Tone Finnanger was born in 1973, and grew up in Oslo near Vigelandsparken.
Both her parents where doctors, her brother is an architect and her sister a lecturer. She studied art, graphic design and business establishment, and has previously worked as an interior decorator and illustrator. Her work has been presented in several group shows. The need to be creative has always been present, a need that has always been supported by family and friends. Her grandmother was a textile artist and was important to her development as a self-taught seamstress.
When she inherited one of the family’s summer houses on an idyllic island about two hours’ drive from Oslo, Tone chose to move there on a permanent basis. This made it easier for her to hone her craft, immersing herself into the world of creativity and focusing on developing her vision.
Tilda
Tone was introduced to the world of crafts when working as a model maker at a craft shop. The concept of Tilda took form.
In 1999, after two book deals, Tone started the design company Tilda. Shortly after, a meeting with the Swedish craft company Panduro Hobby resulted in the first Tilda collection. It consisted of a mere four products, but the first book had a record high first print number. Tone decided to work with Tilda full time.
For the next 18 years, Tilda cooperated with Panduro Hobby AB on the production and distribution of Tilda products, and the publisher Cappelen Damm on books. In 2016, Tilda switched publisher to FW Media.
Tilda Fabrics
In 2017 Tone started the production and distribution company Tilda Fabrics AS with her husband Torje, which has taken over the production and distribution of Tilda products. Located on a neighbouring island, Tilda Fabrics manufactures, distributes and markets Tilda around the world with the help of dedicated and talented employees. All Tilda products and patterns are designed by Tone.
The Concept
Tilda is a cosy, sometimes comical and feminine world, with bright fabric designs and naïve figures as the main theme. We often think of the brand as a person who enjoys the moment, is whimsical and has a romantic outlook on life. Tilda doesn’t take herself too seriously, she is aware of developing trends, but it is important for her to stay true to her own personal style.
Products
Tilda offers a range of products such as fabrics, ribbons, buttons, kits and patterns. We release three to four new collections each year. The main fabric collections consist of 20–30 designs accompanied by several basic collections and matching haberdashery.
We always market Tilda by building a concept and lifestyle around each collection and consider Tilda a lifestyle brand. This is a fun and natural way of working with the brand.
Books
In 2018, we reached our 27th Tilda publication, and the books have been translated to over 20 different languages. The popular books have created a demand for Tilda products around the world and have made it possible for a small Norwegian brand to become known worldwide.
