Who? Torstein Lohne
What? Graduated in fashion industry at SoFI. Christina Ledangs assistant, and part-time at F5 Concept Store.
Where? Oslo
Instagram: @denkyniskegiraffen
To me individuality is much more interesting than trends or a general look. Be inspired by Torstein Lohne.
Envelope X Celine Aagaard Photo x Torjus Berglid
What is style to you?
- Style is identity to me. I think it is a way to extend your personality to society, and enhance your characteristics as an individual. In the words of Bill Cunningham, Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life. I dont think you could do away with it. It would be like doing away with civilization.
Where do you collect your inspiration?
- I try to surround myself with inspiring people, who stimulate my creativity and curiosity. I tend to find inspiration through movies and art as well, because to me that is a lot more personal. Instagram and Pinterest are excellent quick fixes if you are in an inspiration-rut, but I prefer sources of inspiration that arent already digested by someone else for me. I really love Sarah Harris´style, and I suppose that to be a hybrid of her and Raf Simons would be kinda great.
When did your interest for norwegian design start?
I think that I have always been curious and attentive to aesthetics and details, and I have had to do a little soul searching to find out who I am and what works for me. Along the way I just think I realized that this was something that I felt truly passionate about. The thing I like about Norwegian design is that its not a defined term as of right now. We have a very varied range of talented designers here, who communicate to different people with different lives and personal style. To me individuality is much more interesting than trends or a general look. Also, Ive been very lucky with my position at Christina Ledan;s brand, which has given me a deeper look as to what is really going on in Norwegian fashion.
Your key item for summer- and how to style it?
I think for me it’s going to be the white, loose-fit pants. Clothes that keep me cool in the warm Oslo weather is a high priority to me during the summertime. It’s also a piece that is easy to change from day to night. I would probably style it with a crisp blue shirt for daytime, and maybe a white t-shirt when the sun settles. I love a good head-to- toe-white- outfit.
In what way does your mood affect the way you dress?
I think my mood mostly comes across to other people through what colours I choose to wear. I am a minimalist at heart, and a huge fan the holy trinity, black, white and grey. I have also noticed that I tend to play more with silhouettes if Im in a good mood, as opposed to when Im not.
Dress up or dress down?
I think its nice to be somewhere in between constantly, actually. I’m sort of a golden middle way-kinda guy.
If you have to chose only 5 items in your closet- what would that be?
That is a tough one. I love my rings from Tom Wood, and I wear at least two of them every day. Ive worn them for such a long time now, so I feel a bit naked if I dont have them on my fingers anymore. I found the perfect white t-shirt in modal a couple of months ago, and I wear it all the time. Its something about the draping and how it moves that make me feel super comfortable and clean. Black pants are something I wear all the time, and I found a pair made of wool in a thrift shop this winter that Ive been wearing constantly since. They are like 30 years old, with a little bit of flare, and made in Norway! I wear my Stan Smiths way too often not to mention them on this list. Also, there is this shirt from C.L.E.A.N by Christina Ledang that I am very fond of. It’s 100% wool navy pinstripe, structured shirt, with a slightly oversized look. It’s just one of those pieces that are easy to work with, and can be styled a thousand different ways.
What trends and colors do you believe in for AW16?
To me, the AW16 shows were very different from each other, which makes the trendspectre a lot wider. While some houses like Rochas and Giorgio Armani went full on boudoir with silk slip dresses and rich velvet textures, others like Proenza Schouler and Dior went for Patent leather ensembles, so I think its hard to tell this season. I am hoping that the nautical trend that Prada and Coach showcased comes through, as I am looking forward to meeting autumn in a double breasted navy overcoat and structured sweaters. I am also hoping that the whole deconstruction-wave that Vetements have been sporting will continue a little longer. It’s nice to see the classics reborn. When it comes to colours, I think we will see a lot of the neutral palettes. I think that one can safely invest in pieces in camel, army green, navy and white. I am hoping for some shades of bottlegreen and ochre, as I am obsessed with those colours. I always wear a lot of green when the weather gets cold, because I feel it makes my skin and hair look/feel fresher.
Top 3 norwegian designers to keep our eyes on?
C.L.E.A.N by Christina Ledang: This was an obvious name for this list, as I work for the brand, and Christina is a very close friend of mine. The reason that I started working for Christina, is that I believe in her vision for her brand. I think she has a great way of sensing what Norwegian women want, and she has the capability to deliver it to them. Apart from being the “layer queen”, I think she is very good at creating a complete collection, and I know from working with her that the things she make are thought through, from start to finish.
GRAA: I think the boys behind GRAA are very good at thinking unconventional, which is an uncommon thing to do when it comes to men’s lines. I think they showcased a progressive concept at Oslo Runway in February, and I think the pieces are very much wearable for the regular, well dressed man.
Mardou& Dean. Granted, they are quite established already, but personally I’m still going to keep my eyes on what they do next. I have been admiring Mardou and Dean’s clothes for a while. I love the materials they use, and the rebellious vibe their clothes exude, but I’ve always felt that the pieces they create have been difficult for me to combine with my existing wardrobe. However I´ve found some pieces now that have made me a believer. Dean’s Asitee is a great piece, with an intriguing neckline, made from supersoft cotton. I also have a thing for the lace-up boots with metal plates on the back, and I feel like they need to be added to my wardrobe before the autumn rain starts pouring down in Oslo again.
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