She’s adventurous, creative and a traveller at heart. Most of the collections she creates on her many journeys to exotic and hidden places in the East, as she strives to find small artisans to help bring her collections to life. Meet Birgitte Raben Olrik – the woman behind Rabens Saloner.“I love the creative process. I started travelling in Asia, met a lot of artisans and started buying different things. I sold them from the back of my car – I knew a lot of buyers as I’ve been involved in the fashion industry for years, and then it just slowly evolved to where it is today,” Birgitte Raben Olrik explains.At the core of the brand is the important feeling that everything has to come from her heart. Raben Olrik is creating her own aesthetic, her own DNA.“I like women that dress for themselves and create their own identity. Personality is important, but you have to dress accordingly. I design for women like that – women with a strong sense of personality. And I want you to feel good in my clothes.”

 Artisan approach

When you carry a garment from Rabens Saloner, you stand out. If not by the design, then by the luxurious fabrics, that are often handmade and hand-dyed by small artisans in Asia. It’s an ever-developing journey for Birgitte to find and work with new, exciting people that help create her universe.“They are so good at the craftsmanship. Their sense of colour is amazing and absolutely unique. When I work with colours, I’ll work with a range of nuances – but the artisans create the most wonderful combinations and tones,” Raben Olrik states.Asia has been a fascination and love of hers for years – and it’s likely to continue to be so.