Hold on to your credit cards people….here’s our best tips to great vintage and second hand finds in Oslo!

Lets start out tour of vintage Oslo in the district with the highest density of used-garment botiques: Grünerløkka. If you want to multi-task, go shopping on a sunday. Most of the smaller shops are open, and you can stop by the markets as well.

The shops

Trabant Vintage in Markveien 56 carries a wide range of different retro- and mod-look brands, as well as brands based on redesign. In addition they have second hand clothing, shoes and accessories. A little further down the street you’ll find Robot, Trabants’ little sister. Check them out online at www.trabantclothing.com.

Inside tip: Check out the brand Rethink by the Norwegian designer Veronica Glitch. The clothing is all 100% organic and lots of it is redesigned too!

Located on the corner of Markveien and Torvbakkgata , Gatsby is the place where you can find antique brooches, hats from the 40’s, lambs-wool hippie coats and everything in between. Cocktail glasses, kitschy serving trays, handbags and lace gloves compete for your attention. This little treasure chamber is sure to wow you with the sheer mass of items it contains.

Inside tip: This shop also buys stuff, so if you’re on a budget, consider trying to sell some old silverware or that cool suitcase from your grandpa that you never use.

Fretex Unika is part of the Salvation Army’s chain of stores, Fretex, and is easily found at Markveien 51. What differentiates Unika from the rest of the Fretex stores is that all the items are handpicked from the main storage of all the Fretex clothes. They have basically done part of the job for you, and have even made it easier by sorting the clothes by color, so you can go straight to the pink rack when browsing for that dream-like, princess-dress for your friends birthday party.

Inside tip: Siri, who works at Fretex Unika says her greatest finds often are the cheapest ones. “My best second hand buy ever is a pair of cognac colored leather trousers that I bought for just 30 kroners! Part of the joy of shopping second hand is also saving a couple of bucks.”

At Frøken Dianas Salonger, located at Markveien 33, you can spend hours looking through the amazing finds of the lovely owners Elise and Ellen. In addition to mesmerizing sequined dresses, handbags that make your jaw drop, and shoes in all the colors of the rainbow, you can also buy vintage furniture and interior in this jewel of a shop. Visit Frøken Diana online at www.frokendianassalonger.no.

Inside tip: Elise says the most important thing when shopping vintage and second hand is to have loads of time on your hands. “Look through ALL garments. You really can’t do superficial browsing when buying vintage stuff, because there’s only one of each. You never know –that dress that you sniffed skeptically at when on the hanger might be a perfect fit as soon as you try it on!”.

Crossing over to Thorvald Meyers Gate, you’ll find Velouria Vintage located at number 34. Just like Frøken Dianas Salonger, it’s a favorite among Oslo’s fashionistas, and they have clothing, shoes and accessories from the 50s and onwards. Find Velouria Vintage on the world wide web at www.velouriavintage.no.

Inside tip: You can find designer treasures here. Our best friends Fendi, Chloe, Chanel and Dior have been known to stop by Velouria, and hang out in the shelves of this little emporium for a while.

Other spots in the district:

Lucky Buttons, Markveien 58.  New design, redesign, and handpicked vintage. You can read their blog at www.luckybuttons.blogspot.com.

Los Lobos, Thorvald Meyers Gate 30. Rockabilly heaven with both retro clothing as well as some vintage pieces. Visit them online at www.loslobos.no.

The market at Birkelunden. Every Sunday Birkelunden is filled with small booths selling second hand clothing, vintage furniture, old books, handmade scarves and everything else you can imagine. Flea market style, bargaining is allowed.

Sunday market at Blå. Smaller than the one at Birkelunden, and selling more handcrafted stuff, but you can also find second hand and vintage clothes as well as accessories here. Be sure to stop by on a sunny day, and grab a beer outdoors at the club Blå after an exhausting round of shopping!

The other great shops in Oslo are more spread out, but they are guaranteed worth the detour anyways. Be sure to check out:

Tonica Vintage Corner, Scøningsgate  14. Located at Majorstua, Tonica is a vintage institution. Mrs. Tonica herself, the always-charming Tone Sige, opened the shop in an old apartment in 1976, and they are still going strong to say the least. “The most important thing when shopping in vintage stores is to take notice of the atmosphere”, says Sige. “Everybody is always stressing the importance of knowing your brand names and the quality of fabrics, but if you find a good store, they will already have taken care of all that for you.” She also agrees with the owners of Frøken Dianas Salonger when it comes to the importance of looking thoroughly and being patient when on a vintage mission.

Inside tip: On august 5^th, the day Marilyn Monroe left this world, Tonica celebrates her life by throwing a small party. And guess what? They actually have a dress that belonged to the adored movie star, but you only get to see it on this very day!

