Folklore Fashion - blogg

Bunad and folk costume bonansa in Oslo on May 13th.

Laila — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:43:28 +0000

The release of the book and the opening of the photo exhibition on 13th of May was a treat to the eye. People from all over Scandinavia came to join in the celebration and the spring weather was pleasant. The open air museum, Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo, is one of Scandinavias largest museums. The opening was hosted by the director of the museum and a “fashion show” was arranged to show costumes. Many of the people who have been photographed for the book attended. It was a big moment for me to see all my friends gathering in the reception room. Some of them sang and joiked (the sami songs) and other played their harding fiddles and “nyckelharpa”, the keyed fiddle. I was very moved and it was hard to deliver the speech.

In this entry I am going to show you more photos than I have ever done before and I do hope you will enjoy this bonansa of colors and splendor. Enjoy!

On the day before the opening I am happily looking at the large walls where all my photos are exhibited. The room is named “mezzaninen” and here you see the left part of the room. More than 50 photos in white frames makes a colorful and joyous impression.

Curator at Norsk Folkemuseum, Kari-Anne Pedersen, is as happy as I am.

On the big day, May 13th, the guest where dressed in their finest folk costumes and visitors where busy taking photos.

A bride and groom from Telemark and two young Sami girls where guests. To the left, a man in a costume from Toarp.

Here I am (to the right) with some of my friends, wearing a “beltestakk” from Telemark.

The Deputy Director of the museum, Inger Jensen, gave the welcoming speech and Anne Kristin Moe, who wrote the texts for the norwegian bunads in the book, and I recieved flowers. It was a big moment for us.

The first guests are arriving at the photo exhibition.

This is my friend from Kautokeino in front of her wedding photo, which is part of the exhibition.

Of course, all my friends wanted to get a look at their picture.

The “fashion show” started and the bride from Telemark looked like a fairy tale. Her head dress is called “lad”.

The front is cowered with silver using a silver collar, chains, pearls and medallions.

The head dress is made of layers of red wool cloth decorated with silver leaves.

Anne Kristin Moe introduced the people who came to show their bunads. She is wearing a bunad from Nordfjord and the lady to the right s wearing a bunad from Ringerike.

This is a green embroidered bunad from Östfold.

The man in the bunad from Nordhordaland is wearing two waistcoats as was used to show the family wealth.

A bunad from Vest-Agder. The woman is wearing a “plissestakk”, a pleated skirt and a head dress “vase” to show she is a married woman.

On this occasion the spectators was as well dressed as the ones on the stage.

A gentleman from Scania with a fashionable high collar and top hat.

The silk ribbon on the mens hat was used by the bride groom.

Curator Kari Anne Pedersen, in a Telemark “beltestakk”, is presenting the reconstructed and the embroidered bunads from Valdres.

A young girl wearing an old “beltestakk” from Telemark.

The backside of the bunad bodice is made of red silk decorated with silver lace. Her hair is tied up as was customary for unmarried women.

Spectators from Toarp and Scania, Sweden.

The lady from Dala-Floda in Dalecarlia is wearing the traditional embroidered jacket and cap.

Curator Thomas Walle was co-hosting the event. Here he is dressed in his bunad from Östfold.

A checkered skirt and striped apron. This lady is pretty in a bunad from Bærum.

The presentation of the Norwegian bunads are over and …..

…as the Norwegians leave the stage the Swedes get ready to show their finery.

The Swedes wear folk costumes, there are no bunads in Sweden. This is the way the people on the country side dressed a hundred years ago.

This couple is wearing folk costumes from Boda in Dalecarlia. She is wearing a white cap and the hymn book is wrapped in a piece of printed cotton. They are dressed for Church on Sunday.

The lady from Leksand in Dalecarlia is also dressed for Church. Her blue apron, embroidered shawl and all the decorations hanging from her belt shows it is a festive occasion.

The skirts in the folk costumes from Boda has a striped panel named “breda” in the front. The apron is varied depending on the occasion. The white hat shows that the woman is married and gloves like this was only worn to Church.

A very fashionable gentleman from Central Sweden in a costume copied from pieces of garments dated ca.1830.

