*DESIGN IN SOCIETY* Helsinki, Interview with Johanna Vuorio from NIKARI, Wood Design Furniture, Fiskars.

Johanna Vuorio, Manager Director of NIKARI, Wood Design Furniture and me, Iranzu Guijarro.

Excellent conversation with Johanna Vuorio, Manager Director of NIKARI, Wood Design Furniture from Finland. She was speaking in an emotional and beautiful way her feelings with the wood as a material and NIKARI way of working. A pleasure to listen to her. ”All the Designs are, in a way, silent. They have some kind of soul”.

This time, in Helsinki, I have collaborated with Jose M. Sanchez from Kinetic Pixels. A very good Spanish friend who lives in Helsinki since 7 years. It is not my first time working with him, I love his works and I like how he captures his emotion into his shootings. I always count with him in audiovisual point of view. Thanks Jose for your great work. A pleasure! Hope we can make more!

*DESIGN IN SOCIETY* Helsinki. Collaboration between Kinetic Pixels and me, Iranzu Guijarro. FINLAND.

As you know Design in Society are audiovisual interviews with people who are into fashion, architecture, social art and performances. These conversations try to analyze what kind of effects provoke daily consumption of design in our society. The Idea is to make this research around the world, visiting the most trendy cities (Bilbao, Seoul, San Francisco, Doha, Helsinki, Shanghai…) chatting with lots of curious people and analyzing different point of views, reactions and ways of thinking.

Johanna Vuorio, Manager Director of NIKARI, Wood Design Furniture and me, Iranzu Guijarro in Fiskars.

*DESIGN IN SOCIETY* Helsinki.     NIKARI + KINETIC PIXELS + IRANZU GUIJARRO

ARCTIPS, Sound of silence. Modern Finnish Design.

This February, I met with my friend Heidi Korva in Helsinki. She wore this Arctips wool boots. That day was a cold day (-6º), I remembered perfectly watching her boots and thinking… I want one of this. Heidi started telling me a lot of stories from her childhood with this boots and I got very curious to know more about them. Here you have some info.

ARCTIPS is a new innovation brand from Töysän kenkätehdas (Töysä shoe factory) situated in Töysä, Finland. The factory was founded in 1932 and you can see from its website www.toysankenkatehdas.fi the photos of the other shoe designs that it makes. They are all very traditional Finnish shoes, most of them produced right from the birth of the factory. In Töysä, they still use very traditional methods, every shoe is hand made. They are able to make only about 40 pairs of Arctips per day. This gives you a good picture of the quality and time put to the production.

ARCTIPS is a combination of two traditional Finnish shoes: huopikas and lapikas. The shape of the boot comes from lapikas (especially the «funny» tip of the shoe) and the material from huopikas (the material is originally wool, in Arctips it’s the best quality, merino wool – from South Africa). This is the first time ever someone put huopikas and lapikas together. So far, there is only this one model of ARCTIPS but in several colours. Next year there will be more of them.

Heidi, I know your family is coming from the north north of Finland. As many finnish, you move to south of the country, near Helsinki, What kind of differences can you appreciate in clothing?  Yes I’m from Lapland and Arctips shoes for me are indeed a way to present my roots. although traditional lapikas shoes have been worn all over Finland (even in the Southern Finland), many Finns associate them to be traditional Lappish shoes. What’s your favorite clothes for this winter? Jeans, warm pullover and a cardigan. And Arctips shoes as they are very easy to wear AND EXTREMELY WARM! I’m a good example of an average Finn, I like to dress functionally, specially in winter. So no mini skirts – or skirts at all! – when it’s -10 degrees. Shoes are extremely important to me, specially in winter.

It is curious and funny design, very particular and nordic shape. What do you think if ARCTIPS start selling in Spain or Italy? Are you thinking to launch the brand internationally? Hopefully Arctips will be available online also in English next autumn. And of course if somebody would like to sell them at his/her store in Spain or Italy or where ever, that would be possible. What comes to this traditional model, tell me, is it too exotic for Spaniards? There will be more models next winter, more feminine ones and more urban ones too.

Winter in Lappi by Merou (Jean Noel Viltard)

www.arctips.fi

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Norwegian Rain Fashion Brand, Helsinki Summit Fashion 2012

NORWEGIAN RAIN  is a small designer label from the rainiest city of Europe (Bergen, Norway). «The philosophy is simple. Hard core functional outerwear where we don´t compromise on stylistic preferences. The hi-tech is hidden«. Japanese sensibility + the hardness of Norway. Those super coats have good quality material and resistance. The most I like is the good looking and the style which give to men and women. NORDIC STYLE.