Hr. & Fru Retro, Dannevigsveien 18A. A hidden treasure located in the Sagene district, Hr. & Fru Retro is filled with items handpicked by the owners, and it offers an array of vintage interior, furniture, clothing and accessories. Find the shop online at www.herrogfruretro.no.

Reprise, Schweigaards Gate 52B. This tiny hole-in-the-wall sells second- and third hand apparel, as well as some new clothing. The shop is small, but very well stocked! Check out www.reprise.no for opening hours and info.

UFF Underground, Storgata 1. This may be the opposite of Reprise when it comes to size. A huge basement filled to the brink with second hand deliciousness. In addition they carry their own line of third-hand clothes. You can find UFF at two more locations in Oslo. In Pilestredet 42A, and at  Jernbanetorget 2. UFF is definitely the place to go if you suffer from a small budget and a big love for bargains! More info at www.uffnorge.org.

Fretex have multiple locations around the city, and aside from Fretex Unika, you’ll have to be more of a second hand-detective to find the great pieces in these shops. Check out www.fretex.no to find an overview of all their stores.

Flea Markets. Spring and fall are the flea market seasons in Norway. Most of them are organized at schools around the city, and they are of course great places to make even better purchases. Be sure to get there early, bring cash, and be prepared to use your elbows to get through the crowds. Check out www.loppemarked.info to find out when the next flea market is due.

Okay, you’re all set to go shopping now. Just remember to have loads of time, an open mind, and most importantly: have fun! Enjoy basking in the treasures of earlier eras, dare to try out that jumpsuit you normally wouldn’t buy, and think outside the box.

Good luck, and don’t forget: you look great.

Words and photos: Therese Nordhus Lien

Tradition meets innovation; the philosophy behind the brand Sptzbrgn.

The Norwegian national day 17^th of May is just around the corner. If you are a male and want that little extra this year, a designer tie from Sptzbrgn could make you stand out from the ordinary crowd of black suit and boring tie.

Modern meets traditions
Jarle Hagen and Tanja Holmen are the creators of Sptzbrgn, a design label that focuses on handicrafted ties with inspiration from the Norwegian folk costume bunad. Their collection of ties is an immense example on how to combine modern fashion with culture traditions.

Starting point
Jarle has worked as a designer and Art Director for many years and tells Oslo Nights where he got the idea of making these extraordinary ties for men:

- It was during a visit to New York that I started to play with the thought of creating costume embroidery on ties. I never wanted to make a big production out of it, but rather focus on making something exceptional and of high quality, says Hagen.

Collection
And well made is a precise description of these unique and timeless creations. The price is a bit stiff, yet they are hand embroidered and assembled by hand, the craft quality is excellent, and only Norwegian wool has been used in production.

The collection gives you 22 costume ties, and every single tie has its own type of embroidery with inspiration from East, West, Middle or North Norwegian folk costumes.

Success
The brand won the Award for Design Excellence by the Norwegian Design Council last year and Jarle tells us the key to success:

- I believe it’s the way we have been branding Sptzbrgn that has contributed to our great success. You can’t just buy one of these ties in some ordinary store, you either have to order them online or find a specific store that sells them. I also feel that the ties resemble real Norwegian culture and give you a feeling of belonging to your home place, says Hagen.

So if you don’t want to go all out in a full male bunad, why not pimp your hipster outfit with a costume bunad tie for this year’s national day?

Words: Henrikke H. Havaas

Photos: Sptzbrgn

Thursday, the Anti Denim brand store gathered fashionistas and friends for the launch of the new Anti Denim collection. It didn’t take long before the location  was crowded, and with live music by Wardruna, Psychic Arm, Djerv, and an Anti denim preformance by Storm Pedersen, and private shopping, you could feel the perfectly summer-vibes coming from the originally gray and rainy day.

Photos: Cecilie Andrea Torp

Do you know your glossary?

Oh, you’ve heard it all before when it comes to the ground rules of vintage shopping. We know. But have you heard it straight from the horse’s mouth?  Oslo Nights had a chat with vintage- and second hand storeowners spread around the city, and we proudly share our finds with you!

But first, just to be on the safe side, let’s walk through the basics. Do you know the difference between second hand and vintage? And what about third hand? What differentiates a design dress from a re-designed one? Does retro indicate that the garment in question is old?

Getting the terminology right

To carry the title “vintage”, the garment or item should pre-date the 1990’s.  Newer items are usually referred to as “second hand”. Clothes from the beginning of the 1900’s or older can bask themselves in the “antique” category.

Nowadays “vintage” is used loosely, and often incorrectly. The fashion industry loves vintage, and it seems like every other chain store has its own “vintage collection”.

Some seem to prefer that the term “vintage” should only include apparel from designer brands. A YSL jacket from ’92 would for example be vintage, while a H&M jumper from the same year would be classified as second hand. The older the clothes get, the easier it is for the garment to pass as vintage.

