Introducing: Talent Award by Steen & Støm - and this year’s nominees

Expanded support for new creative voices‍‍
To truly fulfill Oslo Runway’s role as Norway’s most important platform for showcasing Norwegian designers, fashion- and lifestyle brands, we are actively working to maintain long-term investment in talent through various promotional and support programs. By working closely with educational institutions and the industry itself, we’ve created a comprehensive support program to highlight and develop new talent through exposure, mentorship, and financial support. 

This year, we’re taking our talent initiative one step further, in cherished collaboration with Steen & Strøm. Three selected graduates, one from each of the three fashion schools Esmod, Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHiO), and OsloMet, have been chosen as nominees for the award by this year’s expert jury. 

- It’s been incredibly inspiring to visit the schools and see the impressive work delivered by this year’s graduating students. The quality, creativity, and dedication shown in their projects make us proud to support the next generation of Norwegian designers through the new Steen & Strøm Talent Award, says Kaia Kongsli, Head of Marketing at Steen & Strøm, and this year’s Jury Leader.

One month of exhibition in the middle of the city center‍
The work of all three graduates will be exhibited at Steen & Strøm in the middle of Oslo in the month leading up to ORW25. Once the season kicks off, the ORW25 Official Schedule features a slot where international and national press will be introduced to the graduates and their works.

- All three nominees will be exhibited at our entrance facing Karl Johans gate starting on August 4, and will have the opportunity to showcase their work to a wide audience throughout the entire month of August, Kongsli explains.

- We are very excited to highlight these talents and to announce the winner! she adds.

The winner will be revealed at our big Anniversary Dinner on Opening Night, at the Munch Museum.

The prize winner benefits of a two-day design exploration‍
The selected winner is invited to a two-day trip of design exploration of Norwegian heritage knit at Dale of Norway. By visiting the Dale Factory in Dale, outside of Bergen, an exciting opportunity to explore and learn about Norwegian knitwear and historic handcraft traditions opens up, as well as the possibility to participate in some of the processes taking place at the Dale Factory.

Nominee: Ola Moe with his brand Heiemo and the collection “Where Do We Go When We Fall Asleep”.‍
Freshly out of the graduation class at Esmod Oslo, where he’s been receiving remarks for his exceptional needlework, he fuses traditional tailoring with Nordic heritage. He creates modern silhouettes to portray the curious yet empowered woman.

Heiemo draws its inspiration from folklore, fairy tales, and traditional folk costumes, as well as the designer’s own childhood, memories and view. Shaped by an upbringing in the far north of Norway he invites you to dive into a romantic Scandinavian nightmare; dreamlike, haunting, and rooted in Northern mysticism.

Nominee: Vårhild Bakke Berntzen with the collection ‘Mÿo oomme (Vi er)’ (We are)‍
KHiO graduate (Oslo National Academy of the Arts) Vårhild Bakke Berntzen is based at Finnskogen, where she works with fashion design, performance and video which explores the relationship between fragments and continuity in Forest Finn time, identity, and cultural heritage. Her work is particularly connected to interpersonal relationships through objects, especially clothing, and combines endangered traditional crafts techniques, such as birch bark weaving, frame knitting, and blacksmithing, with speculative design.

Her commitment to making Forest Finn culture accessible by exploring it through art and design, stems from the experience of only becoming aware of her own cultural heritage as an adult. This sparked her deep interest in investigating the relationship between time, objects, and people within a vulnerable cultural heritage, alongside principles from Forest Finn magic. Berntzen also works actively with the youth organization Unge Skogfinner i Norge/Norjan Metsäsuomalaisnuoret (Young Forest Finns in Norway).

Nominee: Vilde Gullhaug Birkeli and Line Møller-Stray Nissen with the collection ‘FLYT’‍
Hailing from OsloMet, designers Line and Vilde joined forces to create the collection FLOW. The collection is created for a responsible consumer society – inspired by Norwegian outdoor culture and adapted to urban everyday life. Clothes that not only dress you for the day – but move with you through it.

The collection consists of transformable garments, designed to simplify the day and adapt to various activities. With multifunctional solutions, comfortable materials, and unisex fits, the clothing offers freedom – both for body and mind. Each garment can change in form, function, and size, creating a flexible wardrobe where fewer pieces meet more needs.

Both designers are driven by and drawn to curiosity, freedom, problem-solving, sustainability and conscious choices, as well as the use of natural materials, in their design process.