Norwegian Rain regularly invites the public to take part in different cultural activities at their Oslo flagship store.
Creating a different retail experience With a sartorial take on extreme, high-performance outerwear, Norwegian Rain is inspired by Japanese sensibility and life in the rainiest city of Europe: Bergen in Norway. Focusing on creating a different retail experience, the brand offers a unique and tailored approach to their customers in their Oslo flagship store and other parts of the world. By Ingrid Opstad | Photos: Norwegian Rain
“Born and raised in Bergen, the rainiest city in Europe, I didn’t want the weather to dictate what I could wear,” says creative director and manager Alexander Helle. In 2007, he met T-Michael, who already had over ten years of experience in the field of tailoring, and the duo decided to start Norwegian Rain to try to solve this challenge without compromising on functionality and stylistic preferences. 20 | Issue 125 | June 2019
Together, they created revamped rainwear with a distinct sartorial approach, carefully blending hints of Japanese sensitivity and inspired by their own life in the rain, which today sells worldwide from sunny California to rainy Bergen. Every garment by Norwegian Rain is 100 per cent waterproof and made from recycled materials. “In today’s society, we be-
lieve it is simply a necessity for brands to choose eco-friendly materials as much as possible,” says T-Michael. In addition to being chief designer at Norwegian Rain, he also has his own brand, T-MICHAEL, characterised as a conceptual approach to tailoring.
A unique and vibrant flagship store The Oslo flagship store opened in 2017 and is located at Paleet in the old premises of the artists’ restaurant Blom, originally called Bloms Bodega – a place with a rich cultural history. Here, customers are invited to browse through T-MICHAEL’s well-cut suits, shirts, T-Kimonos, leather shoes, sunglasses and bags, while also hunting for rare, Norwegian vintage fur-