Kaleidoscopic Vision
Perhaps you've caught a glimpse of them — three Norwegians wearing day-glo suits and wide smiles — cruising Hollywood in a baby-blue stretch limo (bearing a Norwegian flag, natch).
The trio — Stefan Dahlkvist, Simen Staalnacke and Peder Børresen — are the designing men behind one of Hollywood's most distinctive fashion brands: Moods of Norway. And whether they're rolling around town, making suits for rock stars or cooking up waffles for customers in their Robertson Boulevard boutique every Saturday, these aren't guys known to hide their collective light under a basket.
The 7-year-old label, which launched in a tiny town in Norway (Styrn, population 5,000), is famous for its eye-popping colors and prints. Think flourescent Hawaiian prints and teal-colored tuxedos. The collection's refreshingly playful vibe has made it a hit amongst streetwear aficianados and superstar musicians, alike. After all, no dude dressed in floral-printed pants is in danger of taking himself too seriously.
We caught up with Dahlkvist — one-third of the brand that, according the labels, is “made in Europe by really, really pretty blonde girls"— to talk about the collection and dish on the trio's many upcoming projects.
LIVING COLOR: Looks from Moods of Norway's Spring 2010 collection.
Style Section L.A.: I hear you're designing the costumes for the band A-ha's upcoming tour. I love Take on Me...
Stefan Dahlkvist: We designed all their stage gear – they're the biggest rock band of all time in Norway. And they're playing two shows at the Nokia in L.A. [May 15 and 16]. And May 17 we're having a Norway Day celebration in the store with the band — it will coincide with the store's one-year anniversary.
You guys occupy an interesting niche between sportswear, streetwear and contemporary — how would you describe the brand’s aesthetics?
It’s different clothes for different moods, all with a tradition of Norway in mind. We basically have three tiers: Streets, Cocktail and Castle. Street is t-shirts, hoodies, sneakers. Castle is more commercial — black and grey suting. It's a little more proper. Then we have full the full-on cocktail collection — our favorite part of the collection — for the rock star.
Moods of Norway is one of the most colorful brands out there. When launching the brand, did you make a conscious effort to be forever vibrant?
We always say we make “happy clothes for happy people.” We’ve always been using happy, poppy colors. And the whole culture of the company has always been positive and fun–loving.