You graduated from RCA (Royal College of Art) back in 2009 with a Masters in Menswear Design, how has your journey developed since then?

It’s developed in every way, really. Coming from there it prepares you in a way, but you can’t ever be fully prepared for ‘real life’. Doing this on your own, you don’t know what you’re doing; you just know that you want to make clothes. It’s kind of a stab in the dark, really.

One thing I’ve developed in my work is that I want my work to be more wearable, well at least some of them. In university it was more of an experimental time, so I had a lot of fun, but some of the collection (The Sixth Sun, which he showcased at RCA), it was sort of ‘away with the fairies’ not so realistic. So this was something I wanted to change in my work, I wanted it to have that sort of energy and wearability that when you see it you’d want to just chuck it on.

Do you think your mixed background and where you have lived influences your designs?

No, I mean it does in an indirect way, but I’ve never felt at home anywhere. Not a proper home home. I was always the ‘Columbian kid’ or whatever in Norway and in Columbia I was always the ‘Norwegian guy’. I usually find influences from other areas. But, London is so diverse, I feel like I have to be here for the mindset of my designs.

Where do you get inspiration from when designing?

It obviously changes every season, but my inspirations are fantasy, film, stories and the Internet. Always the Internet, where I find random things that are interesting. People on the Internet that are mad enough to believe what they are writing. You can find all sorts of beliefs and myths on the internet. I like that kind of energy, that’s kind of where I get some of my inspirations from.

Digital prints seem to crop up a lot in your designs, what attracts you to this style? 

I have a love/hate relationship with digital prints. Basically, I started using it when I was doing an internship for Jean-Paul Braganza, back in 2005. Digital printing was quite new then and McQueen was the first one who really went for it. For a while there, we were really battling with McQueen. I was doing most of Braganza’s prints for the first three or four seasons with him. I’m a really ‘computer-person’ and back then digital prints were really exciting and great to explore. Digital prints come really easy to me and I still have that in me, but that’s what I kind of don’t like about it. It’s a tool where you can do whatever you want but it can push people into designing the same types of prints, like the mirrored ones.

Although I did not do digital prints last season, there is some in the SS 2012 collection, but I have steered away from the usual cliché prints. I’m not too sure about doing it next season. But then again I may, but make it even more fun and innovative.

Your AW 2011 Gliptolith collection was much darker, in comparison to your SS 2012 ‘Divine Resonance’ collection, why such a difference? 

I will always differentiate between Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. At the end of the day a designer is supposed to follow the seasons, it’s actually about the weather, they are such contrasting climates. When I think of Summer, I’m in a completely different place. I want to wear colours and wear easy things. For winter I feel like a bit more black and like I want to dress up in shirts and coats. I wanted my collections to show this. I want to do a 180 degree of change each season.

You are one of the fifteen selected designers for Selfridges’ Bright Young Things with your SS 2012 Collection, how does this feel?

It’s amazing, one of the highlights of my year. It’s massive my stuff is all over the place. It’s an amazing project and they are supporting young designers. When this was featured in the Metro, I found that a bit daunting because I’m a small label, but it’s all down to this huge project.

If there was a chance to collaborate with another designer, who would it be?

In my mind a designer’s vision should be pure, if one designer designs one part and the other does another part it can get a bit messy. But, saying that I would collaborate if there were some kind of guidelines. I find it more interesting to collaborate with people in other fields- like set designers, another type of designer. Samara Thompson helped me with the Selfridges window. It’s like two worlds coming together.

The fashion industry is known to be fickle at times, how do you intend to keep you brand alive and thriving?

I was a ‘recession graduate’ and I think if you can get through the bad times it can only go up. And with the economic times people aren’t buying as much fashion, luxury in general. I have tried to grow my label naturally, not just throw money at it. If you do a show one season you have to be able to afford to do it next season too, otherwise it can look erratic.

Have you ever been through self-doubt when setting up your label?

Yeah, everyday. It’s like fuck how am I going to pay rent, why am I doing this, sat here freezing. In this business it’s all about worry, how you’re going to pay for this and that. 

And not only that, when you’re in college you always have someone to ask to help you, but here it’s just me and interns who are asking me what to do. I mean, you always think is this a good idea, but at the end of the day it’s like of course I’m doing this.

What challenges have you faced through what you have achieved today?

This year feels like it’s been three years. We’ve done so much in a year, Jesus Christ! But there has always been the financial challenge. If you have a bit of money to hire freelance pattern-cutters or seamstresses it saves a lot of time. Waking myself up in the morning can be a challenge too.

What other projects do you have coming up?

I have to really focus on my latest collection now. That is my latest project. I commission every now and then, I made a crown for i-D. Commissioning for magazines are all my small projects and I also did a video for Show Studio, which should be coming out soon.

Where do you see your brand and yourself in 10 years time?

Ideally, I’d like to be able to show or do some kind of presentation of my collection, although I’m hoping more so in a couple of years maybe! A nice, big studio and to be more comfortable, and hopefully I’ll have people employed, so I don’t…die.

Where are your favourite hangouts in Norway and London? 

In Norway, my home in Oslo- London, probably here in my studio.

What three things can you not leave the house without?

My phone, computer and…….headphones, I need music.

Who is your IDOL? 

I am an admirer of many, but a fan of none. I don’t look up to anyone as a God. I think Thierry Mugler’s work is amazing though. That’s the closest I’d come to an idol.

Interviewed by Avneet Takhar