It can be sensed everywhere in town here – the very special attitude towards life that Norwegians call “hygge”. Tough to translate, hygge means cosy conviviality, relaxedness, community, togetherness. Let’s put it differently: Oslo, that’s the home of the we-feeling. We is right at home here. 

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The city by the Oslo Fjord is a modern metropolis with a feel-good factor. Likeable, open-minded, diverse. A mecca for culture, architecture and design fans. Just the right environment for the KATHARINA HOVMAN Winter Collection 2022/23.

Ensconced on the northern shore of PIPERVIKA Bay lies OSLO CITY HALL, the monumental structure that has been a symbol of Norwegian independence for nearly 100 years. Its large banquet hall is familiar to people from all over the world. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded here each year on the 10th of December, the anniversary of the death of the founding benefactor. The walls – styled by some of Norway’s most famous artists – tell about the country’s history, art and culture.

Even in the venerable City Hall it can be sensed again – hygge, this specially Norwegian we-feeling. It truly is a community centre, a place to meet for one and all. And this is where we meet up with our guest model Veronica Mike, too. The city planner is a partner and creative director at Natural State. In her dress in warm-hued CARAMELLO she fits in harmoniously with these lavishly coloured surroundings. Dressed in lush, earthy shades like MOOR and GRAPE, Carlo and Pris make a completely relaxed impression as they blend equally well into the scenery.

Also situated on the Rathausplatz plaza is the NOBEL PEACE CENTER, a showcase with portraits of all the laureates. Emotive and impressive in one: the lighting installation that turns this spot into something very special. An invitation to self-reflection. On one of the window panes the question that says it all: What will YOU do to change the world? What Pris is writing at the moment?

Zhwan, the young woman garbed in BLACKNIGHT, stays on to join us at the NATIONALMUSEUM across the street. At the new museum – not yet open when we did the shooting – there’s even art at the bus stop. And right in the middle, as if painted: Zhwan. In in a mellow TAUPE, she literally merges with the monumental scene. Zhwan is an actress and the front-office manager at our Smarthotel. When we arrived her beauty struck me right away. A spontaneous enhancement to our team.

Apropos Smarthotel Oslo – well placed in the centre of town, in the SENTRUM district. Perfect location: “Close to everything” is posted on the website. It’s true! In straightforward Oslo, close to everything just about says it all.

Just around the corner from the hotel, one of the city’s most legendary cafés: Café FUGLEN. While the world keeps evolving on and on, at Fuglen nothing has changed since 1963. Vintage at its best! The pleasure of coffee with a “journey through time feel” can be had here. Coffee is the national beverage of Norway: “Let’s get together for a coffee” – hardly any other phrase is so typically Norwegian. At FUGLEN fresh coffee is served as of 7 a.m., in the evening the café transforms itself into a cocktail bar. Lydia, the daughter of the owner and a singer at the Oslo Opera House, is our barista today. She wears a trendy Shirt in CAMARELLO.

Equally close nearby: KATLA Restaurant – freshly crowned with the BARTENDERS’ CHOICE AWARD 2022 as the best restaurant in Norway. Named after the grand Icelandic volcano Katla – a fitting name for this place, where cooking is done over an open flame. At KATLA, chef de cuisine Atli Mar Yngvasson uses aromas from various countries to create his sensual taste sensations.

SENTRALEN, the “central headquarters”, lies in KVADRATUREN – a borough laid out in the rectangular Renaissance style. SENTRALEN is a very special event location. Particularly communicative and social. Especially multifaceted. Originally the headquarters of Christiania Sparebank, a savings bank, nowadays the historic premises on six floors provide over 400 creative co-working spaces along with room for festivals, culture and getting together. The restaurant is an insider tip: the best lunch anywhere in Oslo!

Our shooting with Carlo and Julie in the former vault – now a rental studio for music – was just as special as the whole complex. Equally impressive: the stately, still original stairwell. And then the rooftop terrace with a fabulous view across the city. No wonder Osloites love their SENTRALEN so much. We find lots of styles here, lots of colours, and lots of history. Everything was only restored as much as necessary, and what we encounter everywhere here too again is what makes Oslo and probably all of Norway what they are: the clear, very functional design of all things. And the sincerely open, relaxed way people co-exist with one another. What folks in Norway call hygge.