Steen & Strøm, the world’s longest trading luxury department store, is preparing a whole programme of events and activities contributing to the Scandinavian fashion retail scene, including the launch of its first capsule collection and a pop-up window display charting its 225 years of history.

This week, the iconic luxury department store set within the city’s Promenaden fashion district has marked the start of a packed programme of events, activations, and collaborations to celebrate its 225th Anniversary. Steen & Strøm’s in-store celebrations that will run for three months until mid-August follow a recent $36 million (£25.7m) investment.

The investment went towards a repositioned entrance onto Norway’s busiest shopping street, a new state-of-the-art beauty hall and enhanced architecture featuring a stunning new atrium.

‘The Original Influencer since 1797’
The anniversary campaign under the title of ‘The Original Influencer since 1797’ highlights Steen & Strøm’s long-standing contribution to Scandinavian fashion retail as a pioneer of contemporary fashion and launch pad for local and international brands alike over the course of two centuries.

Amongst the celebrations is an interactive window display and outdoor advertising and media campaign charting key moments in the store’s historical trajectory; an exclusive fashion collection in collaboration with five of Norway’s most cutting-edge and well-loved designers; a partnership with SoFi Høyskolen Kristiania (Oslo’s School of Fashion Industry); and a three-month programme of special events such as talks and shopping events.

Steen and Strøm’s first Capsule Collection
A first for Steen & Strøm is a special edition capsule collection championing Norwegian top creative talent across fragrance and fashion. The five pieces are:

  • A fragrance by SPREKENHUS (est., 2010), a premium skincare brand centred on sustainable design and functionality. The special collaboration with Steen & Strøm, ‘Beau Nord’, is a captivating fragrance blended to surprise the senses and evoke emotion. SPREKENHUS will have a pop-up within the store’s new beauty hall until mid-August.
  • A special edition canvas boot in collaboration with mono, a unisex footwear brand (est. 2019). Mono creates artisan goods that combine high-quality elements with a supreme level of comfort.
  • A collection of one-off caps by VARSITY (est., 2013) in collaboration with artist Sophia Sørholt that celebrates Steen & Strøm’s rich history and enduring relevance. The five caps will be sold at auction, with sales proceeds donated to UNICEF.
  • A collection of silk scarves by Holzweiler, the Oslo-based fashion house (est. 2012) founded by Susanne and Andreas Holzweiler. Holzweiler sought inspiration from Steen & Strøm’s archives to unveil a collection of four patterns, each printed with the brand’s new logo created by leading graphic designer Lotta Nieminen to mark its 225th year.
  • A collection of t-shirts by F5 (est. 2013), a made-in-Norway concept store run by brothers Emil, Benjamin and Alexander Krystad Marthinsen. These limited-edition t-shirts reflect soulful messaging embodying the history of Steen & Strøm.

A collection of t-shirts by F5 (est. 2013), a made-in-Norway concept store run by brothers Emil, Benjamin and Alexander Krystad Marthinsen. These limited-edition t-shirts reflect soulful messaging embodying the history of Steen & Strøm.

A staunch supporter of Norway’s fashion scene
Throughout its anniversary programme, Steen & Strøm continues to support the Norwegian fashion scene and will run a series of satellite events in partnership with Oslo Runway, Norway’s Fashion Week, held August 13-19, 2022. A highlight of the line-up is the store’s hosting of talks on applications and innovations in a more sustainable fashion.

Record results reported
“Today, we celebrate not only Steen & Strøm’s milestone birthday of 225 years but the contribution of our brilliant team and their continued efforts to make our store the top Norwegian retail destination, offering our clients the most innovative trends, and brand experiences and first-class customer service. Over the past year, we have made significant investments into store improvements and are proud to report record sales and footfall – an average of over a million visits. Suffice to say, we are very excited for what’s coming next!” said David Wilkinson, Executive Director of Steen & Strøm.

A short timeline of Steen & Strøm’s history
Always at the forefront of retail, design and innovation, some of the iconic department store’s key historical moments are plotted below:

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