The Designers’ Saturday concept originated in New York in the 1970s, as an alternative to the large exhibition halls and to give interior architects, architects and others working within interiors the opportunity to meet suppliers without having to spend working hours doing so.

Since then, Designers’ Saturday has been held in London, Stockholm, Brussels, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Langenthal. Oslo is the only place in the world where the concept still exists.

Throughout the years, the ambition has been to achieve the highest possible quality, rather than the largest possible number of exhibitors. Part of the explanation lies with the board. Board positions rotate every four years and are held by people from across the industry – dedicated individuals who contribute alongside their own jobs.

Precisely because Designers’ Saturday has never had a permanent address, the search for new and unexpected exhibition venues has become an important part of the event’s DNA. Film studios, embassies, a private artist’s home and a designer’s own studio – every year, new and exciting doors are opened across the city.

The initiative

It all started in 1985, when interior architect MNIL Brit Ismar, then managing director of Svensk Interiørsenter, contacted Rabbe Nyman at Finsk Interiørsenter and Elisabeth R. Heieren, managing director of I.T. Sentret, a centre for Norwegian interior textiles. The proposal was to bring the concept to Norway.

The three quickly brought several others in the industry on board. Rolf Aas, who had a background in advertising, joined early as secretary of the organising committee, already at the first edition in 1986. He was the practical centre of the event for many years thereafter, responsible for brochures, buses and coordination. According to colleagues in the industry, it was Aas’ infectious enthusiasm and tireless efforts over twenty years that laid the foundation for the volunteer spirit that Designers’ Saturday still relies on today.

Convincing the Industry

The planning took almost a year, and the resistance came from the manufacturers. Exhibiting side by side with competitors – and with international players – was seen as risky.

For the initiators themselves, however, collaboration was nothing new. At the Interior and Textile Centre, themed evenings focusing on colour and quality had long been organised, targeting the contract and high-volume consumer markets. The same was true of the Swedish and Finnish interior centres.

There was also scepticism beyond Norway’s borders. Stockholm had organised its own Designers’ Saturday the year before, and before the first Norwegian edition, Ismar, Nyman and Heieren travelled to Stockholm to meet with the Swedish organisers. The meeting did not go as they had hoped: they were met with doubts about whether the Norwegians would be able to pull off something so difficult and unique.

“Everyone had their guard up. We just laughed afterwards and thought, well, well, we’ll show them that this is going to work out just fine,” says Elisabeth Heieren.

And as it turned out, it worked out very well indeed…

1986–1990

The first event brought together 70 exhibitors across 10-12 exhibition venues on 6 September 1986. The buses running from showroom to showroom established the format that remains to this day: visitors come “home” to the manufacturers instead of moving from stand to stand. The slogan promised that you could see more in one day than you otherwise would in an entire year.

Those who registered in advance could win a trip to Copenhagen, while the second prize was a Crescent tandem bicycle.

The first party was held at Grand Hotel, with two orchestras, including a 17-piece samba orchestra. The following year, the party was also held at the Grand, but in 1990 it moved to Kirkeristen, behind Oslo Cathedral. That same year, students from the interior architecture programme at the National College of Art and Design opened their doors the day before the event – Student’s Friday.

The textile competition “Textiles for Public Spaces” was launched in collaboration with Norsk Form. The first prize was NOK 25,000 - a substantial sum in 1990.

Food and entertainment were a deliberate focus at all the venues, designed to keep visitors there for as long as possible.

1991 – 2000

This was the decade when Designers’ Saturday really began to grow. The number of exhibitors passed one hundred, the showrooms outnumbered the bus stops, and the event introduced professional communications, its own press conference and a professional programme. The press described Designers’ Saturday as the country’s most original trade fair.

The visual identity changed from year to year, and in the early 1990s, Bruno Oldani was responsible for the design. That same year, Minister of Trade and Industry Jens Stoltenberg gave a talk, while Minister of Culture Åse Kleveland presented an award.

To avoid a clash with the contract furniture trade fair Nor In, the board decided to alternate the two events. As a result, Designers’ Saturday was held two years in a row, in both 1996 and 1997. In hindsight, they needn’t have bothered, as Nor In disappeared shortly afterwards.

2001-2010

During these years, Designers’ Saturday truly became an organisation. After many years of invaluable contributions, Rolf Aas stepped down, and Norsk Industri took over the operation for a few years. DS also got its first project manager, Inger Lise Mathiesen, who was later succeeded by Eva Pedersen. A website was launched, and collaboration with the design schools began to take shape.

Visitor numbers took off. In 2003, 5,000 people registered on Saturday and 2,000 on Sunday.

In 2005, the Designers’ Saturday Awards were established in collaboration with NIL, the Norwegian Association of Interior Architects and Furniture Designers. There were two awards to begin with: Best Interior and Student Project.

In 2009, Designers’ Saturday introduced a new and far more visible logo in red and white. These colours remain to this day and have become an important part of the event’s identity.

2011 – 2020

At the 25th anniversary in 2011, 180 exhibitors took part across 37 showrooms and 17 bus stops. The Unlimited Design competition was launched internationally, with Swedish designer Monica Förster as head of the jury and a total prize fund of €18,000.

This decade saw many exciting new initiatives, including guest-of-honour programmes, the Designernes Veksthus exhibition, and visits from renowned names such as Tom Dixon and Alfredo Häberli.

In 2017, the Unika auction was launched – a collaboration between KLUBBEN – for Norwegian designers, Blomqvist and Designers’ Saturday. That same year, Designers’ Saturday had banners hanging along the entire length of Karl Johan for the first time. In 2019, DS Academy was established in collaboration with six Norwegian design schools. The same year saw the introduction of the first annual theme: Responsibility.

And Norwegian self-confidence remained strong. When the Danes were about to launch 3 Days of Design and asked the Norwegians to change their date, the answer from the Norwegian side was a firm no.

2021 – 2025

In 2021, Designers’ Saturday was given the opportunity to use the new National Museum ahead of its official opening. The entrance area, foyer, main hall and auditorium were made available, allowing the public to enter the museum several months before it officially opened. The theme that year was Change, and around 170 exhibitors took part despite the pandemic, with a maximum of 200 people allowed in the same room at any one time.

2021 also marked the beginning of a new chapter for Designers’ Saturday. DS launched a new visual identity and website. The new identity was later awarded gold in the Visuelt design competition. Heidi Lie took over as Managing Director.

The theme in 2023 was Collaborate, which led to the launch of DS Collab - an evolution of the speed-dating format Meet, where young designers met with manufacturers. The idea was to turn the process around, bringing manufacturers and designers together to develop finished products that could be presented during the event. Six brand-new, commercially available products were showcased in a joint launch exhibition. The concept was a great success. In the magnificent historic premises at Bankplassen 1, Fold Oslo presented the DS Unika exhibition, showcasing unique objects by 31 designers and artists.

In 2025, the theme was Repurpose, and Myrens Verksted became a new hub, with three film studios transformed into exhibition halls. DS Unika took on a new form: eight Norwegian designers were selected to create unique objects in Norwegian oak from the southern coast, in collaboration with Hamran Snekkerverksted. The project received enthusiastic coverage in the international press.

In recent years, Designers’ Saturday has also made a stronger mark on the city. The collaboration with the City of Oslo has grown, supporting initiatives that promote Norwegian design, while the city itself has become an important partner in the event.

The next Designers’ Saturday will take place 10–12 September 2027.