Photo: Torbjørn Rødland
INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY OF FASHION RESEARCH
LOCATION: OSLO
FOUNDER: ELISE BY OLSEN
INCEPTION: 2020
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY OF FASHION RESEARCH
Fashion is one of our most significant cultural artefacts — an expression of our values and fascinations, and an impression of a moment in time with social, political, and economic dimensions. Yet because much of its printed matter is created for commercial or informal ends, it rarely receives the thorough study it deserves. Ultimately there is a need for intellectual enterprise, new narratives and a healthy collective environment to interact with the actual production and positioning of fashion. Founded in 2020, the International Library of Fashion Research will become the world’s most comprehensive repository of specialized fashion research and contemporary fashion publications. We will fill a much-needed gap in the preservation of and critical engagement with fashion’s printed culture at an institutional level, and build a free, globally accessible resource for fashion researchers, industry professionals, and amateur enthusiasts. The library’s foundation is based on a seed donation of 5,000+ pieces of contemporary printed matter dating from 1975 until present, and will continue to grow via further donations from global fashion houses, publishers and practitioners, animated by an extensive program of talks, digital annotations and micro-curations. ILFR is actively working not only to preserve fashion’s past, but to understand its present and contribute to its future.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Elise By Olsen (b. 1999) is a cultural entrepreneur and publisher. She started her publishing practice at an early age, as founder & editor-in-chief Recens Paper, a youth culture magazine and media platform bringing young people’s creative narratives into print and into newsstands. With By Olsen at the helm, Recens Paper received international claim for rethinking traditional publishing for a contemporary audience. She resigned from her position at Recens Paper in 2017, at age 18. In 2018, and in a complex media landscape, By Olsen debuted her next publishing venture Wallet, a fashion commentary publication creating critical conversations within the fashion industry. In Wallet’s back issues, By Olsen has sat down with industry power figures with a sharp journalistic practice. Published globally three times a year, the Wallet issues are delicately structured and designed within its iconic pocket-sized format. In 2020, she founded International Library of Fashion Research, a specialized fashion library with extensive programming. As the Founding Director, By Olsen established the Board of Directors and initial educational and corporate partnerships, and oversaw the Library's global launch.
