Fashion in the high North. From slow fashion by ELLA to a return to tradition made by Farmersmarket

Would you expect to find any sort of 'fashion' on a trip to Iceland? Probably not. Not us in any case. Of course, you can come across the odd boutique that stocks some imported goods. Maybe some of the big chains with one branch each ? Well, we couldn’t have been more wrong.

There might not be as much choice as in Cologne, Paris, London or New York. Yet, we were still pleasantly surprised by some of the concepts and accompanying concept stores. Such as the ELLA label, founded by Elinros Lindal in spring 2011. Her wonderful store is located alongside one of the two most important high streets – note the ‘alongside’ not on.

The store used to be a bank – and so the collections are rather appropriately safely stored in the huge, original, fully functioning safe. Good thing her happy husband is a former banker. The label is all about 'Slow Fashion': Ella and equally-as-lovely designer Katrin Maria Karadottir plus team pay more attention than many others would. Where is it made, how is it made, who made it and can we make it even better? Then and only then, can production go ahead. No mass production, everything comes in strictly limited numbers.

When we asked Elinros about the typical ELLA-customer – perhaps a travelling European, maybe from Germany, who can bare to peel off her skinny jeans and put the parka aside for a second? “Nope”, answers Elinros with a smile, “almost all of our customers are a hundred percent Icelandic. We know our target audience very well, that is why we choose not to make 'seasonal products', we think in long-term concepts and try to provide our customers with pieces that they can wear for a long time.”

When asked if Iceland is a bit impractical when it comes to staying on top of what is going on in the business – designer Katrin Maria Karadottir answers: “It might appear as such on first glance. I used to work in Paris a long time ago and noticed that I did nothing but rush back and forth between the office and my bed. I had no intentions of continuing that lifestyle. In this day and age, with Internet, Social Media and websites like GoSee, it is no problem to keep up with international trends and developments.” A good answer by the designer who is about to leave for a three-week trip to Greenland, but only for inspiration, as she assures us with a wink of the eye.


Hence, sometimes it might be beneficial not to sit in the front row, but be the person on stage – or in a wonderful alley in your own bank in Reykjavik.
www.ellabyel.com



We don't want to leave you without pointing out three more addresses for all 'Fashion & Iceland' enthusiasts:

www.hringeftirhring.is - The rings featured on this website are designed by Steinunn Vala, a friend of the GoSee family. For now, her accessories are only available in the North, but she will surely be delighted to answer any customer enquiries.

www.vikprjonsdottir.com – The creative conglomerate specialises in making rather exceptional blankets, hats and suits from Icelandic wool.

www.farmersmarket.is – It is good that some of the nigh forgotten traditional patterns of Icelandic pullovers and jackets still play a part in the fashion world, alongside all the top-notch modern collections. Farmers Market is the go-to address.