Words by Oliver Rind and Sara Buzzell

Female entrepreneurship in 2025 is nothing new. But it can make a statement. In this case, the "why" of launching a brand is not as important as the "how." With her colours, patterns, and infectious humour, Kari Traa has laid the foundations for an instinctive, liberating, almost casual form of entrepreneurship. A model that is now influencing younger generations.

In Norway, she is a star. Olympic champion, entrepreneur, true feminist icon, and athlete, Kari Traa is larger than life. Beyond those Scandinavian borders, however, few are familiar with her unique career path and knack for breaking the rules. With the floral patterns and pink hues of her famous base layers and merino wool clothing, her influence is now making waves in the North American market. These very items have revitalized an outdoor industry long dominated by monotonous shades of black and navy.

Kari Traa isn't your traditional entrepreneur. She doesn't come from the world of business, and her brand wasn't born from Excel spreadsheets or a concrete business plan, but rather a clear vision: to create technical clothing designed exclusively for women. A complete lack of fear also goes a long way. After a career in freestyle skiing, where she excelled at performing complex tricks and taking calculated risks, she remains an adrenaline junkie. Dødsing (literally, death dive) is an extreme Norwegian sport that involves jumping from several metres high, staying flat on your stomach for as long as possible before hitting the water in a tucked position. She is one of the Norwegian skiers who has fallen the most in the competition, a fact she laughs about today. It is this almost absurd confidence and unwavering optimism that has taken her from the podium to the industry's summit.

Hans Eide, former Olympic mogul champion and Kari's long-time business partner, sums it up nicely: "She's fearless. She'll try anything. I saw her doing dødsing again last year, wearing a swimsuit she knitted herself. The years have not changed her, and she remains as original today as she did when she was young." He was also the one who suggested the mogul skiing champion and multiple Olympic medalist use her name—Kari Traa—for the brand she was creating. "In Norway, people respect great athletes more than anything else, and they have long admired Kari Traa. Although the brand started as an experiment, it quickly took off." Today, the brand is rubbing shoulders with the biggest names on the European outdoor scene.

Kari likes to say that the idea of launching her brand came by accident. "At the time, all my friends were getting pregnant... and I thought to myself: OK, what do I do now?" Spoilers: She didn't choose the obvious option. She wanted to build an empire, and she wanted to build it her way. It was in 2006,  at ISPO Munich—the world's largest sports trade show—that she achieved international recognition. Presenting a collection entirely dedicated to women in a sector heavily dominated by men was no easy task. But the market's reaction was immediate: her fresh new approach, combined with technical expertise and bold designs, won over the public. For Kari, her first participation marked a turning point. She retired from sports shortly after the Turin Games and now devotes all her energy to her brand. Kari Traa's entry into the big leagues symbolized a turning point—no longer as an athlete, but as an entrepreneur on the rise. And as a female role model.

An ode to colour
“One day I decided to paint my ski boots with flowers.”

Today, the Kari Traa brand is a phenomenal success in Scandinavia, but it started as the solution to a frustrating problem: women having to wear men's clothing during competitions. Everything was designed for male athletes: the T-shirts, the coats, the look—everything was grey, monotonous, and the boxy cut didn't suit women at all.

"I didn't want to complain, but my sponsors always gave me the ugliest clothes," she recalls with a laugh. "So I started knitting my own." She began by selling hats, then expanded her line to include T-shirts and underwear. The brand was born in 2002, when brands rarely boasted female founders. In a market dominated by a few major players, Kari Traa took the industry by storm. Her niche: active, expressive, confident femininity. "Other brands started with men, then moved on to unisex, and finally (sometimes) women. I decided to start directly with women." From the outset, she rejected the sober codes of outdoor clothing. The result: bright colour palettes, deliberately playful patterns inspired by Norwegian folklore, and a flattering silhouette designed for movement—and most importantly, women.

After ISPO, the brand made a big splash in 2008 with its now-famous pink merino wool base layer, Rose, knitted with patterns inspired by her old family chalet. Over an Easter weekend, with a glass of homemade beer in hand, she brought her clothing to life with a designer friend. "It wasn't easy, but we drew the chalet pattern... and it became a bestseller!" The pieces brought a bit of colour to a stagnant market filled with the same designs at every turn. In just a few years, Kari Traa became the most popular women's base layer brand in Scandinavia and one of the most dynamic in Europe.

This desire to do things her way, to blaze her own trail—whether on paper or the slopes—is nothing new. Long before the catwalks and hand-knit merino wool, the girl from Voss never waited for an invitation to join the competition. As a child, Kari Traa was the only one who skied with the boys. Not to fit in, but simply because she wanted to. "If the boys did it, why couldn't I? They never treated me differently. They never gave me special treatment or forced me to ski behind them because I was a girl. I was part of the group; I don't think they even noticed the difference." Without missing a beat, she adds, "Giving women a place in the outdoor scene is essential. Few societies around the world believe in gender equality. In Norway, things are going well, but we have to fight for the rest of the world. And right now, the world is pretty crazy. I don't always feel like we're heading in the right direction." This message is the driving force behind Kari Traa. It’s all about positive reinforcement and showing girls that they shouldn't put up any barriers for themselves. "When I was skiing with the boys, we wanted other girls to join us! But they didn't want to; we were going too fast, too far. I didn’t try too hard to convince them, but that's what I'm doing now."

“You’re Kari Traa? We thought you were dead!”
That's what two young women shouted at her at a gala. Proof that her name is now bigger than she is—and that she has become, above all, a cultural symbol, almost a figure of resilience. And then, just like that, Sarah Jessica Parker walked into a Kari Traa store, bought the famous pink base layer, and posted a photo of her wearing it on Instagram. And in that moment, a global star and an originally knitted piece featuring the old family cabin came together to cement the brand's status as a fashion icon.

In 2025, brands are searching long and hard to find a relatable purpose. Kari Traa was born from a visceral and irrepressible need to liberate women in their practice of sport and in the way they present themselves to the world. Today, Kari Traa is more than a former Olympic champion: it's a fashion revolution.