I Heart Norwegian Wood is one of those fashion brands that never ceases to reinvent itself. While close followers of the brand know to expect an amazing selection of pieces with each new season, they also know that they can never expect… the expected.
Just this past week a slew of new photos came out (see gallery below). It seemed fitting then, that we ask Angie Johnson (the creative mind at the helm the wonderfully feminine but never to frilly collections,) our set of 10 questions.
Editors note: In an effort to be totally transparent, I’ll admit that I consider Angie a friend. She was nice enough to invite me to her studio a few years ago, and we haven’t lost touch since. But she remains a creative force to be reckoned with, as she piles on project after project, season after season, never faltering in her drive, or desire to make beautiful clothes and accessories that stand out from the rest.
Read on, and see for yourself.
Name: Angie Johnson
Location: Montreal, Canada
Website: norwegianwoodonline.com
There have been some big changes for you recently : you’ve closed the store you shared with your husband, tackeled a lingerie line, and you’re now selling out of Top Shop in London. New beginings and endings. How does it all feel?
Overwhelming! There’s so much going on right now that sometimes my head is spinning. But the upside is that now my husband Tyson is able to help me at the studio, since he doesn’t have to worry about the store anymore. I absolutely could not have taken on the Topshop concession without his help, so the timing worked out well.
You’ve worked with Topshop before. What’s different this time around?
The first time I worked with them it was for a popup boutique area they had created called EDIT. This popup lasted only 3 months, and showcased around 10 designers. This time I have joined the Topshop Concessions area. This area is a space where brands get a specified space (the size varies by brand) which we are completely in charge of. From staffing, to shipping goods, stocking the rack… it’s all managed from our end, and there is no set time limit on how long the concession will last…it all depends on the success of each individual brand!
You just shot a new lookbook. Can you talk a bit about the inspiration behind the collection and the shoot itself?
The SS12 collection was initially inspired by the 1960s tile work in the Montreal metro system, but it evolved to encompass the overall idea of handmade tiles, the contrast between rustic and modern, etc. I shot with Manon Parent, a Montreal photographer who I had never worked with before, but whose work I had seen through editorials that some of the stylists I work with had put together with her.
What was your inspiration for it and what was your favorite piece to design?
The inspiration for the shoot just went back to the idea of texture and clay, so Manon did some plaster work on a wooden frame that we built. My favorite piece to design in the collection would have to be the dress that incorporates one of the digital prints I created for the collection. It combines a vectral graphic that I created based on the tile work in Peel metro station, combined with photographs of some of the handmade tiles I used in the jewelry for the collection.
You’ve moved house over the last year. Has the new space changed anything about how your creative process? Are you still sharing it with Marc and Yana?
Well, I have a lot more room now, which is amazing! I really needed it, things were getting incredibly crowded in the old space. I now have 4 more industrial sewing machines, as well as a lot more table space and storage space. Plus Tyson is now cutting for me full time, and I have a wonderful intern named Lissa who is helping with pattern grading and patternmaking. I still share with Marc Simard and Yana Gorbulsky but now ALSO share with two amazing vintage sellers, Emily Birnbaum and Sarah Whidden.
A few months ago when we ran into each other at Puce Pop, you weren’t there representing Norwegian Wood, but for a new accessories line under a different name. Can you tell us a little about why you created a second line? Is it only available at craft shows?
Yes the line is called Sea & Land and is a line I created specifically for the craft shows and music festivals I do throughout the year. I was ending up creating a lot of designs and one of a kind pieces just for these shows anyway, and I felt that it just made sense to separate these designs from Norwegian Wood. The price points were different and the esthetics were a bit different too, so I just decided to go for it. In the end, I’m doing the same amount of work and creating the same number of items, just now under 2 different names!
A lot of the opportunities you’ve created for yourself have come from your talent as a designer and a strong ability to connect with people, especially online, through twitter and the blogging community. The last few years have seen the blogging community change quite a bit. Has this affected what you do at all? As a designer who’s become close with a number of bloggers, have you felt any change in the fashion blogging community?
Yes, as someone who’s been reading blogs since the early days (I think I started reading fashion blogs around 2004/2005?) a LOT has changed. I appreciate the increased quality of the photos…the bar has definitely been raised! However I am sometimes bored by the sameness that occurs due to many bloggers being given goods by the same companies. I don’t blame the bloggers though, if I was put in the same position I think I would LOVE to get free goodies….The issue for me occurs because often the companies that are large enough to give many bloggers gifts all at once are not the companies that I find interesting or all that intriguing, so then the blogs are flooded with 100% nice but slightly bland bags or wallets or sunglasses or whatever. The blogs that have interested me most from the beginning have for the most part kept me hooked. Once in awhile I’ll find a new blog that I’m really into, but there is a lot of sameness going on right now….but the gems are still tucked away if you search hard enough!
A few quickie questions:
Do you have a favorite Norwegian designer?
Eep, no! Embarassing!
What is your favorite type of wood ? Well, I use Walnut a lot in my work, but I also really like teak….we own a lot of teak furniture!
What are your top five songs to listen to when you’re into mega production mode?
Hmmm, this is hard, they change a lot, and the Topshop production actually never stops! We are constantly making new stuff every week…Here’s a list of the bands that we’ve been listening to at the studio a lot:
Lissie, The Coral, Fleetwood Mac, The Black Keys, Ferraby Lionheart
I have to give 70s funk/soul and 80s/90s Fat Wreck Chords style punk albums equal billing….we rotate between both quite often.
