Curiously, in a world where we subliminally seek an emotional connection with the brands that stylistically speak to us—in effect, we choose our tribe—Karl-Oskar Olsen finds this notion of identity in some ways challenging: “I always hated putting a label on myself,” he reflects, “and I still ask myself what exactly it is that I do.”
An assertion that on one level is self-evident considering his professional responsibility for guiding the creative direction of Pas Normal Studios; the Danish premium cycling apparel brand he co-founded that arguably measures its stellar success by either extreme of the reactions it provokes. But after graduating with a MAA from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2002—he spent part of one semester studying architecture in Paris where every day he would walk past the Centre Pompidou—it was the world of fashion that first came calling, when Karl-Oskar co-founded the contemporary streetwear brand Wood Wood.
Drawing inspiration from art, music, and youth culture, he’s quick to qualify that this foray into fashion was never part of his post-university plan. But nevertheless there is a natural connection with the passions of his teenage years: “From an early age I found that I was able to amplify and articulate my ideas and thoughts visually, and being part of a subcultural community of graffiti and skateboarding shaped me in the sense that you existentially need to keep pushing in order to stay relevant. It inspired me to create and follow my intuition, and what came out of that is now 25 years of making products.”
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Now in his early 50s, this teenage focus on street culture followed a childhood steeped in traditional cycling. With both his father and older brother racing on the weekends, it was natural that he should follow suit: Karl-Oskar winning his first bike race as an 11-year-old.
And the bike remains an intrinsic part of his life. Not only as a way of alleviating the anxiety he has experienced since childhood—he describes riding as a form of therapy—but as a self-acknowledged sacred space. And continuing to prove competitive in ultra-distance races such as The Traka perhaps sheds some light on what inspired the next chapter in Karl-Oskar’s design career.
With a line of Wood Wood t-shirts featuring iconic cycling slogans—including the phrase pas normal which is French for not normal and also how Lance Armstrong famously chose to describe professional cyclists suspected of doping—Karl-Oskar decided to take this one step further and branch out from purely fashion. So with the addition of Studios, a cycling brand was born but one that would address what he considered was missing from the market: “I imagined cycling clothes as something akin to wearing a tailored suit. Apparel that would make you feel special, with a modern, contemporary colour palette.”
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Citing the Bauhaus and individuals such as Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe as particular design influences, rather than the term creative director, Karl-Oskar chooses instead to see himself as an entrepreneur. But once again this attempt at defining identity doesn’t seem to sit well: “It’s not that easy for me to put into words. Yes, I like to draw and paint stuff. I strive to lead in the best possible way, to create concepts and to inspire my team. So I guess you could say that these are my priorities.”
Priorities Karl-Oskar delivers from “the smallest space” at the Pas Normal Studios headquarters in the Nordhavn district of Copenhagen. “A 10-square-metre office with two big industrial windows from the early 30s. I actually very much like the space and I’ve tried to make it my second home with a few items of personal value on the shelves and some art as decoration. With an old Persian rug and some books, it’s my little cave.”
As to the rhythm of a typical work day and the interactions he enjoys with colleagues, Karl-Oskar confirms that his door is rarely closed with a constant to and fro between the design and development teams.
“Peter, my co-founder and CEO of Pas Normal Studios, has a space at the other end with marketing in between. Music and coffee are obviously key; you have to get used to that if you’re working here.”
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With the nature of product lines requiring a year-round cycle of research and design, as to whether Karl-Oskar ever feels that a burden—or is energised by the thrill of a blank page—without hesitation he plumps for the latter.
“I love the start-up of new beginnings,” he goes on to explain. “Obviously we have a yearly planner and deadlines to meet, but making products on this level is an organic journey that for me doesn’t have a start and finish line. And what I mean by that, is an open structure where we work on so many levels and timelines. It’s a very energised process: taking risks and failing at the right time to be able to learn and adapt.”
This mention of a new beginnings includes a twice yearly TKO capsule collection: a nod to his birth initials of Thomas Karl-Oskar Olsen and a playground for the creative force of the brand.
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“For most parts,” continues Karl-Oskar, “a season starts with a dialogue. What are we trying to articulate, where can we make a difference, what do we want ourselves? And then, in conjunction with sales, marketing and merchandising, we always ask whether what we’re doing is good enough?”
Acknowledging how the start of the design process—mocking up mood boards, selecting colour palettes—is his favourite time of year, there’s an audible excitement in Karl-Oskar’s voice as he describes the discovery of a particular fabric swatch.
“We could do this or we could do that. And I like it to be a process where we are using creativity in the right amount and focusing on the narrative. Because we have to ask ourselves the most critical questions throughout every step of the process.”
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A design narrative perhaps most recognisable in the Pas Normal Studios colour palette?
“Colours were definitely a space where we were able to articulate and reflect a look that leaned into a specific aesthetic. What I learned from fashion was how much I appreciated the simplicity of what we did in the early years; a framework that really turned my creative output around. When we started, the industry was very different from now and colour was a great way to make a difference. Not in any sense easy but nevertheless easier than it would be to do something similar today. And Peter has always had confidence in my intuition and mood boards so colour became our signature cornerstone and still is to a certain point. But ultimately, our success criteria was being able to identify a rider wearing Pas Normal from a distance.”
A designation—from a distance—that now encompasses the Pas Racing gravel series on Zwift, a worldwide collection of flagship stores, and a global community centred around the ICC (International Cycling Club).
“Cycling is basically in my blood. I come from a traditional cycling family and after my grandfather’s funeral, at my grandmother’s place, we all sat and watched the TT stage of the Tour. So that is definitely a driver when it comes to our process and narrative. But what is most important to me is being relevant and adding as much as I possibly can to this beautiful sport.”
All imagery with kind permission of Karl-Oskar Olsen and Pas Normal Studios
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