Fashion Taivas Kiseleff Helsinki 2014

From now on-September 20, 2014 

FashionTaivas 2014 is organized by a group of new started-up boutique owners, stylists and designers, located at historical Kiseleff building, opposite across the White Church at Helsinki central. The original idea of this alternative combining old and new design market, comes up with that the main organizer Susana and the mates would like to provide yet a rather high quality but easy-going space for the fashion bargain hunters. The top names of the Helsinki fashion scene as following: CashCow, Hanna Sarén, Lorna Jane, Marvis, Rehab London, and vintage store such as Ida U or Hay Days.

At Fashion Taivas, there are also international designers’ collections, such as Acne jeans, Y3 sneakers, Chloé pumps, Louis Vuitton heels, or T by Alexander Wang skirt. Those are second hand pieces after some local designers’ styling for the magazines or media events, awaited being found and given a brand new life.

Second hand/flea market (in Finnish, it’s nickname as kirppis) has been in quite a positive business here in Finland for a while. It may originate from the age of shortage, the habit of vintage culture or the joyfulness of treasure searching. It does derive the ‘designer-pursuit-unnecessary’ fashion culture here, though it also obstacles amounts of high quality brands’ landing or opening try-out. The limited possibility on high fashion brands in Finland also prohibits the various choices on independent fashion magazines. It has been a tragic joke that quite some local fashion fellows have no idea about Isabel Marant, Vanessa Bruno or Vivienne Westwood, let alone Tsumori Chisato or Eley Kishimoto.  

Finland never lacks of good design, the major question is, only placing fine quality goods and waiting (usually passively) customers come and say hi can not boost up the sales, PR and marketing are as equally important. With the rapid development of internet technology, promotion business sometimes doesn’t have to be at extremely high cost. Fashion Taivas is at a bit rather too hidden sales space, the fitting room is slightly dark, and the landmark is not comparatively attentive, still, it’s a good start for the local designers and boutique business to exhibit. At Fashion Taivas, new items from 2OR+BYYAT or Marita Huurinainen adapt ethical leathers to produce accessories and shoes, Hanna Sarén and Katri Miskanen design the elegant dresses to serve ladies’ evening needs. These Finnish newcomers excite the market, perhaps more of a challenge to test fashion hunters’ visions and tastes.

  

Fashion Taivas

Kiseleff

Alexanderinkatu 28

00170, Helsinki

Mon-Fri 10-19

Sat 10-17 

Art Attack: LUMI Four Season Opening Party 2014

August 27, 2014, 18:30 Helsinki

Lumi in Finnish language, is meaning (pure white) snow. Established in year 2000, LUMI is the brainchild of the Finnish-French designer duo Sanna Kantola and Bruno Beaugrand. After founding the company in NYC, it has quickly grown into a successful Nordic handbag brand, being now sold in over 25 countries worldwide.

The renowned LUMI opens accessories store-Flagship Boutique- in Helsinki, side by side with LUMI Supermarket, located in the historic Kiseleff house opposite the White Cathedral. Open the heavy curtains and discover a modern forest built inside the new flagship boutique - the contemporary interior spiced with traditional Finnish materials and the scent of quality leather, welcomes you to experience LUMI new accessories line.

LUMI is an advocate of sustainable development in the fashion trade. LUMI team creates beautiful shoes, purses and bags while adapting high quality, ethics and environmentalism–in mind throughout the design and production processes. Part of the collection is made of naturally dyed and vegetable tanned leathers, which are chrome-free.

And here I am at the LUMI Opening party on Thursday evening. The bright yellow boutique space contrasts the dark blue rainy sky, gathers people to flock in and chat. The chopped tree trunks are the best and ethical stands to exhibit LUMI leather shoes, and AW collection brochures are quietly displayed at the corner of the windows. The 18.5x26 brochure is printed with NAPM approved recycled papers, the ink oozes a special scent, the layouts are pure white, female model Ona is styled with sleek and clean outwear, with Japanese hairdo and dark maroon-purple eye shadow. What allures me the most at the boutique is LUMI perfumery candles. Available in four exclusive scents, each uniquely designed for the distinctive four seasons of Finland (Koivu, Suvi, Ruska). Wrapped in a braided thin-layer jackstraws, the fragranced wax is beheld by the dark brown glass, covered a piece of round-shaped leather cap. And what is the name of winter scent? Lumi! Indeed!

At the Kiseleff hall, DJ is playing at alter-level high, accompanying with 3 (weird) dancers. Preferably, in my point of view, that DJ himself is good enough to raise the atmosphere hot. Minimalistic deco with huge white balloons, standing tables and IKEA-like sofa, Bionade drink is free of charge, also the chocolaterie chonfiserie Pralina. Making chocolate according to the LUMI four season party theme, spring candy is freshly green, summer and autumn are sweet and dark chocolates, and winter time coming up with this powdery delicious Lumi ball, which, according to Chef’s explanation, is made by French champagne and fine white chocolate.

LUMI party is fun, great and successful. Though I only chatted with one of my Finnish friends who now works for LUMI, most of the time being with my current colleagues, and finally got introduced to know a high quality chocolate brand, still, the whole event gives out a vivid, thematic and lovely touch of aroma.

Lumi Supermarket-Flagship Boutique

Aleksanterinkatu 28

00170, Helsinki 

+35844 571 2622 

  

Magazine Madness: Kinfolk-- Volume Twelve Saltwater Issue

Kinfolk vol.12 2014

Discovering New Things to cook, make and do

Discovering KINFOLK, a quarterly published magazine from Portland, Oregon, at a lovely boutique called Kauniste in Helsinki. My attention was drawn to a sleek but yet strong cover photography, with only two models standing without their facial features toward to the gazers.

Kinfolk is an independent slow lifestyle magazine, created by Nathan Williams, his wife Katie Searle-Williams and their close friends Doug and Paige Bischoff in July 2011. Each issue is themed around a topic that is related to the season it is being published in, with food, photography and lifestyle content geared towards that theme. In Volume Twelve, 2014, the Saltwater Issue of Kinfolk explores one of the oldest and most universal seasonings and its natural habitant: the sea. At Part One, you can follow the recipe to cook stuffed salt and vinegar potato skins, from Part Two, Dutch Photographer Scarlett Hooft Graafland’s photo essay ‘The Salt Flats of Bolivia’ makes me not just a skin deep visual impact; and last part of Kinfolk, Few, a professional sandcastle architect Rusty Croft offers some tips on how to craft the perfect castle by the shore.

I especially like Editor-in-Chief Nathan Williams’ words from the welcome letter of Kinfolk: ‘We encourage you to walk-or swim-away from this issue with the inclination to get outside and reveal the tastes and feelings of summer’ (Williams, 5). Offset-printed and perfect bound, full color on uncoated paper, size 28.5 x26.5 (cm), Kinfolk creates a pleasure reading experiences by its strong team and talented contributors, based on their knowledge on cooking, photography, geography and literature, surely a smart choice to dive in, away from a sea of over-commercialized women’s magazines, for a well-spent, sun-soaked summer.

More about Scarlett Hooft Graafland’s photography:

http://www.scarletthooftgraafland.nl

KINFOLK

KAUNISTE