WEATHER DIARIES, THE

When it comes to contemporary fashion design, the Nordic countries of Europe are anything but terra incognita. Brands from Scandinavia are well-established around the world and designers such as Henrik Vibskov have been lavished with international accolades for years.

But what is it that makes Nordic design so exemplary? How do the origins of young designers from these countries influence their inimitable sense of style and aesthetics? In The Weather Diaries, the artist duo Cooper & Gorfer explore the roots of Nordic fashion and design traditions.

Sarah Cooper and Nina Gorfer take an unusual approach to their topic by telling its story visually. The curators of the third Nordic Fashion Biennale present the work of both young and established West Nordic designers in a striking collection of photography that they shot on-location throughout Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland. Showcasing the fashion in dramatic natural settings, their images are fused with a dark romanticism and, like much of their work, are reminiscent of eighteenth and nineteenth-century painting. Defying categorization, Cooper & Gorfer’s photos bring together fashion, photography, and painting. Their work goes beyond pure documentation and is interpretive, narrative, and utterly distinctive.