The 5 Finnish accessory brands you need to know

As we wrap up an intense week of celebrating Fashion in Helsinki, the emerging, future stars took the well-deserved centre stage in showcasing their innovative collections. While Finnish fashion currently has a strong focus on garments and genderless clothing lines, we look at the unsung heroes of Finnish fashion - the accessories.

Ranging from well-crafted, quality leathers that celebrate slow and sustainable craftmanship to iconic sneakers that shaped the sportswear industry. You’ll be surprised by the vibrant history of these Finnish accessory brands; these are the most interesting brands to bookmark - and support now.

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Shoe designer Terhi Pölkki just celebrated 10 years in the business by opening a new flagship store in Helsinki. By specialising in timeless and wearable leather shoes, from signature clogs to boots, Pölkki has become the pride of the Finnish shoe scene. Drawing inspiration from her Finnish heritage, which is rooted in nature and sustainable living, Pölkki presents two collections a year that are both beautiful and wearable in the Scandinavian climate and beyond.

While Pölkki aims to make season-less shoes, she explores alternative materials each season; European-made linen and hemp are introduced in her latest styles, which include sandals and sneakers, to name a few. The shoes are made in a small, family-run factory in Sao Joao da Madeira, Portugal, that Pölkki has been working with for many years.

Finnish Anna Lehmusniemi is the designer behind leather handbag brand No/an. Since 2016, the Brussels-based designer has built a beautifully season-less brand, born as a reaction against the overconsumption of fashion. Part of the ethos of No/an is to use a muted colour palette and minimal detailing, ranging from soft leather totes to sleek envelope clutches designed to last a lifetime.

Double leather handles and chunky hardware are some of the brand’s trademarks, as well as the graphic and geometrical shapes that stem from the simplicity of Lehmusniemi Finnish heritage. By focusing on sleek lines and high-quality skins, the bags are produced in small quantities by a family-owned atelier in Portugal, where the artisan adds a personal touch to the bags by signing them.

After announcing a creative hiatus in 2020, Minna Parikka fans were delighted to hear about the return of the eponymous shoe brand. Minna Parikka built herself a fanbase of dedicated customers through a decade of ruling the Finnish footwear scene and retailing in over 100 worldwide locations like Harrods and Selfridges. Selling everything from glittery heart-shaped heels to quirky bunny sneakers, Minna’s colourful persona and her designs revolutionised the Finnish shoe market by challenging the muted, utilitarian industry.

Minna Parikka is now operating with a notably smaller team, as she struck an exclusive deal with Finnish department store Stockmann to continue making her best-selling shoes. Finnish locals can find her most iconic styles, like lollipop-heel pumps and bunny ear sneakers, in Helsinki’s Stockmann pop-up.

Lovia is a Finnish accessory concept that aims to turn trash into treasure. Using excess materials from the furniture industry, Lovia creates bags and leather accessories designed with a multipurpose approach, using features like adjustable straps. Going beyond furniture, you will also find accessories made from by-products of the food industry, such as exotic Scandinavian materials like salmon and elk.

Lovia operates with a transparency DNA that displays everything from the material to the production costs of their products, with each bag carrying a unique production ID that lets you trace the product's origin. The brand ethos is also present in their partnerships and collaborations, like the upcoming capsule with By Hinders, which uses Finnish lamb wool.

Dating back to 1916, The Finnish sportswear brand Karhu (before then known simply as Ab sportartiklar Oy) developed shoes that gave birth to the concept of ‘Flying Finns’ who dominated running tracks around the world. Throughout the 1920s, Paavo Nurmi won nine Olympic gold medals in his now famous Finnish Karhu sneakers, setting 22 official world records and catapulting Karhu into the limelight, turning the sneakers into the most sought-after running shoes.

The legend has it that the signature trademark of Karhu’s three stripes captured the interest of Adidas, who bartered for the look during the 1952 Helsinki Olympics for the price of two bottles of whiskey and a cash sum equivalent of €1600. True or not, the three stripes have become synonymous with Adidas, while Karhu moved on to decorate its shoes with ‘M’ to signify “Mestari”, the Finnish word for champion. Over a hundred years later, Karhu still makes shoes - raging from running sneakers to lifestyle trainers and sports and leisure apparel.