ANNOUNCEMENT
The Oslo Runway Tribute Award, established in 2021, is awarded to a Norwegian designer, fashion- or lifestyle brand, who have stood out in positive ways as an industry leading star during the past year. The purpose of the award is to promote responsible value creation within the Norwegian fashion and design industries. Previous winners include Livid, Tom Wood and Envelope1976.
Announcing the nominées for Oslo Runway Tribute Award 2024
The winner of this year’s Oslo Runway Tribute Award will be announced during the official opening dinner on the first day of Oslo Runway 2024, taking place at the venerable Grand Café on Monday August 26.
The winner will be awarded mentorship money from Innovation Norway.
As per nomination from this years program committé, we present the following five brands as currently in the running to receive this year’s honorary award:
Nomination: ESP
“ESP is nominated to the Oslo Tribute Award for their dedication to combining good design with quality and thorough, continuous handling of the green shift. With a design-oriented integrity, and an incline towards choosing the local as much as possible, a capacity to adapt to new regulations and opportunities for clothing production and textile-repurposing, ESP represents knowledge-based evolution in an industry that more than ever needs exactly that.
ESP has the potential to share even more of their thorough, great work, alongside good handcraft and pieces we believe have a long-lasting appeal and will have long, good lifespans in the wardrobes they end up in. We have seen a little less of ESP the last couple of years, following and as a consequence of Covid, but they do have the contents, design, knowledge, network and motivation to keep on developing now. An award such as this could be seen as an encouragement.”
Nomination: Holzweiler
“For this year’s Tribute Award, we nominate Holzweiler. The brand has established themselves internationally and yet they keep contributing to the Norwegian fashion scene. They continue to expand internationally with new stores, while their Norwegian stores and restaurants are doing well. Their sustainability efforts are improving, and they are one of the few Norwegian fashion labels with a Digital Product Passport.”
Nomination: New Movements
“For this year’s Tribute Award, we would like to nominate New Movements. With their innovative sneakers they have not only taken the streets of Oslo by storm, but they have increased their revenues, established their first flagship store, and reached new customers both locally and internationally. Sustainability is in the brand’s DNA and plays a major role in their production, which also comes across through their circularity program where the retailers who carry the brand are encouraged to partake. With this passion and drive, we’re excited to see what the future holds for New Movements.”
Nomination: Norwegian Rain
“Norwegian Rain is a frontrunner for responsibly made, timeless fashion and has persistently followed their core ambition of designing tailored, high-quality and functional rain coats that merge style with everyday life, utilizing recycled fabrics and high-tech innovative solutions in all their pieces. With the recent launch of Compact Stores matched with a newly developed digital ordering and logistics systems they disrupt traditional sales channels and remain true to their commitment on sustainability achieving a profitable business model.
From the start in 2008, they have worked closely with carefully selected Japanese high-tech textile producers and garment manufacturers in Poland. The company has remained small, yet achieved international recognition through their presence in 120 multi-brand stores around the world and beautiful flagship stores in Paris, Tokyo, Oslo and Bergen.”
Nomination: Pearl Octopuss.y
“We nominate Pearl Octopuss.y for Oslo Runway Tribute Award 2024. The brand is celebrated for its bold and whimsical designs that prioritize personal style and identity - but what truly sets it apart is its dedication to breaking fashion trends. Its design ethos emphasizes sustainable consumption, offering a playful approach to styling through sparkling, maximalist pieces. It encourages a conscious mindset towards one’s wardrobe, altering outfits through accessories rather than buying a new closet each season. Pearl Octopuss.y is a standout in the Norwegian design industry, not only due to its defined aesthetic but also its innovative approach to accessorizing.”
Presenting the 2024 committee
We proudly introduce the talented individuals and experts in this year’s committee.
The following, exciting group of names with broad backgrounds - from Editors to Professors to Project Managers - have decided on this year's nominées and, finally, the award winner.
Martina Bonnier, Editor-in-chief, Vogue Scandinavia
Elin O. Carlsen, CEO, Oslo Runway & Consultant, Reform Projects
Ida Falck Øien, Associate Professor of Clothing and Costume Design, Oslo National Academy of the Arts
Anders Kemp, Editor-in-chief, D2
Kaia Kongsli, Head of Marketing, Steen & Strøm Department Store and Promenaden Fashion District
Liv Inger Tønjum, Project Manager Exports Manufacturing & Design, Innovation Norway
The winner criteria:
1. Is organised and registered as a company
2. Is a profitable, growing company that contributes to Norwegian value creation and employment
3. Has a recogniseable design expression of high quality
4. Communicates externally in ways that contribute to a more sustainable approach to consumption
5. Has, as a minimum, an open first-tier supply chain
6. Promotes social and environmental responsibility in the production of own products and services
“I'm delighted to share this year’s exceptional jury nominees! At Oslo Runway, we are committed to recognizing Norwegian designers and brands with the potential to shape both the national and global design industry. All the entrepreneurs nominated for this year’s Oslo Runway Tribute Award have an incredibly strong potential and is truly representative of the direction of Norwegian fashion and design”. - says Elin Carlsen, CEO of Oslo Runway
