3 Ways Iceland Is Branding Itself Through Fashion
Over Easter weekend I was in Iceland on a study trip in search of what my professor called “Brand Iceland.” We were there to explore the ways in which Iceland appeals to visitors as a tourist destination. Since its financial crash in 2008, the country has been able to recover its economy through branding, capitalizing on Icelandic and Scandinavian fashions to create a strong aesthetic identity for an international audience.
During my strolls through the narrow streets of Reykjavik and window shopping through the main shopping street, Laugavegur, I noticed three ways Iceland is using its heritage, culture and history to emphasize the "Iceland Brand," inviting tourists to engage.
1. GEYSIR CLOTHING
Image Credit: Geysir.
According to its website, “Geysir designs and develops clothing from its studio in downtown Reykjavík, Iceland. Inspired by Nordic city life and the country’s history of craft and knitwear, Geysir creates pieces uniquely balanced between tradition and modernity.”
Geysir has only five storefronts, and they are all located in Iceland. The brand is exclusively Icelandic and sticks to sustainable and local means of production. Clothes and accessories are knitted with Icelandic sheep wool into traditional Icelandic patterns, checkered and striped, in colorful combinations.
2. MINK VIKING PORTRAIT
Wardrobe options for Viking photo shoots at Mink studio. Image Credit: Mink Viking Portrait.
The Mink Viking Portrait company is located on Laugavegur Street, which was virtually empty that Easter weekend. With the shutters closed I was unable to have a first-hand experience, so instead I looked into it online.
Mink, it turns out, is a photography studio that allows “you [to] come in and [dress up as] a bad ass Viking, and get a portrait photo of yourself!” According to its Facebook page, the Viking costumes are not for sale, but you can leave with a 6-portrait set for are 14.900 Kr, about €100.
I have traveled a lot the last four years and I have never found another country to offer such an experience. The costumes look authentic and historical, with fur collars and metal helmets, weapons, leather goods, and metallic hand and neck accessories.
3. LOPAPEYSA KNITS
Image Credit: Maria Carlander.
These Icelandic sweaters are not only a tourist commodity or souvenir; they are actually worn by Icelanders as well. During our excursions a brave student asked our tour guide if his “lopapeysa” was made by hand or store-bought. He kindly answered that his mother had indeed made the sweater a few years ago because his old one was “falling apart.”
An article in the Huffington Post suggests that "Auður Laxness, the wife of Nobel prize-winner, Halldór Laxness, brought a version of the sweater back from Greenland and replicated it in the late 1940s.” In such case, the sweater is a hybrid of styles imported from Greenland, with an Icelandic twist. The the most amazing quality of this sweater is its practicality in providing warmth. Made with Icelandic sheep's wool, which is very thick, the sweater is woven to keep wearers protected from the cold and wet.
From a luxury brand like Geysir to recreating the Viking experience, Iceland has managed to create an identity through a fashion aesthetic that incorporates its heritage and history.