Mother and daughter from Scania. The girl is wearing a “piglock” (girls curl) the headdress for young girls. Her mother wears a kerchief as was used by the married women. The silver on the Scanian costumes are abundant and was often worn as pendants like “Striglakors” and “Söllakors”.

The pedlar from Toarp is showing off his money belt and the “fessing”, the bag where he keeps his most valuable goods.

He must be a good salesman because he is wearing a fine blue wool coat with embroidery.

His wife is showing her stockings. It was customary that when a couple was married that the bride would stand on a rock and the guest would lift her skirt to see her stockings. That way they would know if she was good with the needle and tread and would be a good wife to her husband.

The women from Dala Floda in Dalecarlia are famous for their embroidery.

The the jacket, the hem of the skirt, the hanging pocket and cap are embroidered with wool yarn.

The man from Scania is rich. He is wearing a silk ribbon with silver “stötter” aglets. This means he is the owner of a farm.

The wife is dressed for a festive occasion with a white head dress and apron. She is also wearing “öronsvansar” (ear tails) a fashionable detail that would keep the ears warm.

The daughter is dressed as a Scanian bride with a “fjäderhätta” a feathered crown (or cap). It is made of dyed hens feathers that are made in to the shapes of flowers and fastened to the top of the cap.

The bridal “fjäderhätta” is decorated with peals, glass beads, silver lace and 21 silk ribbons with floral patterns.

When the fiddler started to play some of the guests spontaneously gave an performance of how to do the “polska”.

These young ladies wearing folk costumes from Kautokeino in Norway was the most photographed at the event. Lines of tourists waited to have their photos taken with the girls. The “kolt” or “kofte” (kirtle) has a hem (holbi) witch is almost 40 meters. There are 2000 meters of fine ribbons stitched only to the hem.

The girls have brand new kirtles that was made for them for the confirmation last Easter. They are wearing “adult” belts with silver and white ribbons in their caps.

This man is wearing a kirtle from Karesuando. The leather pants and boots are tied with colorful wool ribbons and the round buttons on the belt shows that he is unmarried.

The two ladies are Lule Sami. The lady to the left are wearing a collar with tin embroidery and the lady to the right has a collar with cloth and leather appliqué. The belts are woven and fastened with a bone clasp.

The older generation of Karesuando Samis wear kirtles with more simple decoration.

The young man has five back panels while his father has three.

When I started to work on the books Scandinavian Folklore I wanted to include the Samis. They are the indigenous people of Scandinavia and there could not be a book without them. But ……. I knew no-one in Sápmi! Two years ago one young man was brave and had the courage to befriend me, a stranger, and let me in to his family and showing me the ways of the Sami life. This is Isak Utsi from Porjus, in Swedish Lappland, and without him there would be no photos from the wonderful arctic north.

One of the pleasures before ending the official part of the day was signing books with Anne Kristin Moe.

Here are some private photos from the party after the event. In the evening we had a traditional dinner with “römmegröt og spekemat” in one of the 18th century farm houses at the museum.

Cheers!!!!! 40 people attended a dinner we will not easily forget.

Ladies from Kautokeino and Telemark.

Anne Kristin Moe is very happy that the event went so well.

With my friend Isak and his mother.

The fiddlers kept playing all night….

….and when the sun went down we kept dancing in the light from the open fire.

www.scandinavianfolklore.com

The book is ready for distribution.

Laila — Sat, 05 May 2012 18:26:28 +0000

Text and photo Laila Duran ©

Finally the book is ready for distribution and to the readers of this blog we have a treat. Several of the best photos from the book has been made into postcards and I have made ten envelopes with ten postcards in each. There are five with Norwegian bunads and five with Swedish folk costumes. So, for those of you who would like to have these to send to friends and family, send me an e-mail with your name and address and mark the mail: postcards. If you are lucky you will be one of the receivers. Send it to: laila@duranpublishing.com

This is one of the postcards with embroidered half mittens from Boda.

Next time I make an entry I will show photos from the book release and the opening of the photo exhibition on May 13th in Oslo.

The Hedemark bunad, influenced by costume traditions from the late 18th century.

