NordicLife Culture + Taste + History + Events + Personalities Learn more and shop online at Helene Westbye Shoe Designer S ince the age of 7, Helene Westbye has been passionate about fashion and design. The Oslo native attended the French fashion school Lècole Esmod in Oslo before working at several fashion houses in Italy. She returned to Norway and launched her own shoe line in 2010. You can fi nd her sleek shoes, pumps, heels and boots in stores across Norway and at her online store. This year, Westbye will bring her designs to the U.S. market. " I'm very passionate about creating something new. The initial part of a new collection is the most exciting part of helenewestbye.com. my job, and I love developing fresh techniques and designs. " " My shoe line is rock 'n' roll with a chic, feminine twist and pure lines. " " American shoe designer Beth Levine is my absolute favorite designer. She created some of the most fashionforward shoes in the '60s. Her trends are as relevant today as they were 50 years ago. " " I love working on high heels in the showpiece part of my collection. This is when I can play with the design and express myself beyond the commercial part of the collection. " sonsofnorway.com VIKING MARCH 2014 7 PHOTO PROVIDED BY TORD-ERIK ANDRESENhttp://www.helenewestbye.com http://www.sonsofnorway.com