Kristian’s style of extravagant and dark glamour cannot be said to be particularly British, although he’s lived in London for 11 years. Neither is it seen as typically Norwegian. However, this is a statement he doesn’t necessarily agree with himself. “I don’t think we have a typical style in Norway. Maybe this is something we’ll develop in time and get a trademark “Norwegian design”, like the Swedish have with their minimalism. Do you agree?” he asks. Noticeably, when Kristian speaks of the Norwegian fashion industry, he switches between saying “we” and “them”. This could be down to the fact that he’s lived in London for so long that he feels more connected to the British fashion industry. However, he now has stronger ties with the Norwegian industry because of his collaboration with the Norwegian brand Riccovero that launched during Oslo Fashion Week in February this year. A collaboration he seems very pleased with - understandably, as it sold out before June. “As a
designer, I believe there are no limits to what you can do. It’s a very exciting project, and it feels very timely to design for more commercial brands and reach a wider audience,” says Kristian. He explains further: “I’m aware of the fact that what I design under my own label is limited in both availability and price. And I think as a creative individual it’s important to be able to work on several projects at the same time as they define us in different ways. To be able to work on different levels can only be a positive thing.” The Kristian Aadnevik for Riccovero collections are distinctively cleaner with a softer cut than his own brand, but still has the femininity and trademark embellishments that he has become known for. How did he find the Norwegian customer to be different from his usual high flying clientele? “You always have to consider your market, and these clothes were made for a wider audience,” he explains.
“I have to think more commercially when I design for Riccovero, because those dresses have to suit the way that the customer would wear the dress which might be for one special occasion rather than people who go to events, such as premieres, every other day. With my own label I can focus more on the creative rather than making it suit all different types of people.” Similarly to his collaboration with Riccovero, Kristian is also in the process of broadening the reach of his own label, creating more “sellable” items such as t-shirt dresses. He is excited about what the future holds. “We’re opening a webshop,” he says. “In time I’d like to start a menswear line. I’m also sure we’ll do more projects with international brands. I have lots of plans,” he says, sounding slightly mysterious. Having lived in London for more than a decade, Kristian doesn’t see himself moving anytime soon. Maybe to Paris or New York if business
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