The 5 key takeaways from Oslo Runway 2025

Though Norwegians aren’t prone to boast, Oslo Runway is worth buzzing about. For its 10th anniversary, the annual event celebrated beloved heritage brands, broke buzzy new designers and brought visitors to breathtaking venues all across the city (yes, there were plenty of Instagram-friendly fjord views). And don’t even get us started on the criminally underrated street style.

Below, we break down the key takeaways and unmissable moments of Oslo Runway 2025, a humble fashion week not to be slept on.

Related: The best street style at Oslo Runway 2025

The young brand Wilhelmina staged its Oslo Runway debut this season, finding its folktale-inspired, upcycled pieces (including those oyster shell buttons) floating through a no-nonsense industrial space. The frayed knits, the modern corsets, the draped trousers, the teal bubble skirt – every item in the tightly-edited show was worth coveting. A brand with many more tales to tell, no doubt.

It’s no surprise that actor-slash-designer Pia Tjelta’s show at the Nationaltheatret (she had taken the stage in the play Dødsdansen across the hall just an hour or two earlier) would bring out Norway’s biggest stars. Skam alum Henrik Holm, Vogue Scandinavia digital cover star Kristine Froseth and Isabel Skolmen were among the pals of Tjelta’s who filled the plush red settee’s that lined the front row. It was almost enough to distract one from the stunning runway performance, which featured dancers in the brand’s fluid feminine frocks set to a chill-inducing cover of Amy Winehouse’s 'Back to Black' performed by the duo Innlandet. Bravo.

Speaking of that Amy Winehouse cover, there were exceptional live performances backtracking runway shows across the board. At Envelope1976, ARY’s dreamy electro pop vocals set the stage for one of the standout shows of the week. Before guests dug into lunch in the backyard of Camilla Pihl’s atelier, R&B songstress Hillary performed an exceptional acoustic set and over at the MUNCH museum, the Pearl Octopuss.y show was set to the dreamy synths of the band Gundelach. The Livid performance even featured an accordion, played by Axel Barratt-Due. Proof that Oslo’s talents are a-plenty, both on and beyond the runway.

It was a big week for Pearl Octopuss.y and its founder Cathrine Børter. Not only did the buzzy brand stage its runway show – filled with a symphony of crystal-embellished and fringe-happy pieces – at the MUNCH museum, it also nabbed the prestigious Oslo Runway Tribute Award, which comes with a tidy sum of 50,000 NOK courtesy of Innovation Norway. Proof that the future is sparkly for Pearl Octopuss.y.

On the official Oslo Runway schedule this season was a visit to Oslo’s International Library of Fashion Research, at which founder Elise by Olsen presented the institution’s mission: to collect and catalogue fashion print materials – show invites and promotional materials, books and magazines – from the 1970s to present day. It’s any fashion obsession’s Mecca – visitors travel from far and wide to leaf through the rare Maison Margiela ephemera and back issues of Visionaire. No surprise it was no easy feat getting the international fashion press to leave. Luckily it’s open to the public year round.

Craft was centre stage at Oslo Runway, which kicked off with a panel talk at Dale of Norway – purveyors of excellent heritage knitwear – and finished with a dinner hosted by beloved knitwear brand O.A.D. (a brand which carries on the heritage of Devold of Norway). Throughout the week there were endless knitwear interpretations, from Kari Traa's maximalist top-to-toe knitwear to Woodling’s charming ruffled knit dresses. The perfect inspo for the pending sweater weather.