by the Editorial Staff

Oslo Runway is one of the most well-run fashion weeks on the planet. Though it lasts only three days, it is filled with excellence and quality. Oslo Runway has become a champion of Norwegian Fashion and has had a significant impact on how Norwegian fashion is viewed both within and outside of Norway. While by and large most of the shows had something to look forward to, these three shows were hands down the best of an excellent lot. 

Tina Mollatt founded byTiMo in 2004 with the vision to offer high-quality clothing at justifiable prices. She creates garments that mix modern romance with timeless craftsmanship. byTiMo’s AW17 collection was elegant and romantic with hints of bohemian sophistication. The colour palette was very much in line with the colours of the season and included a blend of vibrant prints. The collection offered a wide range of looks from the everyday summer basics to evening wear. The soft silhouettes and ruffles are bound to excite the more feminine of the consumer demographics. 

Before getting into the nuts and bolts of byTimo's design excellence, we must also mention that byTimo plays a significant role in helping not only sustainable fashion but also helping out women in crisis centers in Oslo. So byTimo is in many ways a strong contender for a brand that truly understands the fashion and humanity are intrinsic parts of our sense of aesthetics. And that sort of attachment to pushing a more just society is in ample display in byTimo's design. This Spring-Summer collection focused heavily on the diversity of sizes along with some floral prints and ruffled exploration of silhouettes. It is safe to say that of all the shows during Oslo Runway byTimo's show was by far the most polished in terms of consistently excellent silhouettes. 

If byTimo was the polished darling of the Oslo Runway, then Iben is the rebellious sibling. Iben is the brainchild of Anh-Marthe Storheil, who focuses less on feminine silhouettes and more on the notion of unisex cool. By her own admission, the goal of Iben is to create a tomboy look with the ease of "too cool for school" attributes. This spring/summer collection had that DNA firmly installed in each of the looks. And from a varying color palette to outright gender-bending silhouettes and movements, Iben delivered a strong account of what the brand is really about. With the industrial setting, anything timid would have been a waste. The collection had the strongest line during Oslo Runway and by playing with the movement and how the fabric falls on the body, Iben stood out strong and proud. Incorporation of oversized jackets and blazers with loose pants also added a sense of evolution into the brand's DNA. It was a show that hit the right note and remained strong throughout the catwalk. 

Michael Olestad Nybråten is one of the most exciting emerging talents of Norway. He has the right credentials, the right looks, and above all an abundance of talent. His show was probably the most followed show during OSLRW and for good reason. He has paid his due working for serious designers after finishing his design school and then won the Bikbok award last year to further solidify his reach. But a full show is not like a three look pony that you can do in a hurry, and each detail of his longest show suggested that his work is going to be hitting the stratosphere of international design in no time. From liquid-draped slip dresses to stamped denim—inspired by an 18th-century technique, with bow-tied or zip closures, his work veered from one spectrum of opulence to the other spectrum of minimalism. Foundationally conceptual, but expressively to the point the show stood out for it's glamor and attention to details. Micheal Olestad is someone who understands the need for commerce to meet art and with each piece that idea was hammered to perfection. 

                               Photographs Courtest of Oslo Runway | Getty Images