Submitted by Madison Leiren

Friday Harbor High School graduate Madison Leiren, owner and designer of Leiren Designs, will debut her runway show on May 17, which is Norwegian Constitution Day, a largely attended day in Ballard. The fashion show will be held in the main hall of the new Nordic Museum. It is meant to bring attention to the museum’s new location and to create a regeneration of the image of Scandinavian culture in Seattle. In producing a fashion show, Leiren is hoping to share cultural inspiration through the lens of art and design.

In the past, Leiren volunteered with the museum during their Viking Days in August as a viking reenactor and created custom designs for their annual auction. Her future hopes for the partnership are to get more young people interested in culture and to see the rich wisdom that comes from appreciating history. Fashion is a great tool for bringing about such visibility and appreciation from a wider audience.

Leiren’s family has been a strong part of the Scandinavian community in Seattle. They make contributions to the museum and through her uncle Terje Leiren’s 40 years of working and chairing the Scandinavian Department at the University of Washington. Through fashion, Leiren wants to preserve her family’s legacy and the old Norse ways of courage, adventure and bravery. Leiren hopes that these pillars of the old Norse ways will inspire and strengthen future generations.