Folklore Fashion - blogg

The “Lad”, a rural wedding crown from Malung in Dalecarlia.

Laila — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:02:30 +0000

Last week I visited a privat collector of folk costumes in Malung, Dalecarlia. They had three different bridal headdresses and two of them were old ones from the beginning of the 20th Century.

At a time when folk costumes was used in rural areas all over Scandinavia and before the bridal crown came in use, a headdress named “Lad” crowned the bride on her wedding day. The Lad is still used in traditional weddings both in Sweden and Norway and is found in a varity of different shapes with colourful decorations.

The back of the Lad is lined with printed cotton, kattun, and the silk ribbons are fastened at the neck.

The young model is taking a rest before changing in to the next costume. The bodice is made of printed cotton fabric. A black wool damask skirt and the red festive apron are parts of the Malung folk costume.

The back of the bodice-skirt. Her hair is tied up with red ribbons and covered with a white hat, trimmed with lace. To fasten the hat a silk ribbon is tied around the hairdo.

A modern Lad worn with a wool neckershief and strings of glass beads.

The Lad is trimmed with every colorful glass bead, pearl, lace, ribbon and silver (or metal sheet leaves) that were available. More about the traditions of bridal costumes and headdresses will be shown in the book KRONBRUDEN, “The Crowned Bride” and in “Scandinavian Folklore Vol III”.

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Spring in southern Sweden!

Laila — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:17:52 +0000

Every book in the series Scandinavian Folklore (Drakt og Prakt, Norwegian edition) starts in spring. The books takes you around Scandinavia during one year. Now, as I am taking the last photos for volume III, I went back to Scania and rural heritage tailor Gillis Jimheden in Ranarp. Apart from making up folk costumes from many of Scania hundreds he is also a passionate collector of costumes. For this shoot he picked an old “skinnklocka” (leather bell) a name that might have something to do with the cut of the leather skirt.

Anemones,”vitsippor” are what we wait for in Scandinavia. When they bloom spring is here!

The girl is dressed for a festive occation wearing her inherited silver pendants.

The bell shaped skirt is made in three sections. The sections width may wary but there are always three. The bodice is made of green homespun and to add to the festive look she wears long silk ribbons hanging from her head dress. This type of hed dress is called a “pigelock” and is worn around her pleated hair.

To keep warm she wears a black jacket of broadcloth trimmed with floral ribbons and strips of silk.

The cuffs on the sleeves are trimmed with gold lace, silk ribbons and fine black velvet. Her apron is an old hand woven apron in bright shades of colours.

In the book, Scandinavian Folklore Vol III, there will be plenty of photos of both old and newly made garment fom Scania. For those of you who wants to know more about Bygdeskräddaren Gillis Jimheden please visit www.bygdeskraddaren.se
There is also a lage article about his and his wife Monica Jimheden´s work in the Swedish magazine: “VÄV” Scandinavian Weaving Magazine. This can be ordered from www.handweavers.co.uk

All text and photos are protected by Copyright.

Please respect the property of my photos and do not put them om yours or any other web-site. Please use links.

Some warming details from the north of Scandinavia.

Laila — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:51:20 +0000

Spring has arrived in Scandinavia and the busiest time for me as a photographer begins. After spending the past months indoors doing research for my books, the time has come to pack the equipment and take to the roads. My first trip will be to the south of Sweden to Scania, but before we leave the could weather behind us I am going to show you some lovely knitted mittens from the collection of the Àjtte, Svenskt Fjäll och Samemuseum in Jokkmokk, photographed for Scandinavian Folklore Vol.III.

The colors of the Sami flag are adopted as the Samis national colors. This can bee seen in all the textile handicrafts from the whole region of Sápmi. The kirtles, bands and ribbons, hanging pockets, shawls and of course the mittens are made in sparkleling bright colors. Àjtte collection.

A young lady from Arvidsjaur wearing her traditional kirtle. She is seated at the door of her family wooden lodge at Lappstaden, in the center of Arvidsjaur, an old church settlement that is still used as a meeting place for Samis living in the area. Her mittens has her initials around the wrist.

Children mittens and booth ribbons in the colors of the Sami flag. Àjtte collection.

Mittens from Kautokeino in Norway. The color red, white and blue matches the colors of the kirtle perfectly, it is also the colors of the Norwegian flag.

