Elisabeth Stray Pedersen (ESP)

This was the motivation driving Elisabeth Stray Pedersen, who just one year after completing her master's degree at Oslo National Academy of the Arts, bought the traditional brand Lillunn in 2015 including a complete sewing factory, now situated in Oslo.

Sustainable Norwegian wool

Doing small-scale production of exclusive wool products is not exactly a shortcut to financial freedom, but that hasn’t stopped Elisabeth Stray Pedersen breathing fresh life into the 60-year-old iconic textile factory. Specialising in wool outerwear, the garments at the factory are crafted by experienced artisans using the finest and sustainable Norwegian wool and collaborating with local craft makers and other designers.

E S P

In addition, Elisabeth launched her own clothing brand E S P which consists of exclusive garments made by carefully selected textiles from conscious and or local producers. Today, E S P is receiving well-deserved attention abroad, found in stores in both Norway and Japan and is worn by celebrities such as supermodel Gigi Hadid.

What's not to like about wool?

Elisabeth has made wool her material of choice, which she describes as a fantastic material with endless creative possibilities that can be stretched, knitted, felted and woven, be thin as silk or thick enough to protect a baby from polar winters.

Clothes made by wool also have an average of five times longer life than other materials, making them more likely to be used and reused for years – as an answer to fast fashion and cheaper and synthetic materials. Wool is also completely degradable if you don’t treat it with harmful chemicals. So, what's not to like?

A new age for Norwegian textile history

Having worked with several Norwegian designers between her bachelor and master’s degree, Elisabeth experienced how the value chain in the textile industry is connected and what limitations exist. She also saw great potential for improvement in many areas.

As the second most polluting industry in the world, E S P’s contribution is to give people a choice by focusing on high quality and local materials and more sustainable manufacturing methods. Even though manufacturing is expensive in Norway, this approach contributes to preparing the Norwegian fashion industry for a more sustainable future.

Jacob Award from DOGA

When Elisabeth Stray Pedersen won the prestigious Jacob Award from DOGA early 2019, the jury praised her efforts and said she "represents a shift in generations who with new eyes see the opportunity to lift Norwegian textile history into a new age".