Design Finland

Better View - Elina Aalto for iukbox

 

Better View

is a series of perforated black out roller blinds designed by Elina Aalto for IUKBOX.

Light seeps in through the small cut out holes creating an image of a city by night. The cut-outs represent the

light in the windows of apartment buildings and office complexes in the city.

The series includes views from Paris, Tokyo, Helsinki and Stockholm in a limited edition of 1000 each.

I must say this is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while.

 

 

Elina lives and works in Helsinki. Her designs often combine practicality with decidedly

artistic qualities. She gets her inspiration from both fine arts and everyday observations and experiences. In

design, she aspires to strike a balance between an innovative approach and the longevity of the end product.

Colmio - Triangular design from Finland

Colmio is a design company that brings the world products that are cosy and comfortable. Colmio products have three main attributes: movement, simplicity and use of space.

The name Colmio ressembles a Finnish language word "Kolmio", which stands for triangle. Triangural shapes can be seen in most of Colmio products.

Colmio also has an art gallery/café in Oulu, so if you happen to be there, pay them a visit.

In the pictures you can see some examples of their Grasshopper selection.

Young Designer of the Year 2007 prize to Julia Lundsten and Janne Kyttänen

Shoe designer Julia Lundsten (b. 1975) and designer Janne Kyttänen (b. 1974) have been awarded Design Forum Finland's Young Designer of the Year 2007 prize.

The awarded designers have both received their design training abroad – Julia Lundsten in London and Janne Kyttänen in Barcelona and Amsterdam. Lundsten established her shoe-design company FINSK in London, and Kyttänen the Freedom of Creation company in Amsterdam. Based on the designers' strong personal conception of design and intelligent insight into design and methods of manufacturing, these companies display international promise in both content and business skills.

The award jury noted that Julia Lundsten and Janne Kyttänen represent the best of Finland's internationally oriented young designers. Through their bold decisions and uncompromising work they are deepening the diversity of design and expanding its international character. At the same time, they express in their works the traditions of Finnish design – clarity and pure lines without ignoring a playful light touch.

The members of the jury were CEO Mikko Kalhama, Design Forum Finland, and curator Jukka Savolainen, Design Museum Helsinki.

Previous recipients of the prize are designers Harri Koskinen and Ilkka Suppanen (2000), interior architect Karola Sahi and architect Eeva Lithovius (2001), designer and cabinetmaker Tuuli Autio and designer and silversmith Pyry Tamminen (2002), graphic designers Antti Hinkula and Teemu Suviala (2005) and industrial designer Jukka Korpihete and furniture designer Mikko Paakkanen (2006).

Wooden heal shoes from Stratum collection (2007) by Julia Lundsten and Rollercoaster coaster by Janne Kyttänen (2006)

Diamond, Stripes and Revolver - Ivana Helsinki Spring-Summer 2008

"Many years ago, one deadcalm beautiful day, at noon. I met the love of my life. He arrived none too soon. He was called Jack Diamond and he looked like Jack White, from White Stripes."

This is the beginning of the story behind this new collection.

Ivana Helsinki showed their Spring-Summer 2008 in Ritz Hotel at Paris Fashion Week yesterday evening.

This spectacular collection with bright colours and unique details was also shown in Helsinki's Suomenlinna sea fortress couple of weeks ago.

Ivana Helsinki SS2008 collection is called Diamond, Stripes and Revolver.

Below you can see some of the dresses, for all 35 pictures follow the link to Flickr.

To read and feel the rest of the story, and to understand where the revolver comes from - visit IvanaHelsinki website, www.ivanahelsinki.com

www.flickr.com

Interview with a winner of Fennia Prize 2007 Honorary Mention

Shunjiro Eguchi is a Senior Designer with Nokia Design Group. He is the designer of Nokia N93 multimedia mobile phone and a winner of honorary mention in Fennia Prize 2007, an international design competition.

In this interview Shunjiro Eguchi explains the design principles of Nokia N93 and his view on the future of mobiles devices and mobility from a designer's point of view.

This interview was made in Design Forum Finland in Helsinki during Fennia Prize 2007 award ceremonies.

Fennia Prize 2007 Grand Prix to Rocla

The winners of the renewed Fennia Prize 2007 competition have been chosen. The main prize, the Fennia Prize 2007 Grand Prix (€ 15,000) goes to Rocla Plc for the design of the Humanic reach truck. Fennia Prizes of € 5,000 each were awarded to four companies: Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy, Halti Oy, PlusArkkitehdit and PaloDEx Group Oy (Instrumentarium Dental). In addition, 16 companies received the Fennia Prize Honorary Mentions. 

The Humanic reach truck which was awarded the Fennia Prize 2007 Grand Prix involved product development and design taking users as their starting point. Four years ago, Rocla Plc gave design an important strategic role in the company and employed an in-house designer. According to Design Manager Petteri Masalin, the prime considerations of design are usability, dependability, simplicity and functionality. The prize jury maintained that all these properties are realized with insight in the design of the prize-winning, user-friendly Humanic reach truck.

The Fennia Prize 2007 was awarded to four companies. Intended for adult students, the Flip chair and desk, which are stackable and can be joined in rows are made by the Huonekalutehdas Korhonen furniture company. Halti Oy’s prize-winning products were the ergonomic Gompa and Fiber jackets and the Green backpack, representing new production technology. PaloDEx Group Oy’s Ortopantomograph®OP200D- and Ortoceph®OC200D dental x-ray equipment received the Fennia Prize 2007 for their design and technical properties. The PlusArkkitehdit firm of architects received the Fennia Prize in the Open Series for its service concept for the single-family house and leisure home market. All four prizes entail a sum of € 5,000.

