A newly established collective of designers inspiring others to follow in their footsteps
“It was about grouping together, creating a much better gallery space and making a much bigger impact,” says Thomas Jenkins, one of the co-founders of Klubben – a collective of 32 upcoming designers born out of a frustration that things weren’t happening in Oslo’s local design scene.

Its home, Prindsen block, is a spacious, converted industrial building in the historic centre of the city. The interior, however, is anything but rustic. Truth be told the minimal decor and eclectic range of projects on display make this far more of a plush showroom than a simple workshop.

There are beautiful lamps, vessels and furnishings to admire within the space – but what’s clear is that behind the product there’s an even more important sense of purpose; a shared mission to promote and support Nordic design.

At times this objective manifests itself in the choice of local materials or references to Norway’s rich cultural heritage, but it's most obvious in Klubben's inclusive and welcoming structure.

We share our skill sets, so we've got a much bigger knowledge base “We invite new members to join every year,” explains Jenkins. “We want to expand, and our next step is to create a proper club house with a gallery and shop so we can show a lot more work.”

Unsurprisingly, they’re seen as a go to point for young graduates looking to get exposure at global fairs in London, Stockholm and Milan. Thanks to groups like Klubben there’s the opportunity to be part of a strong international group of makers, with experience working for bigger firms like Vitra, Muuto and Established & Sons.

“There are only about 600,00 people in the whole capital,” says Jenkins. “But it’s also very small, so it’s easy to network. We share our skill sets, so we have a much bigger knowledge base. There's also a bit more competition, and we inspire each other a lot more.” Plus, there are always those beautiful fjords to enjoy...

New Threads Victoria Günzler and Sara Wright Polmar, both founding members of Klubben, have produced the beautifully crafted Solberg Weave, a new textile range produced in collaboration with a 185-year-old Norwegian mill, that references its extensive archive of bold and graphic weave patterns.

Solid Base Thomas Jenkins and Sverre Uhnger have created the playfully titled As Long As You Like, a long, modular table that makes use of strong local materials, from a solid oak base to a top cut from Larvikite, a stone unique to Norway’s epic Lundhs quarry.

Rock Stars Hallgeir Homstvedt has quarried the tough northern hemisphere for rocks with quirky earth-tone patterns and colours, before carving out playful figurative characters that reference the local fauna, like puffins, foxes and hedgehogs. “Working with materials that are millions of years old to create something new, gives us both respect and inspiration," says Homstvedt.

Core Business Epleslang is a wonderfully branded apple juice, by Runa Klock, with an equally tasty objective – create jobs for people with disabilities as well as young people who are looking for work experience, and harvest surplus apples that would otherwise rot in Oslo residents’ gardens.