I have seen many people use their initials on the mittens. Here the hometown of the owner, Porjus, has been knitted in blue and white. The decorative woolen cords with small tussles are used to tie the mittens together when not worn. Àjtte collection.

This young man is from Karesuando and he is wearing a storm cape and knitted mittens to keep warm. His mittens are newly made, below is a similar one from the Àjjte Museum collection. The little pompom is a practical detail as well as a decorative one. When the mittens are not used they are tucked under the belt, the pompom is left hanging outside the belt and helps to avoid loosing the mittens. This is a detail that are found on mittens from areas all over Scandinavia.

On June 1st a photo exhibition opens at Àjtte Museum in Jokkmokk. I am showing the second part of “Folk Costume Close-Up”. Mainly photos of Sami folk costumes but there will also be a selection of traditional Swedish folk costumes and Norwegian Bunads. For more information please visit: www.ajtte.com

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Photo exhibitions and new releases.

Laila — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 08:36:30 +0000

The poster for the exhibition “Folk Costume Close Up” with Sami costumes from Kautokeino.

A large photo exhibition is opening at Borås Museum on March 24th. “Folk Costume Close Up” has moved from Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo to Borås in Sweden and will be on show all summer. The Borås Museum, situated in the beautiful surroundings of Ramnaparken, has fifteen buildings from the region. The older ones are from the 17th century.

One of the local girls is modeling the folk costume from the parish of Toarp, in the region of Borås. She is dressed for a formal occasion with a printed wool skirt, an exclusive apron and the little hat, trindmössa.

At the exhibition opening I will talk about the journeys I have made and about the people I have met. The many similarities in material and techniques used in the making of folk costumes and bunads are a great source of inspiration to me.

Håkan Liby, Swedens Curator of National Antiquity and Chief Curator at Upplandsmuseet, will hold a lecture on “Folkdräkter i nya skepnader”, the new shapes of folk costumes. A lecture about the new use and presentation of the Nordic folk costumes and bunads.

The book Scandinavian Folklore Vol I is being released by Cappelen Damm, Norway’s largest publisher, in a Norwegian version. The title is “Drakt og Prakt” and can be ordered from Norwegian bookshops starting at the end of March. This edition contains no English text.

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White landscapes and colorful bunads in Setesdal, Norway.

Laila — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:57:32 +0000

Most of February I spent trying to cure myself from the flue that swept across Scandinavia. But…. a photo shoot was booked in Setesdal in central Norway and more than twenty people expected me to show up, so I packed a suitcase full of warm clothes and hoped for the best. The weather was beautiful and so where the sites. For four days, Randi Gåserud Myrum curator at Setesdalsmuseet and I, travelled to the villages in the valley of Setesdal from Bykle in the north to Bygland in the south.

Some of the girls brought their horses……

…..while the rest of the models arrived on foot, trying not to fall on the slippery snowy roads.

The work on the book “Bunader fra Setesdal” continues and we look forward to show as many of the residents bunads as possible. Museum houses and Churches where opened for the shoot and I will show both interiors and exteriors from the old buildings in the book.

The out door museum at Bygland was a perfect spot for both walks on the icy river and interior shoots in the amazing old houses with open fire at the center of the room.

The girls just could not stop playing around in the snow.

Resting after a good days work! Finally I would like to thank all the people that took the weekend off to help me and made this trip such a wonderful experience.

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How to do the right hairstyle!

Laila — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:08:25 +0000

In all the books I am working on there are many references to the hairdo that are called “oppombindning” in Swedish and “opbindning” or “vippe” in Norwegian. This way of tying and parting the hair are used in many areas in Sweden and Norway. Here I am going to show you the right way of doing it. It is Britt Eklund from Boda in Swedish Dalecarlia who is dressing this young girl.

The model has the most luxurious hair. Even if you do not have a mane like hers, what you need is a hair length that is long enough to tie in a pony tail at the back of your head and then make extensions with flax yarn.

You need a long white cotton ribbon, 3-3,5 meter long, and start by tying the pony tail.

Then you part the pony tail in two.

Tie half of the hair with the ribbon and make sure it is even and symmetrical.

Then do the same on the other side.

Now you have two strands of tied hair and you place it around the crown of the head.

The ribbon is then tied to the back of the head but not at the very center.

Tie it a bit to the left or right, one more ribbon will be added, and this is so that the knots are not be tied on the same spot.

