FJORD: Celebrating Faroese humour, heart and heritage

By Signe Hansen | Photos: FJORD

Cheerful, warm and quintessentially Faroese, FJORD has quickly become one of the islands’ most beloved design brands. Known for its nostalgic humour, whimsical animals, and affectionate nods to everyday island life, the brand has gathered a loyal local following as well as international interest, recently winning Brand of the Year.

When speaking to founder, graphic designer Suffía Nón, it becomes clear that FJORD’s appeal lies as much in feeling as in form. Her drawings capture a kind of gentle comedy unique to island life – wry, affectionate and full of warmth. “What I love working with is humour – Faroese humour and nostalgia,” she says. “People often say that my designs warm their hearts because they make them remember specific details from their childhood – their grandmother’s dress or an old uncle’s smile. They are full of different perspectives and small things we did in the old days that people recognise and smile about.”

From tea towels and postcards to mugs and coasters, FJORD’s collection is unified by Suffía Nón’s humorous hand-drawn Faroese universe.

Growing up in Fuglafjørður, the harbour town that also gives FJORD its name, Nón absorbed the rhythms of a maritime community from an early age. The sea, the weather and the everyday resilience of island life shape her visual universe as naturally as the landscape shapes the Faroes themselves. “I grew up in a fishing environment,” she explains. “My mother, father, brother – they were all connected to the sea. That life shaped my eye and my drawings.” Today, she transforms these familiar scenes into prints, ceramics, homeware and seasonal designs that bring Faroese culture to kitchens and living rooms far beyond the islands.

Graphic designer and Entrepreneur of the Year Suffía Nón.

Charm and quality

From posters and postcards to mugs, coasters, textiles and Christmas baubles, FJORD’s collection is unified by its cheerful hand-drawn universe and uncompromising focus on quality. “Good quality is essential,” says Nón. “We spend a lot of time finding the right suppliers. Then, we get samples and test them in everyday life – mugs in the dishwasher, tea towels in the washing machine, again and again – and only when we are happy with the result do we move to production.”

FJORD’s annual hand-illustrated bauble has already become a cherished tradition.

Many products are made in the Faroes whenever possible: posters, postcards and packaging are, for instance, produced locally, while ceramics and textiles come from carefully chosen partners abroad. “Everything that can be made here, is made here,” explains Non.

The brand’s most popular pieces are often those that distil Faroese life and nature with a twist of humour – sheep wandering into bus stops and tunnels, birds with clothes on, or folklore characters that one might meet in nature.

Coasters.

From a sketch on Facebook to award-winning brand

Though FJORD today stands as a celebrated design name, it began in the simplest of ways: a sketch shared for fun. “I posted a drawing of a bird holding a coffee cup on Facebook, based on the idea of inviting someone over for a coffee and a chat,” Nón recalls. “Someone asked if they could buy a print. That made me want to draw more.” More sketches followed, and by that first December, she had already made 15 different posters.

Soon, the kitchen filled with rolls of paper, boxes of prints and the hum of late-night packing sessions. “We packed posters in the evenings, sometimes at night. I had a full-time job and we also had a baby with colic at the time, but it worked somehow,” she says. “It was stressful, but we had wind in our sails,” says Nón. “I realised that I could not continue with a full-time job, a full-time business, and children. So, in 2018, I took the leap — one year to see if it could work.”

Together with her husband Bogi, who now handles operations, Nón rented a space in town to store goods and open a shop. “We were so excited – and then Covid came,” she laughs. “But the web shop saved us. We were already set up, and many others had to start from scratch.”

Since then, the brand has continued to expand and thrive, and in the last two years, its success was cemented by two national awards. “When we won Entrepreneur of the Year and then Brand of the Year, those were big moments. I could hardly believe it,” smiles Nón.

FJORD: Celebrating Faroese humour, heart and heritage

Beyond the fjord

Today FJORD’s products are sold online as well as in stores across the Faroe Islands and recently also Iceland. “At first they bought the Faroese motifs,” says Nón. “But then they wanted something local too, so I travelled to Iceland to draw there as well.” The same is happening in Denmark, where exclusive Copenhagen-inspired pieces are in development.

With Christmas coming up, FJORD’s pieces make thoughtful gifts that bring a little Faroese warmth into any home. Especially, perhaps, the brand’s annual hand-illustrated bauble, which has already become a cherished tradition, with a new design released every year and collected by fans near and far.

FJORD: Celebrating Faroese humour, heart and heritage