We caught up with Gender Fluidity expert Mikko Puttonen about the fizzling fashion emerging from Finland
Fashion in Helsinki is an annual celebration of new innovations, young talent and creativity and I was so excited to join the event in Helsinki last week and to report the gender-fluid highlights for Vogue Scandinavia.
We started at the Marimekko printing factory, one of my favourite places in Helsinki. To me, Marimekko is as much a part of being Finnish as the Moomins. Marimekko has been embracing unisex fashion for decades, but I didn’t know before that the iconic Jokapoika shirt was the first unisex garment in Finland.
Marimekko factory visit during Fashion in Helsinki.
We moved on to visit Aalto University to get a preview of the students’ BA and MA collections. The fashion show Näytös is always the highlight of Finnish fashion, and the designers emerging from the university have always been forerunners when it comes to gender fluidity and inclusivity.
Each collection was unique and beautiful, but some of my personal favourites were Pyry Komsi, who sourced inspiration from cars and transformed the automotive world into something more accessible for me as a person who doesn’t know anything about cars. And Tuuli-Tytti Koivula created voluminous and colourful pieces balancing between sporty and feminine. Some other names to keep on your radar are Pyry Rämö, Iisakki Pyysing, Hanna-Lotta Hanhela and Yoonsik Kim.
In addition to the collections, the designers themselves have incredible style, and I sensed a beautiful feeling of community and family in the workrooms where they showed their collections.
We visited many showrooms, stores and pop-ups during our time in Helsinki, and unisex fashion was a common denominator. One of them is Nomen Nescio, an all-black clothing brand with a minimalistic approach. Another unisex brand that I discovered is Vain, an interdisciplinary design project by the Helsinki-based artist Jimi Vain.
Similar to Nomen Nescio, Vain’s colour palette is also predominantly black. Instead of colour Vain plays with interesting cuts, textures and materials. My favourite thing during the events was seeing the whole team at the cocktail held at the CM-44 shop. They were this group of cool kids, in all black, doing the things they love. As written on their website, “Vain is all about love”.
Photo: Nomen Nescio
Photo: Vain
During the Transformation Conference held by Scandinavian Mind and Juni Communications, I spotted some familiar names among the speakers. Notably, Finnish shoe designer and creative director of Camper and Camperlab, Achilles Ion Gabriel and Swedish designer Ellen Hodakova Larsson who is behind the brand Hodakova. I love both their designs, and in my opinion, they champion gender fluidity and a more inclusive direction of fashion in their work. It was very inspiring to hear their insights on design and sustainability.
The most significant moment at Fashion In Helsinki, no doubt, was the fashion show showcasing five designers: By Hinders, Hedvig, Latimmier, Sofia Ilmonen and Rolf Ekroth. The whole show was world-class, with an incredible and inclusive casting.
Rolf Ekroth.
Latimmier. Photo: Hayley Lê
Sebastien Reuter.
By Hinders is a new fashion brand by designer Jonathan Ingberg. His timeless designs are made for everyone, regardless of gender, and with his work, Ingberg aims to reflect the systemic change in the fashion industry. Latimmier, on the other hand, investigates the performance of masculinities through fashion and sustainable values. “We don’t focus on gender," he says. "But rather on how clothing can help express one’s masculinity.”
Another highlight was the street style, especially outside the fashion show, where we saw corsets, high boots, and long leather coats. I would say that the Helsinki fashion and street style is not so much about trends or logos; it is more about uniqueness and self-expression.
Attending Fashion in Helsinki and seeing all the talent made me proud to be Finnish. I believe that the future of Finnish fashion is brighter than ever.