welcome. let's go there.
In May 2007, Emily and Laura headed north to explore the vast country of Norway in search of inspiration for Tea's Fall 2008 collection. We were instantly taken by the enveloping evergreens and the woodwork, immaculate even in the airport. We could sense this was a country that respected its natural resources and proudly celebrated them through craft. We began our trip in Oslo, visiting museums and taking in Norwegian metropolitan culture. At the Norsk Folkemuseum, we discovered a style of folk painting called Rosemaling Later, we found that this painting style influenced embroidery in Norwegian folk costume.
By chance and through a little help from friends that we met along the way, we ended up at the Stalheim Hotel, set atop a 300 meter high cliff, with amazing views, and a spectacular collection of Norwegian crafts and a reconstructed folk village. It is hard to be in fjord country without going on a fjord tour. We were in luck as we were close to one of Norway's most famous, longest and deepest, the Sognefjord. In need of a little snow and mountains, we headed to Jotenhelmen National Park, home to Norway's highest peaks. We ended our trip in the harbor city of Bergen, where even the radiating colors of the 11pm sunset left its impression on us. You can't deny the beauty and massive landscape surrounding you in Norway.
bringing it home
The fjord feeling came alive in voluminous silhouettes like the Aurland Plaid Dress and Fjord Coat. The varied patterns and color we found in the Stalheim hotel's collection of textiles inspired us to create the rich textures and bright plaids of our Stalheim Fairisle and Ingrid Jacquard sweaters and the Aurland plaid shirt, and. The folk paintings and costumes inspired us to come up with our own modern interpretation in the Rasmussen Floral Dress and Elina Embroidery French Terry pants. The history of hand knitting in Norway dates back to Viking times and most snowflake motifs and patterning that we see on ski sweaters today, originated there. A Norwegian collection would not be complete without a nod to these designs (or without a memory of the midnight sunset conveyed through our Ombre Tunic Sweater).
