Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Made in Norway
At work in the studio.
A Norwegian textile designer’s adventure When people think of textiles, the first thing that comes to mind is often curtains, blankets and table cloths. But in addition to being decorative and insulating, textiles can transform a room from sterile and impersonal to calming, soothing and harmonious. By Alyssa Nilsen | Photos: Ia Torgersen Tekstiler
Ia Torgersen was still a child when she was first introduced to the art of fabric print. A visit to a textile artist, performing what seemed like magic with paint, frames and stencils, left a lasting impression both on the fabric and on Ia. The smell of the cotton, wet paint and the transformation of the fabric stayed with her, shaping her road ahead. Having finished her broad education in textiles in Oslo, Ia got accepted onto a four-year programme to study industrial textile design at the College of Textile Design in Sweden. The same month, she met her soon-to-be sculptor husband. Five months later, they married, putting an abrupt end to Ia’s plans of moving to Sweden. Curious by nature and eager to learn more, Ia dove head-first in at the 26 | Issue 138 | January 2022
deep end. She went to the Oslo offices of iconic Norwegian textile factory, Høie Fabrikker, with no appointment scheduled, to try her luck. “I told them I had a vision that they could start printing patterns on their bed linen,” she says. “They laughed at first, but I persisted and told them that I could draw up some patterns, which I felt could be successful and could be produced right here in Norway.” The laughter silenced when a half-shut door opened and the sales manager of Høie came in and said, “give her 14 days”. “The thing is,” Ia laughs, “if you make promises, you have to stay true to your word and deliver what you claimed you could.”
Ia kept her word and presented finished sketches. Høie decided to launch one of her patterns and hired her as a freelance designer. The first printed bed linens designed by Ia were a huge success. She spent the next few years learning the industrial printing trade at the Høie factory hands on.
