Vestkant torget.....



Leather and Linen...



Briskebyveien......

Short trench over relaxed shirt and tee, with skinnies into a pair of hobnails. Oversized frames add to a completely  modern (oslo) look.

OK.... I've taken almost a year off. The tumultuous events of 2011 here in Norway left their mark on everyone, no matter how close or far they were from individuals affected by the events of last July. For me, while being fortunate enough not to have loved ones directly affected by what happened (although my wife was only 2 blocks away from where the downtown explosion happened) the change in Norwegian life was palpable both from without and within. I completely lost my desire to photograph fashion , feeling that the very nature of such frivolity paled in comparison to the lives of so many who struggled mightily with what occured last year.
I won't go as far as to say there is a rebirth, because the scars of what happened last year will always remain, and for some, their lives are forever profoundly altered. For the rest of us, we are left to our own thoughts and though luck and innocence, our own loves and passions. We have been afforded the luxury of allowing ourselves to return to the people we once were, for better or worse,...hopefully for the better.

The spring is returning in Oslo and the bite of winter is beginning to subside. The sun is already up until almost 9:00 pm with nearly 15 hours of daylight. Just a few weeks ago, we craned our necks to suck up every drop of sunlight that would disappear at about 3:30 pm. And with the light, life seems better, at least for some of us.

 I've decided to continue my blog and help to show the world what the citizenry of Oslo look like, what they wear, and maybe even where they are going. Thanks again for taking a look.

Stortorvet...............

Stortorget...................

Now and Then...............

For those of you who were kind enough to view my blog earlier this year, I must apologize for the lack of posting since 22.07.2011. Since that day, the day that Norway’s innocence was ripped away, and so many of its children’s future stolen, it has been difficult to look at these same streets, stained in blood and fear and covered with dying flowers as the playground of style and expression that they once were.

I have found it nearly impossible to return to these streets and walk in my blissful ignorance, letting my eye catch a colorful skirt, a flowing, pleated blouse, or a patchwork of cloth that evoked a trend, a style or some classic vision. What I see now is the fragility of our lives, and the thin thread that so many of us have the good fortune to hold on to each day, thread that can be broken at any moment, by any person, in any place.

All seems different now, different in the streets and in the faces of all of us who continue to try to understand the true nature of man, and of the life that has been bestowed upon us. All seems different. And it is.

West Side...........

Øvre Slottsgate,.....

Upper Karl Johan,........

Rain on Nedre Slottsgate...............

West side.....

Bogstadveien............

Nasjonalteateret.....................

Great look - earthy and organic cottons and  layers.

Stortorget....

Rosenborggata

Bogstadveien.............

Upper Karl Johans gate........................

I fell in love with this outfit and the unique assembly of colours and design. According to this young lady, this dress is a very old bunad (Norwegian National dress). Typically reserved for May 17th (Norwegian Independence Day) or weddings, this was used as fashion quoditienne. Topped off with the pale blue accessories, the muted colors were a playful yet melancholy statement of personal style. If you want to see more bunader, go to my May 17th posts where you will find an array of these beautiful had crafted garments.