Design Finland

Ril's goes Harrods and Galeries Lafayette

Ril's is a modern and very popular women's clothing brand in Finland. Traditionally it has been one of the top choices among "adult ladies" and business women, but recently they have started to grow their popularity with younger women as well.

This valued brand is based on the designs of Ritva-Liisa Pohjalainen, a multitalented designer with a long CV and lot of meaningful recognitions. Besides clothing, she designs also jewelry.

Ril's is a part of L-Fashion group, a company behind such known brands such as Skila, Torstai, Luhta, Rukka, O.I.S. and Beavers.

The latest great news is that Ril's collection will also be available in London and Paris. Harrods will have a part of Ril's collection in it's range and Galeries Lafayette in Paris will start with a shop-in-shop concept. The timing of this is unknown to me, but supposedly this will take place before spring.

In Helsinki central shopping area, there is a Ril's Concept Store at Pohjois-Esplanadi, close to the open market and the tourist information.

Personally I think Ril's clothing looks really nice, I know several people with style using them. Even the current president of Finland, Tarja Halonen, often wears Ril's in public. The design is timeless Scandinavian style and for sure a good investment.

I also recommend taking a look at the silver jewelry by Ritva-Liisa Pohjalainen.

Woodnotes and Ritva Puotila

Woodnotes is a Finnish design brand with very high level of specialty in material. They are specialized in paper yarn products of various types. The original and maybe the best known Woodnotes products are carpets, but they have currently expanded to number of other products.

The original Woodnotes designer is Ritva Puontila, a textile artist who has numerous prizes and recognitions during the years.

Paper yarn products are actually very nice looking and very durable and therefore very popular in harsh conditions. Paper yarn works nicely in scandinavian design style and can also be used in minimalistic settings. Also the environmental aspects of paper yarn is important.

Woodnotes products can be found basically everywhere in Finland and Helsinki, but also widely all around the world.

If you want to impress and invest in the future, try Woodnotes products.

Norsu Gallery

Norsu (Finnish for Elephant) Gallery is a combination of exhibition space and design shop. It was opened almost a year ago by Society of New Craft.

The exhibition area presents new Finnish artisans and craft artists and their work. Materials used can be anything from willow to hand-blown glass and from iron to recycles military sleeping bags.

The shop area has quite large selection of Nordic crafts, some very well known, others new rising stars. It's actually possible for almost any artist to get their products for sale there, thus the variety.

In this place you get a very good service in several language, since the people working there are art historians and esthetics with personal interest in the products.

Norsu Gallery is a good place to visit for those, who are looking truly unique pieces (valuable ones, too) or want to see something off the mainstream in Finnish Design.

Norsu Gallery, Kaisaniemenkatu 9, Helsinki

Open tue, thu, fri 11 - 17, wed 11 - 20, sat 12 - 16

Really cool ceramics from Jatta Lavi

Jatta Lavi is a ceramics designer who has an ability to create the finest and thinnest items I've seen for a long time. They actually are so thin that you start to worry that you break them if hold them too tight. Yet they are very durable and even dishwasher-safe!

Especially, I like her Milk Carton, which looks like a real milk carton and her Tea Light Holders that really warms up the atmosphere.

Jatta Lavi products can be found from some design-oriented places in downtown Helsinki and and also at Helsinki Vantaa Airport.

Changes in Iittala's Teema

"Everyday design against throwayism", states Iittala boldly.

The legendary Teema collection has been expanded with new items and colors. This very popular collection was first released by Iittala and designer Kaj Franck in 1952 under name "Kilta". It was re-launched in 1981 with a new name "Teema" and now expanded with new shapes and colors. Since Kaj Franck is no longer with us, the expansion was carried out by professor Heikki Orvola.

The new expansion consists of new deeper plates, some new rectangular shaped trays and new tredy colors.

Check out the products in the new Teema here.

Italian Design in Helsinki

The Design Museum is opening a new exhibition in Helsinki. The exhibition will cover over 100 italian design objects from post-WW II era all the way to modern days.

Italian design is visible in Finland, but this is a quite rare possibility to study such a large selection of classics in one go.

I didn't have a chance to see it yet, but I will report once I've done it.

Design in Italy 1945 - 2000

18.1. - 19.3. 2006

Design Museum, Korkeavuorenkatu 23, Helsinki

Snow Flower by Marja Suna

Kalevala Koru has introduced some new items to it's very beautiful Snow Flower (aka. Lumikukka) jewelry family. The Snow Flower jewelry has become quite popular in Finland after it's first introduction couple of years back.

Snow Flower is designed by Marja Suna, one of the legendary Finnish designers who's been designing textiles and clothing for Marimekko, Kestilä and Luhta, jewelry for Kalevala Koru and Kaunis Koru, several unique evening dresses and many other designer pieces. Being over 70 years of age, Marja Suna is still working actively.

Kalevala Koru has a long history in Finland producing traditional Finnish jewelry. It is very respected among the older generations, but some of the newer collections also interest younger women and men.