If you like libraries and in particular institutions specialized in fashion and design, there are great news: the International Library of Fashion Research (ILFR) is indeed opening at the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo tomorrow (opening hours 12.00 – 18.00, Tuesday to Friday).
Launched digitally in 2020 and now housed in the Station Master's Building at the National Museum, the ILFR is an independent fashion library based on a large donation from the late fashion theorist Steven Mark Klein. The library, directed by Elise By Olsen, extends on two levels with a study space occupying about 1,600 square feet on the upper level and a 8,100-square-foot exhibition space on the ground level.
While at the moment the ILFR is specialized in contemporary fashion publications, the centre hopes to develop curatorial and editorial projects and launch collaborations with a wider range of professionals including architects, fiction writers, contemporary artists and other professionals not directly linked with the fashion industry.
In the meantime, the library's collection is fast-growing: since it was launched, it accepted significant donations, such as materials from global fashion houses, publishers and practitioners, including the French fashion house Hermès, the international magazine distributor KD Presse, the Japanese fashion house Comme des Garçons, and the design agency M / M (Paris). At the moment some of these documents are part of the opening exhibition, "For Immediate Release: The Art of the Press Release," that also includes Maison Martin Margiela, Alessandro Michele, Prada, Virgil Abloh and Angelo Figus and that focuses on the language of the modern press release.
The library will function as a free and accessible resource for fashion professionals, researchers, students, enthusiasts and general visitors, so if you're ever in Oslo and visiting the National Museum (which is worth checking as it is the largest art museum in the Nordics and boasts a collection of 400,000 objects ranging from the antiquity to the present day, but also textiles, furniture and architectural models), you can stop by and browse through the shelves, or even prepare your visit in advance setting an appointment and requesting the librarians to prepare the materials you want (check out this link to request objects from their permanent collection to consult in the physical library space in Oslo).
Last but not least, there's also a fashion and design twist in the actual library space: while the interior was developed with architect and professor Vesma McQuillan and students at Kristiania University College, the shelf system was created by the Italian design duo Formafantasma for Hem and the curtain textiles come from Kvadrat Textiles. Sustainability also has a role in the interior design: the tables are custom-built with recycled MDF, and the display cases are reused from the National Museum.
Image credits for this post
1, 2 and 4 International Library of Fashion Research (ILFR), The National Museum, Oslo, Norway. Photo by Ina Wesenberg, courtesy of The National Museum, Oslo.
3. Elise by Olsen, International Library of Fashion Research (ILFR), The National Museum, Oslo, Norway. Photo by Ina Wesenberg, courtesy of The National Museum, Oslo.
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