Oleana started up in 1992 in Ytre Arna near Bergen, a time when most textile manufacturers moved abroad to countries with cheaper labour and lower production costs.
Oleana’s ambition was to prove that it was still possible to develop new jobs in the Norwegian textile industry and joined forces with designer Solveig Hisdal to prove it. Since then, they have brought a fresh burst of life into the old textile village and have built a major fashion house manufacturing women's knitwear in sustainable materials, growing from three founding employees to seventy people
Combining craft and industry
Design has always been Oleana’s most crucial competitive tool, as a way to stand out amongst the competition. Hisdal’s beautiful flowery designs are inspired by old Norwegian folk culture and traditional patterns but are a modern interpretation using vivid colours and expressions with a universal appeal.
Photo: Oleana
Photo: Oleana
Preserving Norway’s rich tradition of textile production and knowledge of crafts is important for Oleana. Buying in the finest materials such as yarn and fabric, everything else is manufactured at their factory. Oleana lives by the motto of “Made by machines and human hands” with everything they make, combining what they call fine work-womanship (as most of their employees are women) and advanced industrial knitting machines.
Fair made
As consumers all over the world are becoming more aware and demanding, Oleana pledge to work with sustainable materials and good working conditions for its employees. Superior quality natural materials such as wool, alpaca, linen and silk are also chosen for their excellent environmental benefits. Inspired by economic concepts such as Fair Trade, Oleana has adapted its own concept of Fair Made.
Photo: Oleana
From local to global success
The result of Oleana’s investment in local knowledge and labour, design and sustainable manufacturing, is high-quality garments which do not intend to compete on price. The unique products appeal to people of different cultures, countries and ages and have become a commercial success with garments to be found in shops all over the world, and a customer list including Queen Sonja of Norway, Queen Rania of Jordan and Michelle Obama.
The collaboration between Solveig Hisdal and Oleana has been honoured with several design awards such as the Award for Design Excellence from Norwegian Design Council five times and the prestigious Jacob Award.
A new era
Today, Oleana is run by Gerda Sørhus Fuglerud, the daughter of one of the founding members, who has literarily grown up in the factory and learnt the trade from an early age. Together with her husband, she is carefully guarding Oleana’s heritage while bringing it into a new area.
And as Solveig Hisdal is preparing to retire, the autumn/winter collection 2019 marks Swedish Matilda Norberg taking over as chief designer, herself being inspired by minimalist post-war art, geometric shapes, flower buds - and Oleana's own archive.
Oleana is a good proof of how it is possible to build sustainable industries locally, and also be a global inspirational success.
