A fashionable 17th of May Celebration
Moods of Norway fashion show will bring a bit of color to Brooklyn’s Dinner Dance
Photo: moods-4980 / Flickr
A Moods of Norway fashion show, “Winter Wonderland,” in 2011.
Lagertha Aslaug
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Many organizations in Norway and the U.S. are planning special events to celebrate the upcoming 200th Anniversary of Norway’s Constitution. In fact, the buzz has been going on for over two years in Brooklyn. So, it is no surprise that Brooklyn’s 17th of May Committee has planned a special Dinner Dance to be held on Saturday, May 10th beginning at 6:00 pm at Sirico’s, in honor of the prestigious occasion. Said Ken Johnson, Dinner Dance Committee Chair: “We have a very active committee. I would like to recognize its members: Arlene Bakke Rutuelo, Lillian Eidhammer, Lois Hedlund, Ruthiie Kornbrekke, Ken Kornbrekke, Sylvia Reich and Victoria Hofmo. They have had great ideas, taken on their tasks with gusto and have created an amazing event for all to enjoy.” For further information about the dinner dance, please see www.may17paradeny.com/Events.html
Besides a sumptuous cocktail hour and delightful meal, attendees will be entertained by the popular band Smorgasbandet. But the most unique part of this event will be a fashion show organized by the manager of Moods of Norway Soho, Daniel Kermani. Locals have volunteered to model their smart funky garb. “We are so excited to have this unique enhancement to our event,” said Committee Member Fashion Show Chair, Victoria Hofmo. “As far as we know, this has not been done by any other organization in Brooklyn before. We would also like to thank our models for volunteering their time: Gary Boardman, Kristin Glessner, Sarah Glessner, Karen Hedlund, Paulie Rutuelo, Ron Reinertsen, and Rachael Trela.”
For those of you who may not be familiar with Moods of Norway or who would like to know more about their New York location I asked Daniel to answer a few questions about the brand. First, of course, I was curious about l how he got involved with Moods of Norway. He said, “I was recruited through an employment agency. After I met with the team I accepted the position of Store Director in SoHo.” So what is special about this brand? According to Kermani, “It’s what we like to call in the business an international lifestyle brand. We like to ensure that we have something to cater to everyone’s needs, but at the same time always maintaining the vision and passion of the creators. We really know how to mix fun and vibrant with classic and timeless.”
Moods of Norway has stores on both sides of the Atlantic and both U.S. coasts. I wondered how the product translated from Norway to LA to NY. “To be honest, it has a lot to do with the product and the fans of our brand. When something is out there for the world to see and has quality and a story behind it, I don’t think it matters where you are. The passion for fun and energy runs the gambit across the world,” stated Daniel.
This will be the first fashion show for Kermani and the SoHo store. “We are all very excited for our first venture,” he told me. “I think the main difference [between this and the average fashion show] will be that we will bring true ‘Moods’ fashion and fun to the event. It will be fun and exciting to see all the top designs from ‘Pop Factory,’ our current S/S 14 collection, walk the runway. I think it will bring out a true essence of who we are as a brand at this point in time.”
Daniel added, “Moods is about bringing people together, in a place where shopping can be fun, thrilling and hilarious. We have amazing things planned for the future and are looking forward to watch our NY flagship store grow.”
This Dinner Dance is also about bringing people together. Committee Chair Arlene Rutuelo sends the following message: “We are very excited about hosting the celebratory dinner dance this year. Celebrating 200 years since the signing of the Norwegian constitution is worthy of a special event. Come out and join us at the dinner and I look forward to seeing everyone at the parade in NY on May 18th.”
Celebrating our diverse cultures is what New York does best. In the case of Norwegians, its harbor beaconed them to its shore. In gratitude hard working Norwegians became integral to the building of our city. We also see a lovely melding between the two cultures, in the commemoration date itself, as the Norwegian constitution was influenced by the U.S. constitution. But you don’t have to be Norwegian to attend this Dinner Dance. All are welcome. It is apropos to honor the melding of our two cultures with all New Yorkers, as the Norwegian contributions to the city have served and enhanced the lives of all New Yorkers. And in true New York style it is being marked in such a fun way—through wine, fashion, and song.
Moods of Norway SoHo is located at 75 Greene Street in the heart of SoHo’s famed shopping district. The store is is open to the public from 11:00-7:00 M-Saturday and 12:00-6:00 on Sundays. (212) 966-9678.
This article originally appeared in the May 2, 2014 issue of the Norwegian American Weekly.
