Oleana links up with EDDA for a collection of whimsical Norwegian knitwear

Recently Oleana, the Norwegian knitwear brand known for its sumptuous materials and dedication to craftsmanship, got a whimsical twist by way of a collaboration with EDDA. Helmed by renowned Norwegian designer Edda Gimnes, EDDA is best known for its paper doll-like garments, which have appeared on the pages of this magazine. Marked by sweet cardigans with scalloped necklines, generously sized scarves and sweet cropped jackets, the Oleana x EDDA collection brings Gimnes’ fantastical aesthetic to the everyday.

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“This collaboration gave me the opportunity to bring my playful, illustrative aesthetic into a context grounded in heritage and craftsmanship,” says Gimnes, noting that the opportunity to work with a brand that produces its garments locally in Norway felt “rare and unique”. “I’ve always dreamed of working with knitwear, and this felt like the perfect timing and the perfect partner.” The collaboration came about after Oleana CEO Gerda Fuglerud saw Gimnes speak at the Oslo Design Fair in 2023. Evidently inspired, Fuglerud reached out to GImnes to collaborate shortly thereafter.

In designing the capsule, Gimnes sought to create “timeless, versatile staples with a twist” – the sort of pieces that would bridge Oleana’s universe with her own. While there is a youthfulness to the spirit of the collection, with the candy pinks and sky blues, the charming scribble-like prints, to Gimnes, it’s “never really about age”. “My dream is that these are pieces you can pass down, so that in twenty or forty years someone might say, ‘This cardigan was my mother’s’,”, she says. "That kind of longevity is very meaningful to me.” Given the craftsmanship Oleana brings to these pieces, Gimnes just may get her wish. Those aforementioned cardigans are realised in 100 per cent merino wool or a luxurious wool-silk blend. That winter-ready scarf, meanwhile, is crafted from a mix of wool and alpaca.

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Though the solid-coloured pieces allow, as Gimnes puts it, “the eye to rest” (she injected personal touches by tweaking buttons and necklines), those prints steal the show. The cow print was inspired by the landscape right outside where the pieces are crafted, near Bergen. “ I wanted to capture a Scandinavian sensibility: being close to nature, focusing on longevity, and grounding the collaboration in something truly Norwegian that you can feel proud of,” says Gimnes.

The flowers throughout the capsule, meanwhile, are a playful take on the classic Oleana floral prints, with their folkloric sensibilities. This motif holds a personal significance to Gimnes. “It reminds me of my grandmother, Gudrun, who owned a beautiful Oleana piece,” she says. “I wanted to create something that she, or my great-grandmother Jossi, who lived to be 105, would have cherished today, something that reflects their larger-than-life personalities and outlook on life.” Gimnes’ signature jacket, meanwhile, with it’s printed pocket details, is also reimagined for the collection. To bring these pieces to life, Oleana embraced digital printing for the very first time.

When it came time to capture the pieces, it was only fitting to mirror the nature – and cows – in Gimnes’ prints. And so they headed to Bygdøy Kongsgård (the Bygdø Royal Farm). “The contrast between the expressive, graphic garments and the rustic, natural surroundings creates a dialogue between heritage and contemporary expression,” says Gimnes. Much like the conversation between Oleana and EDDA, come to think of it.