I Heart Norwegian Wood is one of those fashion brands that never ceases to reinvent itself. While close followers of the brand know to expect an amazing selection of pieces with each new season, they also know that they can never expect... the expected.
Just this past week a slew of new photos came out (see gallery below). It seemed fitting then, that we ask Angie Johnson (the creative mind at the helm the wonderfully feminine but never to frilly collections,) our set of 10 questions.
Editors note: In an effort to be totally transparent, I'll admit that I consider Angie a friend. She was nice enough to invite me to her studio a few years ago, and we haven't lost touch since. But she remains a creative force to be reckoned with, as she piles on project after project, season after season, never faltering in her drive, or desire to make beautiful clothes and accessories that stand out from the rest.
Read on, and see for yourself.
Name: Angie Johnson
Location: Montreal, Canada
Website: norwegianwoodonline.com
There have been some big changes for you recently : you've closed the store you shared with your husband, tackeled a lingerie line, and you're now selling out of Top Shop in London. New beginings and endings. How does it all feel?
Overwhelming! There's so much going on right now that sometimes my head is spinning. But the upside is that now my husband Tyson is able to help me at the studio, since he doesn't have to worry about the store anymore. I absolutely could not have taken on the Topshop concession without his help, so the timing worked out well.
You've worked with Topshop before. What's different this time around?
The first time I worked with them it was for a popup boutique area they had created called EDIT. This popup lasted only 3 months, and showcased around 10 designers. This time I have joined the Topshop Concessions area. This area is a space where brands get a specified space (the size varies by brand) which we are completely in charge of. From staffing, to shipping goods, stocking the rack... it's all managed from our end, and there is no set time limit on how long the concession will last...it all depends on the success of each individual brand!
You just shot a new lookbook. Can you talk a bit about the inspiration behind the collection and the shoot itself?
The SS12 collection was initially inspired by the 1960s tile work in the Montreal metro system, but it evolved to encompass the overall idea of handmade tiles, the contrast between rustic and modern, etc. I shot with Manon Parent, a Montreal photographer who I had never worked with before, but whose work I had seen through editorials that some of the stylists I work with had put together with her.
What was your inspiration for it and what was your favorite piece to design?
The inspiration for the shoot just went back to the idea of texture and clay, so Manon did some plaster work on a wooden frame that we built. My favorite piece to design in the collection would have to be the dress that incorporates one of the digital prints I created for the collection. It combines a vectral graphic that I created based on the tile work in Peel metro station, combined with photographs of some of the handmade tiles I used in the jewelry for the collection.
You've moved house over the last year. Has the new space changed anything about how your creative process? Are you still sharing it with Marc and Yana?
Well, I have a lot more room now, which is amazing! I really needed it, things were getting incredibly crowded in the old space. I now have 4 more industrial sewing machines, as well as a lot more table space and storage space. Plus Tyson is now cutting for me full time, and I have a wonderful intern named Lissa who is helping with pattern grading and patternmaking. I still share with Marc Simard and Yana Gorbulsky but now ALSO share with two amazing vintage sellers, Emily Birnbaum and Sarah Whidden.
A few months ago when we ran into each other at Puce Pop, you weren't there representing Norwegian Wood, but for a new accessories line under a different name. Can you tell us a little about why you created a second line? Is it only available at craft shows?
Yes the line is called Sea & Land and is a line I created specifically for the craft shows and music festivals I do throughout the year. I was ending up creating a lot of designs and one of a kind pieces just for these shows anyway, and I felt that it just made sense to separate these designs from Norwegian Wood. The price points were different and the esthetics were a bit different too, so I just decided to go for it. In the end, I'm doing the same amount of work and creating the same number of items, just now under 2 different names!
A lot of the opportunities you've created for yourself have come from your talent as a designer and a strong ability to connect with people, especially online, through twitter and the blogging community. The last few years have seen the blogging community change quite a bit. Has this affected what you do at all? As a designer who's become close with a number of bloggers, have you felt any change in the fashion blogging community?
Yes, as someone who's been reading blogs since the early days (I think I started reading fashion blogs around 2004/2005?) a LOT has changed. I appreciate the increased quality of the photos...the bar has definitely been raised! However I am sometimes bored by the sameness that occurs due to many bloggers being given goods by the same companies. I don't blame the bloggers though, if I was put in the same position I think I would LOVE to get free goodies....The issue for me occurs because often the companies that are large enough to give many bloggers gifts all at once are not the companies that I find interesting or all that intriguing, so then the blogs are flooded with 100% nice but slightly bland bags or wallets or sunglasses or whatever. The blogs that have interested me most from the beginning have for the most part kept me hooked. Once in awhile I'll find a new blog that I'm really into, but there is a lot of sameness going on right now....but the gems are still tucked away if you search hard enough!
A few quickie questions:
Do you have a favorite Norwegian designer?
Eep, no! Embarassing!
What is your favorite type of wood ? Well, I use Walnut a lot in my work, but I also really like teak....we own a lot of teak furniture!
What are your top five songs to listen to when you're into mega production mode?
Hmmm, this is hard, they change a lot, and the Topshop production actually never stops! We are constantly making new stuff every week...Here's a list of the bands that we've been listening to at the studio a lot:
Lissie, The Coral, Fleetwood Mac, The Black Keys, Ferraby Lionheart
I have to give 70s funk/soul and 80s/90s Fat Wreck Chords style punk albums equal billing....we rotate between both quite often.
