How we got the shot: Convincing Jani Toivola to go swimming in icy waters

When I was asked to style and shoot Jani Toivola for the newest June-July Issue of Vogue Scandinavia, I didn’t think twice. My creative partner Lucas Ruska Martin and I knew immediately that no matter what, we wanted to photograph Toivola outside, near nature. The only question I had was how are we going to ensure that Helsinki, which in March is still covered in snow and ice, look as if it was in the depths of summer. Ruska Martin and I joined our creative forces to make magic happen.

Jani Toivola is a familiar face to everyone in Finland and I have always looked up to him, but this was actually the first time I got to meet him in person. We met Toivola backstage at his show “Rakkaudesta” (Finnish for ‘of love’) which was a continuation of his book of the same name. Toivola greeted us with a big, warm smile. Ruska Martin and I wanted to capture Toivola in his element and filmed and photographed him backstage getting ready with his trusted makeup artist Sonja Elnahhal. We also got the opportunity to see his touching performance exploring love, his experiences, vulnerability, identity and masculinity.

The following day we headed to Helsinki Market Square to catch our ferry to the nearby island of Suomenlinna where we were to shoot the story. The previous day had been hectic and we had barely slept. Before and after Toivola’s show Ruska Martin and I had run around Helsinki picking up clothes from local designers from Latimmier to Leevi Ikäheimo and Marina Gavrilenko who are all breaking gender norms in their work and I knew I wanted to include them in the styling.

I also opted for some of my Finnish favourites, including Marimekko, Karo Koru and Curated Second Hand. Suomenlinna is a beautiful island only 15 minutes by ferry away from central Helsinki – I've always loved its dramatic cliffs and nature. I rung up my friend, Dorit Salutskij, who happens to live on the island, who scouted one of its most furthest corners, known as Kustaanmiekka, for the shoot – luckily for us there were spots without snow.

We started getting ready in a cute little spot on the island, Villa Silo. As we started steaming the garments, we received a message that one of the key looks had only just arrived at our hotel. Luckily, we still had some extra time, so Ruska Martin dashed to catch the next ferry in order to pick up the look as Toivola arrived with makeup artist Juho Lehiö.

When we were ready to leave, Lucas was back and we met our local guide Salutskij who also helped us capturing some behind-the-scenes moments. Shooting Toivola was easy – he is a true professional and his presence is unique. We started with an all-black look – he was dancing, laughing, and giving us amazing poses making our jobs straightforward and fun. The sun shone brightly all day, too, which helped in our mission to create stunning summer ambience.

Ahead of the shoot, we had heard that Jani Toivola loves ice swimming. When both Diversity and Inclusion Editor Mona M. Ali and Editor-in-Chief Martina Bonnier discovered this they were super excited and asked if we could photograph Toivola in the water, but highlighted that we can’t forget it is a summer story and, so, it can’t look cold.

We managed to find one bay where the water was not completely frozen, but there were still a few ice floes that would be in the way of the perfect shot. Luckily, our brave behind-the-scenes photographer - and passionate ice swimmer - Salutskij braved the depths and dragged the heavy ice floes away of our frame. Toivola agreed and was excited about the idea, so he quickly hopped into a pair of swimming trunks and a Marimekko top, styled with a collar from Latimmier.

After the water shots, it was time for lunch and for Jani to warm up again. In the afternoon we shot the remaining looks and once the sun was slowly starting to set we started getting ready for the final look, a beautiful white dress and top from Sofia Ilmonen, and makeup artist Juho Lehiö started adding rhinestones into Toivola's eyelids. We then captured the final shot by a bridge in the beautiful evening light.

We wrapped shortly after sunset and then it was time to pack and catch the next ferry. But then, the following day, by coincidence, we were also going to be on the same flight to London. One shoot day turned into three inspiring days together and the start of a really special friendship...

Read Jani Toivola's full interview and discover the whole story here