Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Made in Norway
combining them in new and unexpected ways is one of my absolute favourite things in the world!” she says. MaTilla’s shawls in particular come in an array of colours, applied with many modern techniques. The brand offers both conservative solid block-colour accessories and shawls with fun splashes of colour.
Play to your strengths While the designer enjoys unexpected colour combinations, MaTilla designs remain both feminine and timeless. Hilde is also conscious of how new collections complement her previous work. “If you bought a MaTilla skirt two seasons ago, I want you to be able to find something that goes with it in my latest collection as well,” she explains. “I want to make clothes that are durable and lasting.” “Some women spend a lot of time, when getting dressed, thinking about how best to hide what they see as flaws. I want more women to be body positive,
so I make an effort to make clothes that accentuate the features many of us are proud of, rather than hide the things we are less happy with,” Hilde says.
Looking to expand All the thoughtful hours of hard work Hilde puts in to MaTilla seem to be paying off, and she has many retailers across the country that return year after year to stock up on her wares. In the spirit of doing anything she can do herself, in the beginning she filled up her car and hit the road. Over the years the road trips have been replaced by visits to design fairs. In fact, some customers know her so well by now that they happily just pick up the phone. “Thankfully I have become so well known for choosing high-quality materials, that some of my customers don’t even feel the need to check the products in person before they order,” she smiles. Now she hopes to be able to make her name and reputation for high quali-
ty known outside Norway’s borders. “I have thought a lot about taking the brand abroad, so I’m going to start by visiting international design fairs. I plan on making the Copenhagen fair next year my first stop,” she reveals. So far, only women have had the pleasure of draping themselves in the soft garments of MaTilla, but one day even men might get the chance. As Hilde says, it would be a dream to expand her line even further. “But that idea is still very much on the drawing board,” she adds. Hilde Sævild Teige has managed to take a dream and turn it into a business. Soon enough, if Hilde gets her way, the rest of the world will also get the pleasure of meeting MaTilla.
For more information, please visit: www.matilla.no
Issue 86 | March 2016 | 23