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Edda Gimnes SS24: Building a Maximalist Fashion Universe Through Storytelling
Setting the Scene
For the launch of Edda Gimnes’ Spring Summer 2024 collection, COLLECTIVE OSLO co developed a campaign exploring memory, fantasy, and exaggerated femininity through cinematic imagery and layered visual storytelling. Inspired by personal archives, family history, and theatrical silhouettes, the collection unfolded as a richly detailed universe balancing nostalgia, humor, and couture experimentation.
Shaping the Visual World
In collaboration with Edda Gimnes, COLLECTIVE OSLO co created the concept and production for the SS24 campaign. The collection moved between references to 1950s glamour and baroque drapery, combining exaggerated proportions, layered prints, and sculptural silhouettes into a distinctive visual language that has become synonymous with the Edda Gimnes universe.
Personal References and Sculptural Expression
Through sketchbooks, personal photographs, and family memories, the campaign offered insight into the emotional and artistic process behind the collection. References ranged from ornate wallpapers in the designer’s grandmother’s country house to old family photographs and personal objects, transforming intimate memories into maximalist fashion narratives.
Voluminous dresses, oversized hats, caricatured shoes, and layered print techniques created a three dimensional effect throughout the collection, balancing rough contours with intricate details and vibrant color palettes. Photographed and filmed by Ignat Wiig, the campaign translated Gimnes’ hand drawn and almost childlike visual language into cinematic imagery that felt playful, surreal, and emotionally expressive.
Internationally recognized by institutions including LVMH and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Edda Gimnes has become known for blurring the line between fashion, installation, and performance. The SS24 campaign reinforced this approach by presenting the collection as a living artistic world rather than a conventional fashion release.
Our Approach
Our approach focused on translating Edda Gimnes’ highly recognizable visual identity into a cinematic and emotionally layered campaign universe. Rather than presenting the garments as isolated fashion objects, the production emphasized storytelling, atmosphere, and the emotional references embedded within the collection itself.
COLLECTIVE OSLO co led the concept development and production, shaping the visual tone, creative execution, and narrative direction of the campaign together with Edda Gimnes. Through cinematic photography, sculptural styling, and carefully curated movement and composition, the campaign balanced theatricality with intimacy while strengthening the connection between the designer’s personal memories and her contemporary artistic expression.
CLIENT
Edda Gimnes
CATEGORY
Campaign Production
Creative Direction
Fashion Storytelling
DELIVERABLES
Concept Development
Campaign Production
Art Direction
Photography
Film Production
Visual Storytelling
Creative Direction
PRODUCTION
Co Concept & Production
Collective Oslo
Photo & Film
Ignat Wiig
Styling
Edda Gimnes
Hair
Malin Wallin
Makeup
Sissel Fylling
Models
Ayan Mou
Nae Nishimura Skaar
Making Art and Culture Accessible
Our art and culture projects are made possible through support from public institutions and partners who help us bring contemporary art into public life, create opportunities for artists and open new cultural encounters for wider, younger audiences.
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Walking Art by Edda Gimnes: Where Fashion Became Performance
Setting the Scene
Created for the launch of Edda Gimnes’ Spring Summer 2024 collection, Walking Art transformed a traditional fashion presentation into an immersive performance piece where fashion, movement, and visual storytelling merged into one expressive experience. Developed by COLLECTIVE OSLO, the project explored the intersection between haute couture, choreography, and contemporary art through live performance and cinematic scenography.
Bringing the Collection to Life
For Walking Art, COLLECTIVE OSLO collaborated with choreographer Elisabeth Snaprud and dancers from Den Norske Ballettskole together with Nae Nishimura Skaar from the Norwegian National Ballet. The performance combined movement, film, fashion, and scenography into a living interpretation of Gimnes’ playful and dramatic visual universe.
Fashion as Movement and Sculpture
Presented during TECH FACTORY in Oslo, the performance unfolded as a sequence of choreographed tableaux where the garments moved between sculpture, costume, and emotional expression. Against a cinematic backdrop created by photographer and filmmaker Ignat Wiig, the dancers embodied the exaggerated silhouettes and artistic language that define Edda Gimnes’ work.
Internationally recognized by institutions and brands including LVMH, Disney, Microsoft, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gimnes has become known for blurring the boundaries between fashion and installation art. Walking Art translated this artistic approach into a live experience where imperfect naivety met technical precision, allowing the garments to exist not only as fashion pieces but as moving artistic forms.
CLIENT
Edda Gimnes
EVENT
TECH FACTORY 2023
LOCATION
Oslo Event Hub
CATEGORY
Performance Art
Fashion Presentation
Creative Production
DELIVERABLES
Concept Development
Creative Direction
Performance Production
Choreography Collaboration
Spatial Design
Film Integration
Lighting Design
Artistic Direction
On Site Production
PRODUCTION
Concept & Production
Collective Oslo
Photo & Film
GOODIEBAG AS
Styling
Edda Gimnes
Choreography
Elisabeth Snaprud
Makeup & Hair
Adam og Eva
Lighting & Stage
Beleven
Dancers
Nae Nishimura Skaar
Eline Tolstrup Christensen
Nora Auberg
Myrna Lømo
Ida Malthe
Aniela Knutsen
Olivia Snaprud Corneliussen
Our Approach
Our approach focused on dissolving the boundary between runway presentation and performance art. Rather than presenting the collection through a conventional fashion show format, COLLECTIVE OSLO developed an immersive live experience where choreography, film, music, and scenography became equally important elements of the storytelling.