Laila — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 13:07:43 +0000

Text and photo Laila Duran ©

I Norway there are several folk costumes that are reconstructed from old garments. These revitalized costumes are referred to as bunad in Norwegian or bygdedräkt, regional costume, in Swedish. In the regions where there was no strong tradition of folk costume new costumes were created, either modeled from single preserved garments or as free interpretations. The Hedemark bunad is one of these. It represents the costume tradition from the late 18th and early 19th centuries costume and is heavily influenced by the Rococo style with cuts and material that were very modern for the time.

The bonnet in brocaded silk, botthuve, is fastened with silk ribbons under the chin and has a silk bow in the neck. The white cotton under-lace is known as skru.

The wool damask skirt has a flower pattern and while the apron in the picture is made of black silk, a light printed cotton apron could also be used.

The bodice is shaped like a corset and it is different to most other bunad bodices. It is made in floral wool damask with leather bound basques and is laced in the front.

A jacket in 18th century style is worn over the bodice.

In the new book Scandinavian Folklore vol. II more than 700 photos shows bunads and folk costumes from Norway, Sweden and Sápmi. Please visit the website www.scandinavianfolklore.com for more information.

All text and photos are protected by Copyright.

New website for the books Scandinavian Folklore vol 1 & 2

Laila — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:39:03 +0000

The second book in the series Scandinavian Folklore will be released on May 13th. A new homepage have been made to show some of the pages from the books and to introduce some of the people that have cooperated with me during this past year. Like the first book, the pictures are showing one year of travelling, following the seasons from the very north to the south of Scandinavia. Museums and private collectors have opened their doors and given access to their folk costume collections and extensive knowledge of both the textiles and local traditions.

www.scandinavianfolklore.com

From 13th of May to 15th of September Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo is hosting a large photo exhibition from the production of the books, “Bunader i nærbilde” or “Folk Costumes Close-Up”. For more information please visit:

http://www.norskfolkemuseum.no/no/Utstillinger/Kommende-utstillinger/Bunader-i-narbilde/

http://www.norskfolkemuseum.no/en/Exhibits/Upcoming-exhibitions/Folk-costumes-close-up-/

Text and photo Laila Duran ©

Easter holiday in Kautokeino!

Laila — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:14:36 +0000

Text and photo Laila Duran ©

All week the sun was shining and the snow sparkling and dry. I have just come back from Kautokeino in Norway spending Easter with friends and doing the first photo shoot for my third book in the series Scandinavian Folklore. I must admit I am totally in love with the arctic part of Scandinavia, with an open and dramatic nature and the friendliest of people.

The beauty of the Sami costumes are well known and here even the reindeers are dressed in colorful harness when pulling the sledge.

I went to Kautokeino to celebrate the confirmation of a young friend. Here she is with her very proud father, dressed in her new outfit.

It was a big day for all the young girls and boys. Family and friends filled the church. So many people attended the ceremony that every seat was taken.

Fourteen boys and girls went to confirmation on this Saturday the 31st of Mars.

When the ceremony was over everybody went outside to receive congratulations from friends and family.

The next day I started with the first photo shoot. I must say the Sami boots are irresistible …. and I could not help myself. I bought some beautiful and wonderfully warm pair of “skaller”.

I do not think there are any other place where the costumes are so beautiful, practical and wonderfully warming at the same time. No matter the temperature, sometimes it was minus 20°, the models came smiling and dressed with such elegance. These ladies are dressed in “pesk”.

Checking if the light is right. Everybody is eager to see if I got “the picture”.

Some models knows exactly how to deal with a photographer trying to be a perfectionist!

Luckily I am behind the camera and do not have to compete with these beauties. The young mother and her daughter are from the Finnish part of Sápmi. In the third book there will be some Finnish folk costumes as well as Swedish and Norwegian.

On the third day of the photo shoot a dream came trough. Going with the reindeer keepers on to the mountain in wintertime has been something I have wanted to do for years. Thanks to my friends and the great hospitality shown to me, I will be able to show you some quite unique pictures in the third and last book in the series. To all the people of Kautokeino that helped me: Thank you!!!!

All text and photos are protected by Copyright.

The pasture women, vallkullorna, in Dalecarlia. Beauty and strength.

