Meet Finland’s Rising Fashion Stars
Move over Holland. This year, Finnish designers occupied more of the final spots at the renowned festival d’Hyeres than any other country. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The country is home to some of the brightest young talents in Europe. Here, some highlights from Pre-Helsinki, an annual fashion festival hosted in the Finnish capital, to meet the young designers and find out what inspires them in the country of saunas, snow and the Moomins.
1
Elina Määttänen
“Finland is not a land of high glamour. My clothes are usually based on functional garments like workwear and military uniforms.”
2
Lepokorpi
“We live between Russia and Sweden. I can see influences coming from both Slavic and western cultures, which makes it quite different from what you see elsewhere.”
3
Satu Maaranen
“I grew up surrounded by Marimekko curtains and table wear, using Fiskars scissors and drinking from Iittala glasses. In away you could not help it how you got influenced by the iconic Finnish design from the golden ages.”
4
Ensæmble
“Of course we are influenced by things beyond our borders too, but there is without a doubt a certain Finnish aesthetic which mixes with Karelian roughness and both cultures are strongly influenced by nature. “
5
Sasu Kauppi
“Finland is evident in everything I do, but not necessarily very noticeably. It’s sort of a national feeling of a pacifist.”
6
Samuji
“Samuji aims to create functional, sustainable design—items that serve a purpose and yet carry a story.”
7
Laura Juslin
“Finland is so far away from fashion capitals that you are able to perceive fashion from an outsider’s perspective.”
8
R/H “Finnish people are naturally good at individualism because of our lone wolf kind of mentality.”
Hair and make-up by Emilie Tuuminen. Model: Stephanie Cook at Brand Model Management.
