This year’s Icelandic-based Nordiska Fashion Biennale, an exhibition that showcases Nordic fashion and accessories, will take place for the first time in the U.S. in Seattle. Co-produced by the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, where the event will take place from Sept. 30-Nov. 13, and the Nordic House in Reykjavik, the event will focus on the themes of sustainability, cultural heritage and branding. A side music event will take place in Seattle on Nov. 5, called “Sister City Showcase, Reykjavik Calling,” featuring both Icelandic and Seattle-based bands, as well as some from the Faroe Islands. Icelandic bands include:

http://www.mugison.com/

http://www.myspace.com/sinfangbous

http://laylow.is/

http://www.myspace.com/peturben

The Nordic Fashion Biennale was launched first by the Nordic House, Reykjavik in 2009, and included more than 60 designers, artists, musicians and speakers. The major focal point of the event will be an exhibition called
“Looking Back to Find our Future,” curated by New York-based Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardottir a.k.a Shoplifter, known for her work with Björk and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The event will be kicked-off on Sept. 30 with a two-day Summit featuring a number of presentations made by international design experts such as Yvan Mispelaere, creative director at Diane Von Furstenberg, and Gudrun & Gudrun Tone Skårdal Tobiasson from NICE, among others. In addition, three Danish designers, Henrik Vibskov, Barbara í Gongini and Bibi Chemnitz (Faroese brand) will represent Denmark. Other well-known Scandinavian brands represented will be: Sandra Backlund of Sweden, Norwegian Moods of Norway, and Steinunn of Iceland. A full list of designers with profiles can be found here.

On the event’s website, they highlight: “Looking Back to Find our Future will include cutting-edge contemporary fashion, design, and installations throughout the Museum that will blur past and present, highlighting traditions of craft and creativity in Nordic design. The exhibition will demonstrate how important the influences of nature and heritage are for Nordic designers.”

An additional component of the event is a design competition called North by Northwest (N x NW) aimed to “inspire creativity, encourage emerging designers to seek out new directions, and spark awareness of new trends in Nordic fashion.”

Two winners will win a trip to Iceland during the Reykjavik Fashion Festival.

For more info, visit: www.nordicfashionbiennale.com