Kari Traa – For Her. By Her.

Im Interview gibt Karoline Hegbom, Marketing Managerin von KARI TRAA, spannende Einblicke in die Markenentwicklung; Werte, die sie einzigartig machen und Trends für 2025. Zudem spricht sie über die Markenvision, persönliche Highlights und Herausforderungen ihrer Arbeit.

How was your last year from a brand perspective?
From a brand perspective, last year was all about strengthening our foundation as the leading women´s base layer brand and elevating our identity as a bold, female-focused brand that inspires women to live confidently and adventurously. We leaned into our mission – For Her. By Her. – by deepening our connections with women worldwide through targeted campaigns and thoughtful collaborations. 
One of our biggest achievements was the launch of our innovative base layer – Faith – developed with our Female First Technology. Designed specifically for women, Faith features semi-seamless construction, targeted ventilation, and a natural-synthetic fiber blend for optimal comfort and performance. This launch highlights our commitment to creating high-quality, technical products, tailored to women´s needs. Internally, we emphasized on building an inclusive and purpose-driven culture, that reflects Kari Traa´s legacy of doing things her own way, uplifting women and cheering each other on. Altogether, it was a powerful year of growth and connection for our brand. 

What are core values of your brand, that set you apart from the competition and how do you implement them in your daily work?
Kari Traa is built on three core values; happier, healthier, stronger, and our vision is to inspire women to be bold, confident and true to themselves. There are the 3 main things, that set us apart from competitors: 
Our founder’s story: As founded by an Olympic athlete, our brand is rooted in real outdoor experience and performance expertise. We bring Norwegian heritage and a love for an active lifestyle into each design, ensuring our products are not only functional but also carry the spirit of adventure and boldness.
 
Female-First design: We design For Her, By Her. Every garment is created with a deep understanding of women´s needs – prioritizing fit, comfort, and style. This core value shows up in innovations like our Female First Technology, which focuses on body-friendly fabrics and shape-enhancing designs, that perform in any activity level and outdoor setting.  

Community: We believe in building a strong community of women, who inspire and uplift each other. From partnering with nonprofits to launching artist collaborations, we strive to make a positive impact beyond clothing.

 
In our daily work, these values guide everything we do – from collaborating with female artists on a collection, to ensuring ethical sourcing in production. Every team member shares this commitment, which allows us to create products and experiences that resonate with women worldwide. 

What’s coming, what’s staying, and what’s leaving in SS25?
Coming: A new training collection, that is super fresh, inspiring, and colorful. It features stylish bike shorts and matching tops with an incredible fit, perfect for both, training and casual city coffee walks, when paired with an oversized sweater.
Staying: Summer wool with Female First Technology. As the #1 women´s base layer brand for women, we are launching new wool innovations for SS25. This versatile base layer is designed for intense training, hiking, spring skiing and lifestyle wear.  
Leaving: Heavy outdoor gear and outdoor dresses. Our KT women go hiking, but they do it in our training wear and lifestyle collection

What overarching vision are you pursuing with your brand and how is this reflected in your products?
For 2025, our overarching vision is to reignite our spark. We are known for being different – for standing out with colorful, playful designs and a rebellious spirit, that challenges the norms. We´ve always embraced an active stance on social issues and built our brand around inspiring women to be strong, bold and true to themselves. Our 2025 collections are bold and fun, designed not only to support women in their active lives, but also to make a statement. 

What motivates you personally in your daily work? What brings you particular joy, what challenges you?
What personally motivates me in my daily work are my colleagues. The people at Kari Traa are passionate, driven, and united by the brand´s core values and vision, which is really inspiring for me. It´s not just about making great products; it´s about contributing to a deeper purpose – inspiring women to embrace their uniqueness, confidence and strength. I love being part of a community, where everyone is genuinely cheering each other on. I feel particularly happy when I see my colleagues experience a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work, knowing we´ve made a meaningful impact on women´s lives, whether through our products, our storytelling or collaborations. The main challenge, though, is finding innovative ways to stay authentic and connected with our audiences, especially as we grow. Balancing that with a mission-driven approach keeps me constantly engaged and motivated.