Norrona

Colorful, innovative and functional - this is Norrøna! The Norwegian outdoor brand combines quality with design and also places great emphasis on social responsibility and sustainability.

More about Norrona

Why is Norrøna a WIR DENKEN UM brand?

It is Norrøna's conviction that sustainability is the only basis on which to run a business. As a WIR DENKEN UM brand, Norrøna stands out in the following ways:

- The company is committed to accountability throughout the supply chain

- It prides itself on fair purchasing coupled with environmentally friendly and resource-saving production

- Norrøna is a member of the Ethical Trade Initiative and promotes fair working conditions throughout the value chain

Norrøna: Without nature, there's no us.

"Norrøna’s ambition is to be a leader in environmental and social responsibility within the outdoor industry" – this is how the Norwegian company expresses its claim. Transparency is a crucial factor here, which is why Norrøna communicates its goals and how they are achieved very openly. Sustainable products are part of the roadmap: "We simply can't design fashion that will be out of date in six months. That would not be a sustainable product. High-quality, timeless design and a long lifespan are critical when it comes to eco-friendly and responsible textiles." Norrøna has set itself a deadline: 2029, the brand’s 100th anniversary. "Until then, we will need a purpose-driven plan and the ability to act and change our direction in order to preserve the future of our planet." Norrøna is already donating one percent of sales annually to the preservation and protection of nature.

Many product lines of the 1929 founded company have already gained cult status. Among them are the ladies' and men's ski pants and ski jackets from the Falketind, Lofoten, Lyngen and Svalbard collections. But also the products of other lines such as the Tamok down jacket and the Trollveggen fleece jacket are very popular.

Norrøna is a pioneer in innovation and at the same time traditionally rooted

Norrøna was the first company to bring Gore-Tex jackets to the European market in 1979. But this is only one of the numerous innovations of the Norwegian outdoor brand; the first tunnel shaped tent as well as the development of an anatomical backpack are two examples. Also today, almost 40 years later, innovation is an important pillar of the company. Functionality has number-one priority, while the style and the weight (lightweight!) are kept minimalist. Minimalist, however, definitely does not mean boring. The strong colours, for which Norrøna is known, make each piece a real eye-catcher!

In addition to innovation, tradition is an important value at Norrøna. Since its founding in 1929, the company has been family-owned: Currently Norrøna is managed by Jørgen Jørgensen, the great-grandson of the founder. This awareness of tradition is also evident in other areas, such as production. As a result, most of the products are still handmade – from designing to cutting to sewing and gluing.

Norrøna: With nature and for nature

Originally specialized in backpacks, sleeping bags and tents, the company has quickly developed into a leading company in the field of outdoor apparel and mainly produces high-quality mountaineering equipment.

Nature is always at the forefront and is the most important source of inspiration at Norrøna. Therefore, it is no surprise that the various lines and collections of the popular outdoor brand are named after European natural regions. Behind this, however, is much more than a purely random assignment of names. Each product line has a specific reference to the area after which it was named and has been designed and tested accordingly.

Norrøna's pants, jackets, shorts and shirts as well as accessories are not only designed to defy the forces of nature during various outdoor activities, but also to protect our environment as much as possible. To achieve this goal, the Norwegian company uses environmentally friendly and responsible materials, as well as recycled synthetic and natural fibers. Moreover, high value is placed on the use of animal-friendly materials, as well as fair and appropriate working conditions and sustainable transport – air transport is avoided as far as possible. A special focus also lies on the product life because: "A new Norrøna product is great, but a ten-year-old Norrøna product is even better."

The Norrøna Factory is now open

In 2020 has opened the own Norrøna Factory in Lithuania! Built to make highly functional products with premium quality more sustainable. Having their very own factory also allows them to improve innovation and flexibility.

Their long term vision is to automate more of their production. By placing the factory close to where they sell their products, they will reduce lead time and make production more flexible. This gives them an opportunity to fill demand quickly but not overproduce. At Norrøna they do most of the work inhouse with dedicated Norrøna employees. They have their own prototype factory in their office and develop most of the products here. From fabric and trim development, to design, construction, and making the products. Their ambassadors and employees even test them. All marketing is also done by a Norrøna team inhouse. Most of the digital development of systems including the webshop is made internally. The stores are designed and developed according to Norrona´s own store system. In short, they like to build stuff and to build it themselves.

Throughout most of Norrøna’s history, the production of products ran internally. At the start of the 90’s we sourced our production to eastern Europe since it was very hard to find workers in Norway. Today we produce our products in China, Vietnam, Lithuania, and Portugal. We work with long term partnership and high-end factories, all family-owned.

For quite some time we have wanted to build our own factory in Europe making fleece, mid-layers, and base layers, using European sourced materials. The development of the Norrøna Factory in Kaunas, Lithuania started in 2018, and we opened the doors in April 2020. A completely new building specially made for our needs, with all the latest technology. Since April we have trained our team to the right Norrøna quality levels and the factory is now producing the first Norrøna products.