Laila — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:19:27 +0000

Text and photo Laila Duran ©

In a review on my first book about folk costumes, a journalist wrote that the women I portray are “weak, fragile and utterly feminine”. I failed to see why this should be such a bad thing considering the life these women where living. Working the pastures, tending animals and constantly producing dairy products, and still look beautiful, is not something to be looked down on. The women, vallkullorna, went to the pastures herding the animals by their own. It was sometimes a very lonely life. These ” weak and fragile” women of the 19th century spent the summers tending the sheep and cows, and only once did they take the herd back to town so they could meet their friend and family; at the Komidsommar, the cow midsummer festival. This is a festival that is still a tradition in Dala-Floda, Dalecarlia.

The famous botanist Carolus Linneaus (Carl von Linné) wrote in his diary from a journey in Dalecarlia in 1734 an entry:” We met many women on the road, they rode astraddle without saddle”.

Packing up the supplies, blankets and tools, and watering the horses before they gather the cows. Taking the animals to the summer pasture is called buffra.

A packsaddle and leather bags are used for transporting the supplies.

Taking a break , enjoying a pipe of tobacco.

Having fun even in a less festive surrounding is not difficult with a good friend and a happy tune. The women sang songs and even developed a way of high pitch singing named kuula that made them able to communicate in the forrest and on hillsides. The kuula singing was also used for calling the herd back to the barn in the evening.

The next generation of kullor from Dala-Floda. You might recognize the young lady to the left as our cover-girl on Scandinavian Folklore vol I.

This summer, if traveling to Dala-Floda, there will be a photo exhibition at the Dala-Floda Värdshus, the Inn at Dala-Floda. On June 30st, I will be there to talk about the books and the journeys I have made in the area. There will also be a concert with Nobel prize winner Tomas Tranströmer`s poems, set to music by Björn Eriksson. For more information please visit:

http://www.dalafloda-vardshus.se/

All text and photos are protected by Copyright.

Eagerly waiting for summer!!

Laila — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:38:09 +0000

Spring is here, the coltsfoot is bright and yellow, cheering us up from the side of the road. We are eagerly waiting for summer. Last summer I went to Dalecarlia and met these musicians and dancers at Gammelgården, a homestead museum in Boda that is run by Boda Hembygdsförening, the local history society. This summer afternoon people from Orsa, Leksand, and Häverö, as well as Boda, joined in to play and dance till the sun went down.

Britta, Maria and Jon played their fiddles and stamped their feet to the Boda polska, schottis and waltzes. The musicians are dressed in the traditional Boda costume.

Eager to join in the dans are people from Orsa, Leksand and Häverö.

Music and dance are synonymous with the Scandinavian summer.

Sjonsstugan is one of eleven buildings at Gammelgården.

This young couple are wearing parish costumes from Orsa in Dalarna.

Gunilla Landmark, who is making a great contribution showing her collection of folk costumes from Leksand in Scandinavian Folklore vol. II, is here seen with her dancing partner.

All text and photos are protected by Copyright.

Children´s bunads from Norsk Flid.

Laila — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:05:05 +0000

On the Sunday, after we finished doing the photo shoots for the Vest-Agder adult bunads (in the previous entry), director of the Mandal Husflid, Inger-Lise Brøto Torland, told me we had a date with some of the younger citizens of the town. The first couple to arrive were these four year old darlings with a toy mouse and a frog in a steady grip.

These bunads are copies of the adult bunads and made in different sizes from two to twelve years, and can be bought ready to wear.

In a red wool bodice and a black trimmed skirt she is dressed for any festive occasion that might appear.

She is only two years old and already she is modeling with poise and grace. The little dog might have helped a bit. She is wearing a completely new children´s bunad produced by Norsk Flid. The bunad has an Empire line with a high waist on the bodice-skirt and an apron, hanging pocket and a bonnet in hand printed cotton fabric.

The skirt has a pleat and a double hem so that when she grows the bunad can be adjusted and it will fit for a few more years. The bunad is called “Norsk Flid Childrens Bunad” and are introduced this spring in the Norsk Flid shops all over Norway.

This very charming young man is dressed to match the new girl´s bunad. A short wool waistcoat with a silk kershief and dark blue broadcloth trousers is both traditional in cut and very practical.

