Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit marked their twentieth anniversary yesterday, and we have been celebrating around here. This is the last in the series on the fashion designers that helped craft the Crown Princess’s image. Today we take a look at the designer who was one of the first she turned to in her new role.
Ove Harder Finseth is a Norwegian fashion designer and artist. Unlike most fashion designers, he does not design entire seasonal collections. Instead, he focuses is on producing bespoke works for his clientele. His art has also been displayed in museums and galleries throughout Europe.
Finseth is a graduate of the Department of Clothing and Costume at the Oslo Academy of the Arts, Department of the Norwegian School of Crafts and Design. He received a diploma from the couture school Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture in Paris. Finseth began designing in 1990 and in 1998 established “Ove Harder Finseth”, his own brand.
The designer draws inspiration from costume history and nature. He embroiders and embellishes his materials so that each customer receives unique garments. He designs all types of clothing, from daywear to gala dresses.
He is well known as the designer of Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s wedding dress, which he produced in collaboration with Anna Bratland, Queen Sonja’s seamstress. Since it’s such a blog favorite (the most favorite, as a matter of fact), let’s take a look at some of the other gowns he designed for the Crown Princess. She leaned heavily on his designs in her early princess days.
When her sister-in-law, Princess Märtha Louise, wed Ari Behn in 2002, Mette-Marit wore a blue strapless gown by Finseth. The dress was extremely romantic and included a matching tulle shawl and a full skirt.
In 2005, as part of the Norwegian Centenary celebrations, the Norwegian royals paid an official visit to Britain. The Crown Princess, pregnant with Sverre Magnus, wore a green empire waist. Finseth gown.
For the wedding of Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands and Laurentien Brinkhorst, the Crown Princess wore another pink sleeveless gown with a sheer shawl by Finseth.
For the pre-wedding dinner of Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson, Mette-Marit chose a slate grey Finseth dress with bell sleeves.
What do you think? Did the dresses help cement the new Crown Princess’s image?