It was in 1926, in the windswept Icelandic village of Suðureyri in the country’s remote Westfjords, that Hans Kristjánsson – a young fisherman – began to develop protective clothing for expeditions on sea, having learnt his trade on a trip to Norway. On his return to his native Iceland, he founded Sjóklæðagerð Íslands, a factory producing clothing for fishermen; 100 years on, it is now known as 66°North, and can boast that more than 97 per cent of the island nation’s inhabitants own at least one of its pieces, whether its signature down outerwear or simply a pair of gloves.
‘It’s rare to see a brand that so completely dresses a nation,’ says Helgi Óskarsson, CEO, 66°North. Indeed, despite his expansion of the label into an international brand – there are outposts in London and Copenhagen, with more stores planned in the coming years – Iceland remains at the core of 66°North’s identity. ‘We design for real conditions, and Iceland provides some of the most demanding testing grounds in the world. That keeps us grounded. We don’t follow trends. Every design decision starts with purpose – why we’re making something, who it’s for, and what it needs to withstand. That approach is inherently Icelandic.’
‘100 People’: 66°North photographs a nation
It is this inherently Icelandic identity that provides the impetus of a celebratory photographic series, which will be displayed this week (7-10 May) as part of DesignMarch, the country’s annual design and architecture festival, which takes place in locations across Reykjavík. Comprising 100 portraits, the series captures one person born in each year from 1926 to 2026, all of whom reside in Iceland. Each is wearing a piece of 66°North from their own wardrobe, a feat of organisation that took over a year to coordinate. The brand calls it ‘a living timeline of the nation’.
‘From the beginning, it was really important that this wasn’t a studio shoot,’ Óskarsson tells Wallpaper*. ‘[Instead], it became a journey across Iceland – travelling through the country, meeting people where they live and work, and capturing them across seasons. There is a quiet beauty in everyday life in Iceland – observing people outside the spotlight felt more meaningful than creating something staged. The result is a portrait of our community – showing we are not just a brand, but part of a shared national story.’
The photographs were taken by Sigríður Margrét, who had to take an unconventional approach to casting, oftentimes stopping people on the street when she saw them wearing a 66°North garment (her trips would take her from Reykjavík to the country’s southern coastline and the volcanic Westman Islands, spanning the four seasons). One memorable subject was Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir, an artist born in 1933, whom she visited at her home and photographed over morning coffee, while others were more spontaneous – one person photographed was spotted in Hafið (a popular fish shop in Iceland), wearing a 66°North apron.
‘That instinct – to recognise something meaningful in the ordinary – is really at the heart of the project,’ says Óskarsson. ‘In Iceland, a jacket is more than outerwear – there’s a concept we call “ulpa”, a trusted layer you rely on in all conditions. People choose pieces they can wear daily – that emotional relationship between people and their clothing is something quite unique. Being “built for life” means creating outerwear that works across real life. That balance of practicality and durability has always been at the core of what we do.’
As for using the anniversary to look to the future, Óskarsson says that is something they are already doing – after all, 66°North’s garments are made to last not just for years, but decades, ahead. ‘The priority is to protect what has defined us from the beginning,’ he continues. ‘Ultimately, in ten years’ time, I want people to feel a sense of pride in owning our products – to value them, maintain them, and pass them on. That idea of longevity is what will continue to define us.’
The series will debut at DesignMarch in Reykjavík at Herma on Hverfisgata. A selection of the images will also be shown at 66°North’s London Regent Street Flagship and Copenhagen Archive Store from 7 May, 2026.