Helsinki Celebrates Fashion: A Creative Transformation of the Capital

The Fashion in Helsinki event transformed the Finnish capital from May 29-31, celebrating fashion and creativity. The festivities featured a runway show held in a 200-year-old shipyard and the inaugural Finnish Fashion Awards, which showcased the unique creative talents of one of Europe’s most exciting fashion communities.

The final week of May was dedicated to Fashion in Helsinki, an event focused on craftsmanship, creativity, and the emerging talents of Finnish fashion.

A standout moment of the week was the runway show, which presented a curated selection of top Finnish brands, including Hedvig, Jenny Hytönen, Rolf Ekroth, Sofia Ilonen, and VAIN. The show took place at the Helsinki Shipyard, a vast dry dock constructed in 1865, typically housing icebreakers and cruise vessels destined for international waters. For this event, the empty dock provided a dramatic stage for Finnish fashion.

On May 31st, the first Finnish Fashion Awards were held. According to the international jury, the winners’ list highlighted the creativity and quality of the Finnish fashion scene.

Awards were presented in nine categories: New Talent, Branding, Scaling, Retail, E-Commerce, Sustainability, Innovation x Collaboration, Beauty, and Most Engaging Social Media.

• New Talent: Designer Ildar Wafin, whose jewelry showcases exceptional talent and craftsmanship, blending beautiful design with his Tatar heritage. Wafin also launched a collection for the Finnish heritage brand Kalevala.
• Branding: Designer Samu-Jussi Koski for Borse e Cose and Jeans & Towels. Recognized as one of Finland’s leading designers, Koski has successfully launched two new brands with international potential after his previous success with Samuji.
• Scaling: VIBAe Shoes, a shoe manufacturing company that has experienced remarkable growth, collaborating with brands like Comme des Garçons, and achieving 95 percent of its sales globally.
• Beauty: Makeup artist Jenny Jansson, known for her brilliant work in both fashion shows and editorials in Finland and abroad.
• Retail: Beamhill, a retailer with three stores that has supported high fashion and young, emerging Finnish designers for three decades.
• E-Commerce: Ninyes, a startup specializing in designing and creating secondhand online stores for brands, working with Finnish brands such as Halti and Joutsen in the past year.
• Innovation x Collaboration: Waste management company Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto (LSJH), which has collaborated on upcycled collections with Latimmier and VAIN, presented at Copenhagen Fashion Week.
• Sustainability: Latimmier, led by Creative Director Ervin Latimer, recognized for its efforts in inclusion, social sustainability, and the circular economy.
• Most Engaging Social Media: Vitun Leija, a young brand that has mastered the digital space in creating hype, audience, and brand.