Centuries ago, as the housewives of Glaumbær farm in Skagafjörður sat by the fire and knit their families’ clothes from Icelandic lopi wool, they probably didn’t suspect these garments would become a major element in Iceland’s 21st century fashion. One of the more interesting traits of Icelandic art and design is that its materials and techniques are heavily influenced by age-old traditions. For example, the lopapeysa sweater has become the uniform of the Icelandic hipster. The singularity of the island’s natural landscape is inescapable in many Icelandic paintings. And popular contemporary design items include candlesticks made of lava rock and wedding bands bearing the ancient höfuðletur engravings.