We’ll let you in on a little known fact: Helsinki is heaven for design and shopping lovers. While there are plenty of reasons to visit Finland especially as they celebrate 100 years of independence in 2017, there’s more than stunning architecture and the ethereal Northern Lights to entice you. Hit the pavement and visit these five brands for a proper design and shopping fix.
Artek
Founded in 1935 by four legendary designers – Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen, and Nils-Gustav Hahl – Artek has become synonymous with Finnish design. The venerated brand continues to produce their iconic creations, which you can get up close and personal with at their expansive flagship showroom. If you’re looking for something small to take home, a trivet or tray should suffice, but you won’t regret paying the extra baggage fees for the classic stool 60, a portable furniture piece you can carefully customise in-store.
Marimekko
The design ethos of Marimekko veers away from the studied simplicity of most Scandinavian brands — and that’s precisely why it has legions of fans from Helsinki to Singapore to Tokyo. While there are plenty of stores to choose from in the capital — 15 to be exact – head to their flagship outlet at Galleria Esplanad, which revealed its refreshed interiors last year. Whichever store you visit, you’re sure to find dynamic prints in uplifting colours that’s a powerful antidote to the notoriously cold weather Finland is known for.
Iittala
Iittala is a well-loved brand and its creations are a staple in every Finnish household. While vintage shops surely stock older glassware and ceramic styles, there’s merit in visiting their Esplanadi boutique, a store that opened its doors more than six decades ago. Explore Iittala’s comprehensive portfolio at this historic store, where old and new pieces, iconic and up-and-coming designers combine to create a wonderful shopping experience.
Photography: Ken Wu | Lightseed Studio
Studio Sebastian Jansson
Finnish industrial designer Sebastian Jansson's contemporary style is a playful expression of experimental forms and fresh arrangements. His work ranges from one-off gallery pieces such as the sculptural Solveig to industrial products like the Trolley, a concept for school furniture designed for Isku and Samsung. The Helsinki-based designer loves rethinking everyday objects by adding a design twist that delights.
Photography: Ken Wu | Lightseed Studio
Aalto + Aalto
Elina Aalto and Klaus Aalto are the designers behind Aalto+Aalto, a multidisciplinary studio based in Helsinki. The husband and wife team designs products, exhibitions and spaces all underlined by their fresh and intelligent perspective. While many of their projects are conceptual — such as reimagining the family kitchen for Ikea in 2013 — the duo also has several pieces that embodies the good design for all ethos of Scandinavian design. Their wall jewel for Iittala in particular is an artistic iteration of the hook, which transforms a practical item into a decorative objet d’art.
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