HAiK
HAiK is a Norwegian clothing brand created in 2011 by the designers Siv Støldal, Ida Falck Øien and Harald Lunde Helgesen. They were brought together by their shared interest for the social meaning of clothes and appearance. With a fascination for people's personal and collective dress references, they re- search different approaches to clothing, dress codes, do's and dont's. Together they create multifaceted bodies of work, revolving around a chosen subject matter. HAiK means to hitch hike in Norwegian and the brand operates as a collaborative platform inviting people from a potentially wide range of working fields - so far including artists, writers, anthropologists, other established brands, manufacturers and designers. HAiK products are sold in among other places Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bergen and Oslo.
Franz Petter Schmidt
Franz Petter Schmidt is a men's tailor and a textile artist. He lives and works in Oslo, and is currently Re- search Fellow in the Norwegian Artistic Research Fellowship Program at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Department of Visual Art. His practice is multifaceted, and emphasizes the understanding of production and craftsmanship. Schmidt is deeply engaged in research on the history of the Norwegian textile industry, and he is particularly interested in the production of fabrics for clothing in woollen mills. His research recently brought him back to Sjølingstad Uldvarefabrik where he worked as the head of the dyeing and finishing section for almost two years from 2000.
Sjølingstad Uldvarefabrik
A/S Sjølingstad Uldvarefabrik began operations in 1894 with production of yarn and woven fabrics, until regular production ended 1984. It re-emerged in the late 80s as a working mill and a museum factory. The spirit of days gone by still linger in these buildings where the whole production process from raw wool to finished fabrics is presented to the public. Being a living museum factory Sjølingstad contains and restores machinery and keeps knowledge of production tools and manufacturing alive for the present and the future. It plays today an important role in communicating industrial history and bears a great potential for further exploration of this field. This is a unique resource for both the general public and for the national and international textile area of expertice.