Crown Princess Mette-Marit, an international star designer, and a workshop for artists with and without disabilities was the recipe for success behind the dress the Crown Princess wore during the official opening of the new National Museum some months ago.
That dress was given as a gift by Her Royal Highness to the Norwegian National Museum this week, which has invested heavily in promoting textile art.
The dress is made of Norwegian wool, handwoven at Aurora Workshop and designed by Peter Dundas and the Crown Princess.
Peter Dundas has been central to the international fashion industry for many years. He has been the chief designer for international luxury fashion houses such as Emilio Pucci and Roberto Cavalli. He has designed several dresses for both Crown Princess Mette-Marit and international stars in the past.
Karin Hindsbo, director of the National Museum, said: “The National Museum has a large and completely unique collection of art, handicrafts, architecture and design, which goes from antiquity to the present day. And this is a wonderful gift. This is a unique piece of Norwegian fashion history. In the new museum, costumes and textiles will have a different and perhaps more prominent place than we have ever had before. In this regard, this gift from the Crown Princess is very important to us.”
Aurora Workshop, just outside Oslo, has been central to the work to make the pink dress. The workshop is a workplace that also offers adapted work for artists with various disabilities. Weaving dress fabric is difficult and demanding, but the workshop managed this brilliantly. The Crown Princess herself visited the workshop and got to try weaving the material used in the dress.
The Crown Princess has long been preoccupied with traditional Norwegian weaving art. In 2014, the Crown Princess got to try out weaving, and she now weaves as a hobby and has revealed that she has a hobby loom at home in Skaugum.