The second ribbon is called “släpband”. It is a bit wider and is placed in front of the hairdo. This is to keep the hair from falling down in to the forehead (which was not proper at all) and it will also give support to the cap that will be placed over it.

In Boda a small cushion is tied at the crown of the head to make sure the head dress is keeping the right shape all day. If you have the book Scandinavian Folklore Vol II you can see several different ways of dressing the hair. The ribbons have different colors in different parts of Scandinavia, depending on the social status, shape of the head dress and the different occasions when it is worn.

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New book! Bunader from Setesdal.

Laila — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:06:23 +0000

Almost as a new-year-gift we have been given the commission to make a large new coffe-table-book to the Setesdalen Museum in Norway. Since my visit last autumn we have had discussions and now it has been decided that I will make the book. The book will show all the different garments and accessories from one of the few areas in Norway that has an unbroken folk costume tradition. Handy craft, farming, beautiful old houses and people, from babies to their great grand parents, will show the costumes and how they are worn on church going and working days.

The text in the book will be written by Curator Randi Gåserud Myrum and her colleagues, and will contain norwegian text with english translations.

The wool embroidery on the Setesdal bunad is very popular and there will be lots of photos really close up for those who would like to try and copy these works of art.

The book will be released in the autumn of 2013, just in time for all bunad enthusiasts who would like to buy themselves a lovely Christmas present.

Read more about the new books in our production at www.duranpublishing.com

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Looking back on my journeys and the hight lights of 2012.

Laila — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:26:38 +0000

The past year has been eventful for my little publishing company. The second book in the series of Scandinavian Folklore was released in May, and three more books are in production. My photos are getting a lot of attention and Norsk Folkemuseum hosted a large photo exhibition this summer with more than fifty large size photos. Norsk Garborgsenter also opened a new exhibition using 200 photos to illustrate the norwegian Bunad heritage. Here are some of the highlights from the year that passed.

In spring I was i Kautokeino, Norway, taking photos for the third book. The Samis beautiful and warming “pesk”, reindeer fur kirtles, looked spectacular. The puppy was not interested in modeling but he did enjoy the time out with his owner and his two sons.

Racing with reindeer is an old tradition in the Northern parts of Scandinavia. Nowadays however, the folk costumes has been changed in to modern clothes and protective helmets. It is great fun and there are many divisions depending on the age of the driver. The younger ones being only thirteen years old.

From the very north to the very south. I made a trip to the south of Norway in March. The bride from Mandal, Vest-Agder, told me during the photo shoot that she had two young stallions in her stables and I can never resist bringing animals to the location. The bride is wearing a reconstructed bunad from 1810 made by Mandal Husflid.

For the book “Norske Broderte Bunader”, Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo hosted two photo shoots. This model is wearing a bunad with embroidered pants and jacket. The bunad is worn in both Hallingdal and Valdres and is often reffered to as the “spelemannsbunad”.

Norsk Folkemuseum has a lot of greats sites to take photos. Here the models are playing during a break posing in Telemarks bunader at the museum petrol station.

During a trip to Ålesund we found this old boat on a shore of the great fjord. He is posing in a Sunnmöre bunad from Ålesund Husflid.

Ålesund is beautifully situated. The photos are for the book about the embroidered bunads of Norway.

In Nås, in Swedish Dalecarlia, I met with a private collector who had a wonderful folk costume collection. An unusual feature in Nås is that many of the details are crotcheted. There will be more about this in Scandinavian Folklore Vol III.

In Dalecarlia there is an elf named Ronda. She lives in the forrest and we met her while she was taking a bath in a forrest pond. The stories of the Ronda are numerous and who could be more appropriate to feature in a book named Scandinavian Folklore?

After spending some time in the forrest of central Sweden I went to Borås further south. In the Church at Borås Museum we staged the baptism of a child. The Godmother and Godfather are dressed in folk costumes from Toarp in Västergötland.

In Rättvik in Dalecarlia I spent three days making the first photos for the book “Kronbruden”, The Crowned Bride. More than 25 people helped out and made the photos some of the best this year.

In September I went back to Norway working with Setesdalen Museum. The museum has a large collection of costumes and I was able to take photos for two of the new books.

In Jokkmokk in Swedish Lappland these young Samis put on their finest kirtles for a shoot for the next Scandinavian Folklore book.

