Swedish Summer At Heal's
This isn't the first time Heal's has had a Swedish event in store. In 1951 Heal's introduced Scandinavian furniture to the UK. It was an immediate hit and several Scandi events ensued.
In 1971 one particular Swedish event included a huge party including a 'smorgsbord' on the fourth floor, a Swedish beer cellar in the basement and a cannon from a Swedish warship which sunk in 1968 at the entrance!
Sixty-four years later we won't be having a canon in the store, but we will be one of the first places to showcase the new Volvo XC90, as the perfect example of Swedish design at its best.
We are absolutely thrilled to have 18 Swedish companies into our Tottenham Court Road store to create a Swedish design quarter and lots of interesting events too, from flower headband making (perfect for festival go-ers) and quilting, to Swedish cross-stitching techniques and knitting styles.
In our new cafe, Forge&Co will be serving 'fika' everyday - the Swedish coffee breaks with delicious Swedish food and cakes. After a little look in the archive I discovered Heal's had introduced one Swedish brand to the UK back in 1923. It was Orrefors crystal and almost a hundred years later Orrefors will be back. Testament indeed to the enduring beauty of Swedish craftsmanship and design.
Do save the date for the party on Thursday 6th August from 6pm. Hope to see you at our Svensk Sommar!
Carmel Allen, Creative Director at Heal's.
Photos from our 1951 exhibition:
