Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Norwegian Handmade Delights
Left: Linda Fausa’s passion for traditional Norwegian arts and crafts gave rise to Made in Fjords. She hopes the marketing channel can keep old techniques alive and meet the demand for authentic souvenirs. Here, Fausa is pictured in front of the Seven Sisters, a famous waterfall in Geiranger. Right: Made in Fjords’ pulse warmer, headband and boa, which is made from sheep from local farms, has a printed pattern from the Middle Ages. Photo: Hatlehols / Made in Fjords.
Norwegian heritage in a warm blanket Made in Fjords protects Norway’s cultural heritage by selling arts and crafts made locally on the country’s western coast. Materials such as wood, wool and stone tell a story through practical products including the bestselling warming package Viking – which has even made teenagers love traditional techniques. By Eirik Elvevold | Photos: Made in Fjords
Every summer, about one million tourists visit the deep-blue UNESCO-protected Geirangerfjord on Norway’s west coast. This year, many of the visitors fell in love with a brand new store selling traditional arts and crafts produced in the region. “Made in Fjords is by no means mass produced. When the tourists enter my store, they notice that right away. None of the products are identical; they’re one of a kind – in clear contrast to many other Norwegian souvenir stores. We can tell 86 | Issue 94 | November 2016
customers how the products were made, who made them and where the materials came from,” says Linda Fausa, founder and owner of Made in Fjords. Fausa had long suspected that many tourists were looking to buy more authentic Norwegian souvenir products; something with meaning and a story. She created Made in Fjords as a marketing channel for local artists to bring traditional arts and crafts to a larger audience.
“We often invite the local producers themselves to demonstrate their skills outside my store in Geiranger. One week there will be a blacksmith, another week someone knitting. The tourists find it really interesting to watch the traditional Norwegian techniques up close,” says Fausa.
Wood, wool, stone – and youth Made in Fjords mainly sells unique warming packages in natural wool, functional items such as wooden picnic sets and stone watches, and paintings in the colours of the Norwegian nature. Most of the materials are sourced from local farmers, but many stones are found in secret spots in the mountains surrounding Geiranger. Regardless of the material, all products are meant to be both traditional and practical.