COLLECTIVE OSLO initiated and produced Walking Art as part of the first edition of TECH FACTORY in Oslo. Every aspect of the production was developed to support the emotional and visual world of Edda Gimnes, from movement direction and cinematic pacing to lighting design and spatial atmosphere. Through the collaboration between dancers, filmmakers, choreographers, and fashion creatives, the performance became a multidisciplinary encounter balancing theatricality, experimentation, and contemporary couture.
Making Art and Culture Accessible
Our art and culture projects are made possible through support from public institutions and partners who help us bring contemporary art into public life, create opportunities for artists and open new cultural encounters for wider, younger audiences.
Epson x Kit Wan & Edda Gimnes: Bridging Fashion and Digital Innovation
Setting the Scene
In collaboration with Epson, COLLECTIVE developed a creative partnership exploring how digital printing technology could transform contemporary fashion design. By connecting Epson with designers Kit Wan and Edda Gimnes, the collaboration positioned technology not as a technical tool alone, but as a catalyst for creative experimentation and artistic expression.
Connecting Technology and Creativity
For the COLLECTIVE Festival 2018, COLLECTIVE initiated and curated a collaboration between Epson Norway and the two designers, giving them access to Epson’s digital textile printing technology to develop experimental collections for Spring Summer 2018 and Fall Winter 2019. The project explored how innovation in fabric printing could expand creative freedom within contemporary fashion design and production.
Fashion as Innovation
Digital textile printing became the foundation for a process where color, illustration, texture, and pattern could be explored with greater flexibility and precision than traditional production methods. Through the collaboration, Kit Wan and Edda Gimnes translated their distinct artistic languages into expressive printed fabrics, creating collections that balanced craftsmanship, experimentation, and technology driven design.
The first stage of the collaboration was presented during the COLLECTIVE Festival 2018, where the collections were staged as part of the festival program. Costume Magazine documented the collaboration through both print and digital editorial coverage, while editor in chief Kine Hartz Bjerke moderated a live conversation between the designers and Heather Kendle during the festival.
Our Approach
Our approach focused on positioning technology through cultural relevance and creative authenticity. Rather than presenting Epson’s printing technology through technical demonstrations alone, COLLECTIVE developed a platform where innovation could be experienced directly through fashion, storytelling, and artistic collaboration.
COLLECTIVE led the brand positioning strategy, influencer scouting, collaboration development, and staging of the project within the festival context. By bringing together technology leaders, fashion designers, media platforms, and live conversations, the collaboration created a multidimensional experience connecting innovation with contemporary culture. The result positioned Epson within the creative industries while simultaneously giving designers new possibilities for experimentation and visual expression.
CLIENT
Epson
COLLABORATORS
Kit Wan
Edda Gimnes
EVENT
COLLECTIVE Festival 2018
CATEGORY
Brand Positioning
Creative Collaboration
Fashion Technology
DELIVERABLES
Brand Positioning
Influencer Scouting
Creative Collaboration
Fashion Industry Activation
Creative Strategy
Event Staging
Panel Conversation
Cultural Programming
Microsoft x Edda Gimnes: Positioning Technology Through Creative Collaboration
Setting the Scene
For the launch of the new Microsoft Surface Book, Microsoft sought to position the device within the creative and fashion industries by highlighting its design and illustration capabilities. To create cultural relevance around the launch, COLLECTIVE initiated a collaboration between Microsoft and Norwegian fashion designer Edda Gimnes during the UNCONTAMINATED festival in 2016.
Connecting the Brand
COLLECTIVE developed the collaboration as a strategic intersection between technology, fashion, and creative expression. Known for her playful illustrations and distinctive visual universe, Edda Gimnes became a natural creative partner for demonstrating the Surface Book’s drawing tools and digital design possibilities within an authentic artistic context.
Creativity as Product Experience
At the time of the collaboration, Edda Gimnes had gained international attention after being named one of the top emerging designers to watch by The New York Times ahead of her 2015 graduation collection. Her signature approach to illustration driven fashion design aligned closely with Microsoft’s ambition to showcase the Surface Book as a tool created for contemporary creatives and visual storytellers.
The collaboration became part of the development of Gimnes’ Spring Summer 2016 collection, where digital sketching and creative experimentation using the Surface Book were integrated into her design process. Rather than positioning the product through traditional advertising, the partnership allowed the technology to exist naturally within the designer’s own creative practice and artistic identity.
CLIENT
Microsoft
COLLABORATION
Edda Gimnes
CATEGORY
Brand Positioning
Creative Collaboration
DELIVERABLES
Brand Positioning
Creative Collaboration
Influencer Scouting
Partnership Development
Creative Strategy
Fashion Industry Activation
Cultural Positioning
Our Approach
Our approach focused on cultural positioning through meaningful creative collaboration rather than direct product promotion. By identifying a designer whose visual language and working methods aligned organically with Microsoft’s technology, COLLECTIVE created a partnership rooted in authenticity, relevance, and artistic credibility.
COLLECTIVE led the brand positioning strategy and influencer scouting process, shaping a collaboration that connected the worlds of fashion, illustration, and technology in a way that felt both aspirational and culturally grounded. Through the partnership with Edda Gimnes, the Surface Book was presented not simply as a technical device, but as a creative tool capable of supporting contemporary artistic expression and innovation.
