museum, the largest gallery dedicated to a single artist in the world.

Oslo has often been voted the greenest destination in the world and the fashion industry has a forward-looking and innovative ethos based on the city’s sustainable credentials. The fashion industry is considered to be the second most polluting industry in the world, with one-third of the clothing produced never finding a buyer. Norwegian designers don’t just “talk the talk” about fashion sustainability, they are taking important steps with production processes and engaging with demand initiatives, among other things. An annual fashion event, the Oslo hub is a fun celebration for all seasons, with knitwear, raincoats, raincoats that last a lifetime, painted-to-order sneakers and jewelry made exclusively from recycled metals.

Although Oslo Runway’s founder, Diet Christensen, and CEO Elin Karlsson say there is a long way to go before a truly “green” fashion industry is achieved, their show is a shining example of sustainable fashion thinking. From the twice-yearly traditional fashion weeks to a smart trip around the world, Oslo’s parkway every August serves as a timely reminder to all of us to shop minimally, focusing on quality over quantity. And from 2023, it will be necessary for all brands wishing to participate in the Oslo fair to meet sustainability criteria.

Oslo Center in 2015 to showcase Norwegian lifestyle, fashion design, art and culture, including new talents. Norwegian design schools Kunsthøgskolen, ESmod, Oslomet and Sofi School showcased their graduates at the DS Fashion Talent Awards, with this year’s winner Margaret Abeshu. Part of the appeal of Oslo Station is that each scene is set in a different location, from a former acne showroom, a historic department store to warehouses and The Place, a furniture factory in the middle of a beautiful cedar forest. The highlight was seeing Oslo-based Kala Jade’s beautiful handmade leather bags and belts on display at the oyster bar owned by the famous Norwegian rapper.

Some of the brands featured in the Oslo station have international distribution and all brands are available online, which is good news for customers outside of Norway. Out of a strong lineup, here are some designers that really stood out.

Founded fifteen years ago in Bergen, the rainiest city in Europe, Norwegian Rain is the perfect raincoat, stylish yet fully breathable and 100% waterproof. They did just that and their coats and jackets are very popular with both men and women in a range of weights and colors. Located in the Dockland area, the new store is an essential stop on a tour of Oslo.

ESP’s catwalk in the historic former central library showcases the best of designer Elisabeth Strei Pedersen’s catwalk, made from the wool of sheep that roam freely in the highlands around Norway’s Gol. Timeless quilts, pants, knit dresses and a color palette ranging from camel and gray to mint green and fuchsia graced the runway. Elsewhere, at the Steen & Strøm pop-up, ESP teamed up with pre-loved shop Fretex Arkivet to showcase a selection of Norwegian brands and exclusive bespoke clothing.

Sweaters are big at Oslo station. At a gallery shop called Sorgenfree, the knitwear name Oliana shines. The family-owned company, located near Bergen, is one of the few remaining textile factories in Norway. Oleana was founded in 1992 in response to other textile factories in Norway exporting their products. As all products are made in their own factory, they are very dedicated to technical innovation production and luxury handmade details. Their collection includes statement and effortless knitwear designed and built for true longevity. By mixing styles and patterns, the designs are elegant and elegant, relaxed and fun.

New Norwegian knitwear brand Ilag presents their colorful dresses and separates, some hand-knitted, from surplus yarns and fabrics such as cotton crepe, mohair blends and satin from recycled polyester.

One and more displayed their minimalist designs in the former Acne showroom, a beautiful historic townhouse overlooking a beautiful garden. Creative reinventions of wardrobe classics in a monochrome color palette, such as cable knit sweaters and oversized coats, were seen. “We are constantly improving our way of working and using sustainably sourced and certified products has been a fundamental part of our design process and management since the beginning. For us, the perfect garment is high quality combined with a reduced footprint,” says the brand’s creative director Lene Henriksen.

In the year Founders, Celine Aagaard and Pia Nordskag’s design ethos is timeless yet fashionable, with a careful palette of materials, designs and colors – all ecological and natural. It is key to make clothes that can be worn in different ways because it affects not only the clothing schedule but also the design.

Plus is a new factory located in a cedar and pine forest about two hours from Oslo near the Swedish border. Designed to last a lifetime, it’s an ideal condition for manufacturing Vestre furniture. In addition to a pleasant forest setting, the spacious light-filled factory has a spiral slide on the roof terrace that leads through the building to the ground level. It was here that Oslo Station presented a pop-up in the forest where they presented two runway shows and other sustainable brands.

AWAN (as we are now) is a comfort-first fashion brand based on circular principles. Male and female models enter the factory dressed in soft, breathable clothing made from Tencel. ^TM Designed in Portugal and Norway. Because the brand produces everything in small quantities on demand and creates only a few pre-sold sellers, there is minimal wastage.

A second energetic runway show paired Kmoshon sunglasses with swimwear. A new sports model of eyewear is custom-made using 3D printing at a 3D printer that is closest to the customer, thereby eliminating waste by reducing the number of trips that products take to reach customers.

In the woods at The Plus, more clever eco-friendly ideas pop up with varsity headwear. Pop up Pop-up is at The Plus, while Kastel has a low-cut design that allows customers to re-build soft hats and sneakers made from new textures that can be dyed to order.

As Norway is known for its handicrafts, jewelery was a strong aspect of the Oslo runway. In business since 1876, David Anderson has a goldsmith’s workshop where artisans create beautiful jewelry by hand using metals, diamonds and other precious stones.

And in previous installments, pop-up jewelry showcased strong new Norwegian jewelry brands that use only recycled materials: Aur Studio, Boygal, Diawéne, Hasla, Liv Misund, Mold Atelier and Pearl Octopussy, featured on ceramics by Nellie Johnson. Made from recycled gold, silver and pearl octopus, each unique piece of jewelry can be worn in a variety of ways: bracelets and brooches as necklaces. Launched in 2018, this young brand is already stocked by Net a porter and Matches.

Showcasing what’s possible with local production and bespoke clothing to reduce overproduction, Oslo Parkway is sustainable in theory and practice, and a fashion show in the city to look to for inspiration.