The selection of the prize-winners was carried out by a jury of distinguished representatives of design, media and the business community, including M.Sc.Pol. Hannu Ketola as chairman, designer Kristiina Lassus of Alessi as the jury’s Guest Member, and Design Forum Finland CEO

Mikko Kalhama

, chairman Jorma Pitkonen of the TKO association of industrial designers, creative director Ilmo Valtonen of Dynamo Identity, director for industrial design and content management Janne Viemerö of Tekes - The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, Senior Adviser Janica Ylikarjula of the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, and Pekka Ritvos, editor-in-chief of the Kauppalehti newspaper. Along with high-standard design, the criteria of selection were usability, responsibility with regard to society and the environment and impact on business.

The high level of the use of design by companies participating in the competition is shown by the fact that honorary mentions were awarded to 16 companies: Design House Idoli Oy, Finnzymes Oy, GE Healthcare Finland Oy, Hanna Korvela Design Oy, Lundia Oy, Marimekko Plc, Nokia Corporation, Nokia Corporation Networks, original habitek works, Rocla Plc, Suunto Oy, TAG Heuer S.A., Tulikivi Plc, Ursuk Oy/Suunto, Vivero Oy and YTV – the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council. The award-winning companies and their products and concepts represent a wide range of design in various sectors of industry and the fields of furniture, interior design, textiles, medicine, high technology, precision mechanics, tourism and public transport.

Fennia Prize – Good design grows global is a design competition for firms and companies. It is open to enterprises making designed products or using design in other ways in their business. There are two series in the competition, the Product Design Series and the Open Series. The latter includes, for example, business and service concepts and environments. The Fennia Prize Grand Prix, individual Fennia Prizes and Fennia Prize honorary mentions are awarded in the competition. Awards include participation in the Fennia Prize exhibition, its tour of different venues and inclusion in the exhibition catalogue. The competition is arranged by Design Forum Finland. The prize sums are donated by the Fennia Group. The Kauppalehti newspaper is the competition’s media partner in 2007.

THE FENNIA PRIZE 2007 exhibition 16 February – 1 April 2007

Design Forum Finland, Erottajankatu 7, Helsinki

Warp Vases by Tonfisk Design

Tonfisk Design is announcing a new vase collection called Warp. The first public showing of the vases will be at the Ambiente Frankfurt in Franfurt am Main, Germany from 9th til 13th of February.

The shape of the Warp vases are made individually by hand, thus each vase will be unique in form. This is possible by a process where the vase is being treated manually right after removing it from the mold. In order to be able to maintain the high quality, a person with special skills is required.

This delicately organic form of the vase will fuction well with many type of flowers. Empty vase gives the interior a feel of  a very sculpture-like element.

The Warp vase is available in two heights, 21.5 and 31.5 cm.

Finnish Fashion in Japan

The Finnish Institute in Japan will be introducing some of the top fashion names and brands in Finland. An exhibition called "Finland Collection - Fashion Design from the North"  (フィンランド新進ファッションデザイナー展) will take place in Tokyo between 13th and 19th of November at Spiral Omotesando Tokyo.

The show will feature the following Finnish fashion design brands.

IVANA Helsinki, the people behind fennofolk movement, with designer Paola Suhonen and Pirjo Suhonen

Lustwear, a two sisters' design company known for their ecological design principles.

Hanna Sarén,  a well-known artist with clothing and bags for men and women.

Naoto Niidome, a Finnish-Japanese designer introdusing his Koivikko cosmetics line, made out of Finnish birch sap.

Tiia Vanhatapio, an awarded young designer for women's and baby fashion.

St. Vacant, a shoe brand with unique sneakers and made-to-fit shoes.

Besides the exhibition, these designers have other activities. Naoto Niidome and IVANA Helsinki will have a VIP-show at the Finnish Embassy. Paola and Pirjo Suhonen will be lecturing at Bunka Fashion College and at Finland Café  2006 event.

For all those interested in Finland and Finnish design and close to Tokio - don't miss this great opportunity!

Vepsäläinen to Resell Ivana Helsinki

Vepsäläinen is the largest design furniture store chain in Finland with over 20 stores in larger cities of Finland. They carry large selection of well-known Finnish and international brands.

Ivana Helsinki, number one in fennofolk, and Vepsäläinen have agreed on reselling Ivana's home and office ranges. The selection will have bed linnen, binders, notebooks, photo albums, CD case, pen cases etc. with recognizable prints such as Tiira, HEMMA, Ponitarha (Ponygarden), Tent and Butterfly.

In the beginning, Ivana Helsinki product can be purchased from Helsinki (Ring III), Oulu, Turku, Tampe, Vaasa and Jyväskylä stores.

As a novelty, HEMMA notebook is the first product that will have Butterfly print in it. Butterfly will be seen more widely in Ivana's 2007 Dead Butterfliest collection.

Kalevala Koru Goes Movies

Kalevala Koru just announced their first ever collaboration project with film industry. A limited edition pendant "Jadesoturi" l inks to the story of a new Finnish movie called Jade Warrior.

Jade Warrior's story links the Finnish epic story Kalevala with Chinese mythologies, creating a love story with combination of Kung Fu and fantasy.

Jadesoturi bronze pendant consists of flames from Kalevala in a shape of a wheel, a Chinese symbol of eternity. The text "Jadesoture (Jade warrior)" is included in Mandarin (Chinese) writing.

Jadesoture pendant is designed by Mari Saari, and will be available only for a limited period of time.

I personally believe this will be a collector's item, since the movie has been sold for commercial distribution in over 30 countries so far.