This year the Sami Museum, Ajtté, in Jokkmokk in Swedish Lappland opened their collections to me and the curators where very helpful choosing some wonderful old pieces of handicrafts for the next book. During the summer of 2013 a photo exhibition with my photos from the north will be exhibited in the old part of the museum, and the release of the third book in the series are planned at the museum as well. The release will take place during the autumn.

If you are traveling in Sweden there will also be a photo exhibition at the Borås Museum. “Folkdräkter i närbild”, (Folk Cosume Close-Up) will not only show my photos but folk costumes and accessories from Västegötaland as well. The exhibition is in cooperation with Borås Museum and “Slöjd i Väst”. It opens on Mach 24st and closes at the end of September.

I would like to thank all the people that has helped me during this past year, making my books possible. To all of you, A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

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Traditional Christmas Fair at Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo

Laila — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:31:00 +0000

The Christmas fair at Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo is a tradition that has been going on for many years. Thousands of people visits Bygdöy on the week-ends to buy Christmas presents and see the old farmhouses decorated in the old fashioned way. This year winter arrived in Oslo without all the snow that covered the rest of Scandinavia but the temperature did go below – 15°C.

Fram houses from all around Norway is open to the public.

This house is from Valdres. The table is set and the candles are lit.

Christmas trees was decorated differently in many parts of the country. Here red apples, candles and little paper wraps are used.

Butter was a luxury, and it was often beautifully decorated and placed as the centerpiece. On Christmas the children would get little lumps of butter to eat as treats.

Inside the house from Hardanger the guide is dressed in Hardangerbunad with the white headkerchief worn by married women. The logs behind her are decorated with chalk drawings.

Outside, a corn sheaf is hung by every house of the out door museum.

Twice every Saturday and Sunday before Christmas you can hear musicians and see the children´s dance group. In spite of the could weather the key fiddler is playing.

And here are the “smånissene”. Not an easy task to keep the pucks in line.

Christmas songs are sung and the dancers performs games of the past.

The Museum Nisse is of course the center of everybody´s attention. He has been visiting the museum for 36 years now and has no plans of retiring.

The dancing pucks wears bunads from Setesdalen.

Even Nissefar join in the dance.

Dressed for the cold and warmed by friendship.

Ponies and horses are some of the more popular co-workers at the museum.

If you like to read more about the Christmas traditions at Norsk Folkemuseum please visit:

http://www.norskfolkemuseum.no/en/Experience/Program/Events-recurring/Christmas-Fair-Highlights/

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An old folk costume collection from Mockfjärd in Dalecarlia.

Laila — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:11:52 +0000

At Mockfjärd´s society of local history in Dalecarlia, Sweden, an exhibition of folk costumes has been made in one of the old houses. Here visiters can see, and event touch, old garments and learn about the way the folk costumes of the area use to be made. The variation of materials, techniques and color combination are an inspiration to anyone interested in textile history. Above, a hanging pocket made of leather and broadcloth. The hook used to hang the pocket from the apron waistband is home made. The owner, with the initials KED, seem to have used the pocket for a good many years. Attached to the ribbons on the left are brass needle cases.

Mockfjärd´s society of local history in Lindbyn consist of 24 buildings, some of which are nearly 400 years old, are located on a hill overlooking the Västerdalaälven. Read more at http://www.hembygd.se/mockfjard/

The dräktkammare, costume chamber, exhibits mannequins dressed in full costumes and lots and lots of garments hanging from wooden poles, as was customary in past times.

The way of hanging the garments on a pole was not only practical, it also exhibited the riches of the family to any visitor.

Casted rod lacing rings are fastened to the bodies using red and bright green silk yarn.

Mockfjärd is one of the areas in Dalecarlia that has an costume almanack and here are some leather, fur and knitted mittens used for various occasions. The sign to the left says Festive mittens for summer and the sign to the right Festive mittens for winter. Dalecarlia is famous for wool embroidery and Mockfjärd has its own version.

Brass shoe buckles from the 18th and 19th century.

Printed cotton neckerchief is an important part of the folk costumes. A visit to this clothing chamber is a very instructive experience. Here, unlike in many museum, you can see and even touch some of the garments and accessories, they are not behind glass.

Another opportunity to get really close to the spectacular folk costumes are by visiting the Komidsommar, cows midsummer, in Dala Floda. The town is only a few kilometer from Mockfjärd and every summer the midsummer is celebrated with music, dance and, if you are lucky, even a wedding.