Chalet in the Woods to host Oleana fashion show

Norwegian designers to visit Washington for special event

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

Chalet in the Woods could well be the city’s best-kept secret.

The Scandinavian-style gift shop, now nestled among an eclectic wooded area near Sehmel Homestead Park has been selling specialty European gifts and clothing in Gig Harbor for 40 years.

But the Scandinavians know it’s there. So much so that visitors of some of the city’s oldest families make the chalet a “must-see” during their stay.

The shop speaks to the Nordic lands so clearly that the design team of the popular clothing line, Oleana of Norway, will make the chalet their only U.S. stop Sept. 12 for a fashion show and preview of Oleana’s fall collection, “Autumn Leaves and Winter Roses.”

Oleana lead designer Solveig Hisdal will be on hand, along with company principals Signe Aarhus and Kolbjørn Valestrand.

Chalet in the Woods is the sole source for Oleana in the Puget Sound. In addition to the fashion show, the event will include a wine and cheese reception in the chalet’s 13-acre garden setting.

“The garden is a part of the attraction of the gift shop,” said Laura Almaas, owner of the Chalet. “When people come here, they like to walk around the grounds.”

The Oleana design team hasn’t visited Washington in more than a decade.

Using the best natural fiber materials from around the world, every piece of Oleana is created at its factory at Espeland, just outside Bergen, Norway.

Almaas said getting involved with Oleana changed the way she looks at things. She believes America and other nations have fallen under the spell of mass consumerism and have moved away from quality products.

“Why not have one beautiful, well-made thing that will last instead of a bunch of things that you’ll give to the Goodwill in a couple of years?” she said. “Gig Harbor has a bunch of small, wonderful merchants. But if everyone buys fast food, you’ll just see more fast food chains here. People support the things they believe in. Every time you spend a dollar, you’re voting.”

In a video shot at Oleana’s factory in Norway, the company explains how its designs are created from ideas taken from tiles, architecture and ancient Chinese bowls.

As a gift to its employees, the factory shuts down once a year and takes workers on a “field trip” to architecturally beautiful cities like Alhambra, Spain. There, the workers glean ideas for the clothing and take sketches of murals, porcelain designs, flowers and anything that looks like it might translate well onto fabric.

The whole idea is to create the “nicest knitted clothing in the world,” Almaas said.

“When someone walks into the room and looks sharp, it’s a gift to everyone else,” Almaas said. “When you own Oleana, it’s like going for a walk with a cute puppy. Everyone can look beautiful in Oleana — you don’t have to be 20 years old and a ballerina.”

Besides the Norwegian clothing, the Chalet also features glass design from iittala of Finland; men’s and women’s apparel from St. James and 66 North and Huldresolv jewelry.

The advantage of clothing made in northern countries is the technology incorporated into their design. Modern innovations have created chic, sleek-looking garments that are as warm as down without looking bulky.

Fabric like Petlex Quantum makes form-fitting jackets light as a feather that don’t make people have to dress like Eskimos.

“There’s a Norwegian saying,” Almaas said with a laugh. “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.”

Reach reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at susan.schell@gateline.com.