International Library of Fashion Research

“What is more important in a moment of extreme action and opinion, in certain cases leading to violence, than to create a library? A place of peaceful contemplation and the preservation of human knowledge, where an individual can, in their own time and pace, think and search for meaning.” – Steven Mark Klein

A library, conventionally understood to be a state-run institution, is a public space where access to certain knowledge is expected and upheld by governing authorities. But, what would a library become if traditional authority were taken away and reimagined? How could this archival space provide a template for new decentralised spaces within fashion? And how could this then exist beyond the library’s shelves, creating new infrastructures for the future of fashion and beyond? 

Cue the International Library of Fashion Research, a library that hopes to one day house the most comprehensive archive of specialised fashion research and printed matter – magazines, publications, lookbooks, show invitations, illustrations, ephemera – all acquired from private collectors and donors. Founded by twenty-something fashion prodigy Elise By Olsen, who began her career at the age of 13, the Library is reshaping the very meaning of what an institution is and can be. “Rather than a storage space for the past, this Library is an active space in the creation of the future,” explains Olsen. With the help of archivist and consultant Steven Mark Klein, who provided the seed collection for the archive; Else Thorenfeldt, the organic farmer and former Margiela presse attaché and Morteza Vaseghi, the creative director and Olsen’s decade-long collaborator and business partner, Olsen has created a much-needed space in fashion for critical discourse, research and reflection. 

Up until now, the International Library of Fashion Research has primarily existed online, with the exception of the occasional symposium. At the end of this month, however, the library will open the doors to its very own physical space. Located in the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo, the Library is able to position itself as an institution while still having the freedom that operating independently permits. The result is a free, globally accessible facility that aids engagement with fashion’s printed matter in an intellectual, critical context. “I think a lot of spaces in fashion are perceived as hierarchical. I wanted to make an educational institution where people of any age, any level, any interest can come; somewhere that welcomes researchers regardless of whether they are amateurs or serious academics, industry professionals or students.” 

In the intimately sized Library, there is a single table where people from all different corners of the industry can sit. “This one table is where the potential lies and where the contents of the Library can be manifested physically through exchanges,” says Olsen. “And there’s nothing new about this idea, either: tables in libraries have always existed and been used as co-working spaces.” She’s right, this social concept isn’t new, it has existed for centuries. Yet somehow, in the context of fashion’s current climate, it seems revolutionary. 

With its location in Oslo, a city considered on the periphery of the fashion industry, the International Library of Fashion Research is removed from the self-absorbed fashion capitals. This decentralisation was, at first, inadvertent, but Olsen soon realised it was a chance for a radical departure from the established structures of fashion. “Oslo has a sort of remoteness and solitude to it. It’s similar to Antwerp in that there’s an ecosystem built for new modes of thinking and creating outside of these conventional fashion capitals,” says Olsen. “I have this thought that maybe Oslo shouldn’t have fashion designers in its centre –maybe there are other elements to work with instead. And people may think that’s a radical idea, but I’m interested in how Oslo can become a meeting point for critical and intellectual fashion discourse. In the solitude we have, there’s an opportunity to build research and educational infrastructures where people can step outside of the accelerated fashion industry and take time for the study of fashion.” 

On this fertile ground, the Library’s collection has the potential to grow beyond its own shelves and materiality; to produce new conversations, relationships and meanings. Despite being physically unchanging, these archival materials are alive. As the zeitgeist moves, these artefacts are given a new context and continue to inspire viewers in ever-changing ways. “Throughout the projects I’ve done, there’s a sense of nostalgia in the formats I’ve chosen to present certain activations, whether it be printed magazines, a CD or, in this case, a library. But I think everything has had a sort of proactive vision for the future. Maybe it comes from being young, from a wish to change the system for the better. I think this has always been the case for my work.” 

At the time of our conversation, the Library is preparing for its official opening on 01 December 2022. Some shelves are arranged and ordered systematically while others remain bare. “Empty shelves for future fashion history,” is what Olsen says. Eventually they will fill up as this ever-growing collection provides sanctuary for the collective knowledge, memory and conversation of a new infrastructure for fashion. “I don’t believe that the future is a singular place,” says Olsen. “Instead, I believe there are many futures. This is the same with the Library, too. It will remain unfinished. It’s never going to be complete. It’s an infinite project that will live far beyond me, you and the people within it.”

As featured in SLEEK 75 – HAPPINESS. Available in print and digital hier.

Elise By Olsen

At the age of 13, Elise By Olsen launched a youth culture magazine, Recens, making her the world’s youngest editor-in-chief. The Norwegian is the very model of a Gen-Z multi-hyphenate, with two magazines under her belt, consulting work at a dream list of fashion companies and the recent establishment of an international fashion library in Norway.