«The Transparent Tongue» Henrik Vibskov, Mensware SS2013 Fashion Design Collection

This May 24….I enjoyed Henrik Vibskov conference in Helsinki Summit Fashion 2012! I laughed a lot with him and with his Central St. Martins Art&Design College stories. Jeejejeje! I cannot explain everything….but I remember perfectly when he spoke about the DARKNESS, about non inspiration moments….He is a funny boy! Today I want to introduce his Menswear SS2013 Fashion Collection, «The Transparent Tongue». This 28th of June he exhibited this collection in Paris. A big pink and black tongue decorated the catwalk…yess!

Transparent Tongue, transparent garment, transparent african & danish culture, transparent materials (silk)… VIDEO: Menswear SS2013 show filmed in Paris.

This is Henrik Vibskov….musician (he loves to play drums) and danish fashion designer.

In Conversation with Miia Magia, Helsinki

Miia Magia (left) & Aleksandra Kahakorpi (right) Photo: Alejandro Lorenzo

Miia Magia Design is a Jewellery Design Brand based in Helsinki. Working in the simplicity and modernity style, from feminity to masculine look, Miia designs for all of fashion lovers who love to spice up their individual style with high quality accessories. «LESS IS MORE» it is always in her mind and it is the name of some jewellery pieces.

This finnish artist, started to create her designs in 2006, after her graduation as a dressmaker. She made jewellery only few years now, she wants to get bigger with her new project. Apart from designing, Miia Magia is a Dj and Make-up Artist for several years. In her collection you can find Satins, laces and crystals. Nuts and zippers.

She is currently working in PIN UP HELSINKI as a make-up artist collaborating with Fiona Timantti (Styling & Hair) and Saara Sami (Photography).

IN CONVERSATION WITH MIIA MAGIA.

When I first saw your artworks, the words that came to my mind were delicate, elegant, simple. What is the inspiration for your artworks? About your neckless, I am really curious to know about the origin of your inspiration. My inspiration can come pretty much from anywhere! Like when I saw a fallen disco ball on a storage of a club where I’m working as a dj. Or when I went to a hardware store to find things to my kitchen and I found a shelf full of nuts and got exited about those! It can be anything that looks interesting and not that ordinary to make jewellery. Sure I’ve got very basic stuff too, like satin and lace, but that tells something about my line, I want to give something for every taste.

You use neutral colors for your designs. Do you think that you are influenced for your country aesthetic? To be honest I havent thought about that. But yeah, I guess we Finns are quite neutral folks. But maybe the simple reason is that my own favourite colours are black, white and grey! Apart from been Jewelry Designer, you enjoy playing music as Dj and you are professional Make-up Artist. Which of them is your favorite?I mean, I’m sure that your feelings change depending on the activity,  Which is your favorite feeling? Well they are both very important for me! As a dj and make-up artist I make my living. I’ve been djing already 7 years and been a make-up artist 4 years. I gratuated as a dressmaker about ten years ago and that’s the thing where my jewellery designing comes from. I’ve made jewellery only few years now, so I’m sure it’s getting bigger! And at the moment I’m most exited about my jewellery, because it’s the newest of my jobs. But as I said all of my jobs are very important for me and whatever I do, I want to do it perfectly!

Is there any other project that you are currently working on? Yes, very interesting project called PinUpHelsinki! I work there as a make-up artist!

Finland or Denmark. Finland, That’s my home country! But I like Denmark too, they’ve got very very good Roskilde festival.

More info you’ll find from her webpage www.miiamagia.com and her facebook page www.facebook.com/miiamagiadesign.

Kokoro & Moi, World Design Capital Helsinki, Visual Identity Design.

K&M, KOKORO&MOI

kokoromoi.com is the creative agency which design the branding of World Design Capital Helsinki. Kokoro & Moi was founded in 2001 by designers Teemu Suviala and Antti Hinkula. The World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 visual identity is built around the idea of openness. Citizens are taken to the center of design and problem solving to develop ideas and solutions further. The brand identity features hundreds of graphic interpretations of the main themes (Open Helsinki – Embedding Design in Life, Global Responsibility, and Roots for New Growth), designed in Open Identity. OPEN HELSINKI. Kokoro & Moi has continued with World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 developing the Open Identity concept, visual identity, communication design, advertising and several other design projects from product to spatial and interactive design.

AESTHETIC: Colourful: Neutral and Nordic colors: Blue, White, Pink, Green, Wood Colour. Minimalist: Clean and simplicity. Powerful: Trees, Nature. Cardboard as imitation of wood.

Here you have some examples of small details that you can find in Helsinki City.