Third hand clothes are second hand or vintage wear that have been altered in some manner. A dress transformed to a skirt or a jumper decorated with sequins. It’s basically an old piece of clothing that has received the touch of the current era.

The same goes for re-designed items, although this term usually refers to actual design pieces. That lovely Dior wedding dress from the 50s who has suffered through 40 years in an old attic, may need some altering to rid itself from a torn sleeve or a yellowing spot on the trim.  Despite the fact that one usually wants to keep design items in their original form, circumstances could put you in a position where you have the choice of just throwing away those to-die-for Chanel trousers from your grandma, or simply re-designing them into a pair of contemporary shorts. Easy choice, huh?

Clothes labeled retro are not necessarily old, in fact, the term reflects more on the look of the garments. Retro t-shirts for example are more often than not new, but with a retro-style print, or a worn look.

All this terminology is not really important of course. The important thing about vintage, second hand or whatever you want to call it, is that it gives you an opportunity to wear something different than your neighbor without going bankrupt, and without contributing to an industry based on sweat-shops, cheap materials, and an in general un-sustainable way to go about your business.

(Well, let me correct myself for a second. It is definitely possible to ruin yourself buying vintage wear. In fact, some designer items may even be more expensive than the current stuff the brand makes, simply because it’s more rare.)

Now, lets get to the core of this article. Where can you get the pièce de résistance for your wardrobe here in Oslo? Your dying to know, right? Oh, you’ll have to wait  just a little longer. We’ll share our secrets with you in part 2 of your rough guide to vintage -available in a few days.

Psst…while you’re waiting: From the 12^th to the 13^th of May, the kooky, cute, whimsical and magnificent shop Flashdance will have a pop up store at Grüners Gate 11.  The clothes are mainly 80s and 90s. Think M.I.A , Lady Gaga and Rihanna playing dress-up at Disneyland while drinking  pink champagne. Yes. Flashdance is that good.

Flashdance used to have a store located at Posthallen, but while we’re eagerly waiting for Monica Johansen to yet again bless us with her fantastic vintage finds you can still find the shop online at www.flashdancevintage.no.

To wrap it all up, a little vintage dictionary

Vintage: Clothes made before 1990.

Antique: Attire pre-dating the 1920s.

Second hand: Basically, all used garments are second hand, and this includes vintage clothes too.

Third hand: Second hand clothes altered in some way, to give it that up-to-date look.

Re-design: Similar to third hand, but more commonly used to describe actual design pieces that have been refashioned.

Retro: A word generally used to describe the look of clothes, not the era of production

Words and photos: Therese Nordhus Lien

Kjersti Vatle’s newest collection, Hypnotize, for autumn/winter 2012, is inspired by 90′s hip hop culture. Last Wednesday Vatle invited guest to view the collection at Torggata Bar. The models danced hip hop on the catwalk, very suitable for the collection.

Photo: Mari Torvanger Knap

Last Thursday, Milla Boutique (which is located in House of Oslo) gathered shoppers and friends for the private celebration of five years in the industry. The guests were all warmly welcomed with some sparkling cider before they could enjoy the private shopping of everything from crystal doorknobs, mexican blankets and crochet boxes to spiked leather jackets, minimalistic dresses and glittering shoes.

Photos: Cecilie Andrea Torp

Tuesday evening a vernissage was held for photographer Marc Thirouin at Galleri TM51. People enjoyed themselves with great photos on the walls, bubbly water, macarones, and music, played by the DJs, Marianne Theodorsen and Monica Johansen. The music even made people dance, some sooner than others.

Photo: Mari Torvanger Knap

Cover Filippa K Blazer, Only Knitted cardigan, Stylist’s own lingerie, Glitter necklace, H&M Hair decoration.

Vintage Shirt, Julie Parisi Necklace, Glitter Rings

Cubus Denim West, Nelly Trend dress, Oroblu white knitted pantyhose, Hope boots, Part Two bracelet

Nelly Trend dress, Vintage denim jacket, Glitter ring

Model’s own Blazer, Filippa K Blazer, Only Knitted cardigan, Stylist’s own lingerie, Glitter necklace, H&M Hair decoration.

Vintage T-shirt, Whyred skirt, Stylist’s own hair decoration and necklace, Glitter Thin necklace

See more fashion editorials here

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CREDITS

Photography / Mari Torvanger Knap

Styling / Andrea Johannesen

Model / Gitte Lill @ Heartbreak

Hair & Make Up / Dorthe Vaagan

Photo Assistant / Trine Torvanger Knap

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Bringing big names to the stage
In the middle of the desert, surrounded by palm trees, this years Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival took place last weekend in Indio, California. Over 225,000 people gathered to spend a weekend with fun and listening to the big headliners such as Radiohead, the Black Keys, Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre, the Hives and Florence and the Machine. For the last show on sunday, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre really gave the fans a big surprise with Eminem and 50 Cent as guest performers and at the end Tupac Shakur as a hologram on stage.

