Article: EMU x WE NORWEGIANS — A Collaboration Built on Nature
EMU x WE NORWEGIANS — A Collaboration Built on Nature
EMU x WE NORWEGIANS: Two distinct brands. Two different corners of the world. One shared instinct: look to nature.
Two Places. One Point of View.
Norway and Australia.
At first glance, two very different places. One shaped by Nordic winters, mountains and generations of living with wool; the other by the Australian landscape and a long heritage of working with Merino wool and sheepskin.
Look a little closer, however, and the similarities begin to appear.
Both WE NORWEGIANS and EMU are rooted in a close relationship with nature. Both believe in the inherent qualities of natural fibers. And both design for a lifestyle where comfort, functionality and style are meant to coexist.
Perhaps the distance between Norway and Australia isn't quite as great as it seems.
The Common Thread: Nature
At the heart of the collaboration is something both brands know particularly well: wool.
For WE NORWEGIANS, Merino wool has been part of our story from the beginning. In Norway, wool isn't reserved for the coldest days of winter — it is part of everyday life, valued for its softness, breathability and natural ability to regulate temperature.
EMU's relationship with wool begins on the other side of the world, with Australian Merino wool and sheepskin at the heart of many of its designs.
Different landscapes. The same extraordinary natural fiber.
It was this shared appreciation for wool — and everything nature has already built into it — that first made a collaboration between the two brands feel instinctive.
When Two Worlds Meet
Sometimes the best collaborations don't begin by looking for differences. They begin by recognizing what is already shared.
For Tove Grane, Co-founder and Creative Director of WE NORWEGIANS, discovering the way EMU worked with Merino wool and sheepskin immediately sparked an interest. The footwear felt at home alongside WE NORWEGIANS' knitwear and skiwear, and an initial meeting between the teams quickly developed into something more.
“The first thing that caught my attention was that EMU was using Merino wool in footwear. Their styles worked so naturally with our collections, and from our first meeting there was a very good connection. It felt easy from the beginning.” – Tove says, smiling at the memory.
That ease continued throughout the design process. Rather than creating something that felt separate from either brand, the idea was to take familiar signatures from both and give them a new expression.
The result is a capsule that feels distinctly EMU and WE NORWEGIANS at once.
In Conversation: Tove Grane
To celebrate the collaboration, we asked Tove about wool, design and what happens when Norway meets Australia.
Both brands have a strong relationship with wool. What makes this material so special to you?
Tove Grane, WE NORWEGIANS:
Merino wool has been the basis of WE NORWEGIANS from the beginning. In Norway, we use wool all year round — even for newborn babies, because it is soft enough to wear directly against the skin. It is such an advanced natural fiber: it regulates temperature, breathes and works across so many different situations. I call it the superpower of fibers. I still haven't found anything in the fiber world that does it better.
Coming from Australia and Norway, where do you see similarities between the two brands?
Tove:
Wool was the obvious connection, but there is also a similar lifestyle around the brands. Both are casual, comfortable and made for people who enjoy being outdoors, while still caring about design. We also realized that our customers are very similar. You can wear EMU and WE NORWEGIANS together and it just makes sense.
There was even an unexpected visual connection: red, white and blue — colors shared by the Norwegian and Australian flags — became a natural part of the collection's palette.
How did each brand bring its own identity to the collection?
Tove:
We started with some of our best-selling sweater silhouettes and reimagined them for the collaboration. One takes its inspiration from our Afterski sweaters, while another brings in the Australian stars. With the footwear, EMU brought their expertise and iconic shapes, and we were able to add WE NORWEGIANS details and colors. It became a real meeting of the two brands.
What surprised you most about working together?
Tove:
How easy it has been. From the very beginning with the design team through to the launch, the whole process has been incredibly smooth. The team members at EMU have been wonderful to work with. It has felt like a very natural partnership.
Where do you imagine people wearing the collection?
Tove:
First and foremost, I see it in the mountains and for après-ski. But I also love that the pieces don't have to stay there. The sweater with the stars, for example, will look just as good with jeans in the city. That's very much how we like to design at WE NORWEGIANS.
And finally: the collection in three words?
Tove:
Fun. Cozy. Bold.
Norway Meets Australia: The Collection
The EMU x WE NORWEGIANS collection brings together knitwear, footwear and winter accessories in a playful interpretation of the two brands.
WE NORWEGIANS' signature knitwear provides the starting point for the sweaters, drawing on the fit and feeling of some of our best-loved après-ski styles. Norwegian references meet Australian details, while a palette of red, white, blue and soft neutrals connects the two worlds.
EMU brings its expertise in footwear and natural materials to the capsule, with signature silhouettes reworked through exclusive colors and WE NORWEGIANS details.
Earmuffs and mittens complete the collection — warm, tactile pieces designed to be mixed, matched and worn together.
The result is winter dressing that doesn't take itself too seriously: warm, comfortable, distinctive and made to be enjoyed.
