Fashion - thisisFINLAND

Bold prints and sustainability: Finnish design house Marimekko celebrates at 70

Finnish textile and clothing brand Marimekko marks 70 bold and colourful years in 2021. We talk with Mika Ihamuotila, the chair of the board, about the company’s history and future – and about his love for the Finnish archipelago.

Life & society Sustainability

Circular fashion finds a good fit in Finland

From hip flea-market boutiques to luxury recommerce, Finland’s second-hand clothing scene signifies a shift toward a circular fashion economy.

Business & innovation Startups

Dogs, bedbugs, games: Helsinki’s Maria 01 houses more than 100 startups

Maria 01, a former hospital recently repurposed as a startup hub, is still growing. We meet three companies: one designs online games specifically for women, another makes an app that trains puppies, and a third is putting bedbugs out of business.

2015

Helsinki Fashion Week held for the first time

Source: Helsinki Fashion Week

Business & innovation Sustainability

Finland aims to bid farewell to rubbish dumps

Recycling waste saves natural resources, produces raw material for the circular economy and generates new business opportunities.

Arts & culture Fashion

Bold Finnish fashion designers attract global attention

Aalto University’s spring fashion show, held every May in Helsinki, is on the agendas of international journalists, scouts, bloggers and anyone else who’s into apparel. What’s behind the most recent success of Finnish designers?

2005

The year Helsinki Design Week, Scandinavia's biggest design fest, was founded

Business & innovation Sustainability

Fibre innovation from Finland may change textile industry

As the global clothing industry struggles with a sustainability crisis, several Finnish companies are offering solutions.

Business & innovation Design

Freedom in fashion in Finnish kids’ clothes

Children’s clothing designers in Finland look to influence the whole industry by designing clothes that are not only beautiful and comfortable, but also ethically produced, long-lasting and free from gender bias.

Arts & culture Design

Courageous Finnish hobbyhorsing inspires designers

The world’s newest equestrian craze started in Finland. Hobbyhorsing is creative, inventive and independent – all qualities that attract designers, as well.