If you have toddlers like these and want to dress them up in Norwegian traditional style please contact the Norskflid Husfliden Mandal at:

http://www.norskflid.no/mandal/

All text and photos are protected by Copyright.

The beautiful shores of Maldal.

Laila — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:02:18 +0000

It was in Mandal, on the lovely shores of Norwegian Sörlandet we had the last photo shoot for the next book. This pretty young girl, Åslaug, dressed in her sunday best spent a whole day with her friend in front of the camera. They are both eighteen and enjoyed this first day of spring. The sky was blue and for the first time this year the wind was warm. The temperature rose to 13-14 °C and we enjoyed it immensely.

The Mandal Husflid, Mandal Arts & Crafts, was the host for this photo shoot. They had prepared several bunads, both the traditional ones but also introduced a new bunad that will be presented to the public for the first time in Oslo at the release of the book.

This is a woman´s bunad showing the fashion in Vest-Agder in the 1830-1870-ies. The striped skirt and the characteristic tiny, tiny “skirt” at the lower back of the bodice is called “klau”. Her headdress shows how unmarried women wore their hair, tied in colorful ribbons and fastened in a ring at the back of the head.

So utterly young and handsome. His dark blue bunad with a red-green-blue striped waistcoat was topped off with a felt hat with silk ribbon.

The headdress that gives the Vest-Agder woman her silhouette is called “valk” and when she marries she will wear a large white cotton kersheif tied over it. To keep the pleated waistline in place she wears red woven suspenders buttoned to her skirt by two forged silver buttons.

In cooperation with the Vest-Agder Museet, Mandal Husflid is reproducing several of the embroidered shawls and apron that was fashionable in the area in the early 20st century.

The hanging pockets are small pieces of art. The one to the left is the old original and the one to the right is a reproduction. These pockets are now put into production and it is possible to make special orders. An unusual feature is that the embroidery has been made on velvet ground. Usually the pockets are made of broadcloth with wool embroidery. This one is quite exclusive, made of silk velvet with silk edging.

In the book there will be several versions of the Vest-Agder bunads, the local tradition has a great variation of accessories like aprons, shawls, hanging pockets and warming mittens. And if in Sörlandet, even if you are not looking to buy a bunad, the shop Mandal Husflid in the center of the city is well worth a visit.

For more information on the Vest-Agder bunads please visit : http://www.norskflid.no/mandal/

http://www.vestagdermuseet.no/

All text and photos are protected by Copyright.

Scandinavian Folklore Volume II

Laila — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 08:50:51 +0000

The young man, in the bunad from the county of Sogn and Fjordane in Norway, will represent the second book in the series Scandinavian Folklore. The book will have the same structure and layout as the first, but all the folk costumes and bunads will be from different areas in Scandinavia. There will be a Scanian wedding as well as a funeral, childrens games and handy craft from Dalecarlia. Norwegian bunads in the settings of mountains and coastal landscapes and a long journey over the Arctic parts of Scandinavia to visit the Sami people and their herds of reindeers.

For those of you who are new to this blog, the photos here are not the ones being presented in the book. These are photos I like and find hard not to show. There are hundreds and hundreds of beautiful pictures that will not make it to the book and I like to share these with you, hoping they will inspire or just make you happy!

The wide open jacket has its roots in the 16th century, but the waistcoat and the high collar is influenced by the Empire fashion.

The jacket has shoulder wings and bright green piping. The back of the jacket is flared.

At the end of the day we found time to change in to this bunad from Sunnfjord in Norway. There will be several photos of both the men and womans bunad from that area in vol II.

A distinct detail for the men´s bunads from Sunnfjord is the belt, richly decorated with cross stitching and a large brass buckle. This photo shoot was made in cooperation with Norsk Institutt for Bunad og Folkedrakt.

Scandinavian Folklore vol. II will be released at Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo on 13th of May. The museum will also be hosting a large photo exhibition: “Folk Costumes Close-up” or “Bunader i nærbilde”, featuring a selection of photos from the production of the books. The exhibition is open all summer until September 15th. Read more at:

http://www.norskfolkemuseum.no/en/Exhibits/Upcoming-exhibitions/Folk-costumes-close-up-/