NORSK DESIGNRÅD
News and information
Norwegian design in new Harvard case
Simen Staalnacke and Peder Børresen from Moods of Norway will elaborate on their business story at the next Professional Afternoon at DogA on September 9. Photo: Moods of Norway
Oslo: The innovative and unconventional fashion design company Moods of Norway, has managed to move rapidly from a bootstrap start-up to a supertrendy international brand. Now, the Norwegian company is throurougly documented in a new case study from Harvard Business School.
The case study will be launched during during a Professional afternoon at the Norwegian Design Council at DogA, the Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture, on September 9th this year. Harvard Business School is part of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachussets, one of the most prestigious institutions for higher education in worldwide.
The case study describes a young fashion company competing in a variety of unconventional ways: By for instance designing eccentric features into their clothes as a way of gaining mindshare among customers, they can grow organically without spending on marketing what their competitors do.
– This is huge recognition for Moods of Norway, but also of Norwegian design and innovation in general, comments Jannicke Hølen, Manager for Conferences and Events at the Norwegian Design Council.
Moods of Norway was founded in the small town Stryn on the Norwegian west coast by Peder Børresen, Simen Staalnacke og Jan Egil Flo in the autumn of 2002. Their first collection was launched in 2003 with a meager 400,000 NOK (€ 40,000) in turn over. Today the annual turnover is around 100 million NOK (€ 10 mill.)
World wide distribution
Starting out the year, the Moods-products were sold through 120 stores worldwide and the three founders decided to open their own flagship stores. Today, Moods of Norway has eight flagship stores in Norway and abroad.
Former HBS professor Robert D. Austin will be presenting the Harvard Business Case on Moods of Norway, together with Dorte Krogh, whose design agency, Krogh&Co in Copenhagen brought Moods of Norway to HBS’s attention through her poistition on the jury for the Norwegian Design Council’s Award for Design Excellence.
The founders Peder Børresen and Simen Staalnacke will also be present to tell their side of the Moods story.
For press enquires
Press contact for the Norwegian Design Council
Moods of Norway
Peder Børresen
+47 412 93 889