Two weekends
The two first days were a bit colder and rainier than previous years; some would even suggest that the weather gods had been nice this year, compared to last year where people fainted because of the heat. For the first time ever, this years festival is taking place over two weekends and ends this sunday on April 22.

Photos and words: Henrikke Hammett Havaas

Meeting Jeremy Scott and his colorful world.

It was a gray Parisian morning when I met Jeremy Scott. As my roommates made themselves ready for another day of Paris Fashion Week, I quickly grabbed something to wear and headed out the door in a taxi. By grabbed I obviously mean put on something that I carefully laid out the night before. After all, it is Fashion Week. The taxi drove me to Rue François and I ventured up a staircase on a quite modern building. As soon as I come in, my eyes, a bit asleep from standing up early, wake up by all the colors, textures and prints from the show room. As I head to a meeting room, I am greeted by a quite enthusiastic Jeremy Scott.

- I love your color combination. Thank you for bringing so many beautiful colors into my show room, he says.

I knew it then, it was going to be a good day.

I just lied a little, since I had actually met Jeremy the evening before at his cocktail party. There I had a chance to look at his Fall/Winter 2012.2013 designs for both Adidas and for his new line under his own name. The collection is filled with pop culture references with a strong connotation to the 90s, and with the characteristic Jeremy Scott love for color.

A hair coat jumps out of a corner, and in contrast to previous seen from Maison Martin Margiela, this one is in randomly placed rainbow colors. Being more than a copy, Jeremy explains:

- As the line came more an more complete, a rainbow effect started appearing, so my rainbow hair coat is a pan tone result around my whole collection.

The rainbow effect is well accompanied by a mythical animal that although tied to rainbows in story, pays no direct reference to Jeremys own designs, but rather to commercial artist Lisa Frank.

Who is Lisa Frank? I ask, trying to dig deep in my mind why the name sounded familiar. Lisa Frank is only the 90s sticker queen, he laughs as he describes how his unicorn pays homage to the wonderful world the sticker queen created.

Filled with color and in a general fun aura, it is a world of fantasy that lives on through his designs. Yet the unicorn is only another reference in the vast universe that is Jeremy Scott. Spotted through yellow sweaters through his pointy hair and mischevious face, a Bart Simpson flourishes on.

- What I love about Bart is that he is the star of the show and he relates to all, a fun, youthful person inside. You can be in Dubai, Timbuktu, Oslo or LA, and you have heard of Bart, he utters with a smile that reveals some of the Bart nature in him as well.

Jeremy Scott New York Fall / Winter 12.13

And it is indeed a mischevious undertone as materials mix and create an understated femininity that is obviously present in the low cut or sheer dresses. However, being a nerd and all, what really fascinates me is Jeremy’s key point of reference to the 90s.

- The internet has become a porthole to all we know and want to know. Playing around with the idea of how pop culture the internet has become I loved the idea of incorporating that sense into my own design.

Keyboards, mouse icons and emoticons take life in Jeremy’s designs along with other colorful designs. Perhaps it is this porthole that has allowed Jeremy to distinguish himself as a designer and earn respect of well-known ones. After all, Karl Lagerfeld did state Jeremy as his only possible successor in Chanel.

Yet the figures speak for themselves. With his two week shop in NY bringing unexpected revenues and his cooperation with Adidas throughout his collections, Jeremy Scott keeps on developing and accomplishing. Adidas has given him the opportunity to create a hand-in-hand own line and given him a fun jumpboard to what is to come. And although he is not sure of what is to come, just as he believes inspiration strikes when least expected, it is no doubt that there is a side to fashion that just wants to be fun and spontaneous, just like Jeremy is.

Funny enough, what we come up to at the end of the interview, is just that. Genius is Spontaneous. Who does not want to jump on that bandwagon? Jeremy Scott is on board.

Words: Alexander Norheim
Photos: Courtesy of Adidas by Jeremy Scott / Style.com

Skydiving and fashion are not usually two things that go hand in hand. However, in this video a crew of exploratory designers, photographers and models found a way to connect the two. To see how the fashion designers, who were inspired by Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga, worked with the shoot, have a look at this video. It is a mix of feathers, light reflecting materials and adrenalin. Pretty amazing that it was shot with a HTC One! The results from the shoot can also be seen by clicking on the link in the end of the video. Enjoy!

Christina Ledang showed her newest collection, “Take Four”, at White Light Studios yesterday. Ledang, who also works as a stylist, is known for using rubber in her design, as she has also done in her previous collections. Judging by the applause and what people talked about after the show, Christina Ledang’s collection for Autumn/Winter 12/13 seemed to be very well received by the guests.

Photo: Mari Torvanger Knap