Fashion - Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine

Kaiko Clothing: Fashion With A Mission

Katja Presnal — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 13:53:50 +0000

Let me introduce you to Kaiko Clothing. Isabella Presnal has been modeling for a sustainable Finnish fashion brand, Kaiko, for a few years now. It’s really important to us that we work with brands that we believe in, and also brands that we buy, use, and genuinely can recommend to others.

Kaiko / Anna Salmisalo

We wanted to share some of these amazing photos taken of Isabella by Anna Salmisalo of By Your Side for Kaiko’s autumn 2023.

Kaiko / Anna Salmisalo

Responsible Fashion from Finland

Let’s start this by saying that responsible fashion is extremely difficult to accomplish. Consumers are at the mercy of what’s available for them on their budgets, and even when manufacturers are able to source, produce, and sell responsibly, the ultimate responsibility still goes back to the consumer after the purchase.

Even the most sustainable piece of clothing is not a responsible purchase if it sits in your closet and you only use it a few times.

Kaiko Clothing from Finland is working really hard to seamlessly marry style with a profound mission. Kaiko believes that fashion can be a force for good. Founded by the visionary Mirjam Sokka, the brand is on a mission to redefine the industry by prioritizing ethical choices and social responsibility. The ethos of “Fashion with a Mission” goes beyond mere words, with 7% of the profits from every piece sold directed towards women’s education in developing countries. Already, Kaiko, in collaboration with its customers, has donated a remarkable €86,972 to support women’s education initiatives in Nepal.

“Ethical choices and social responsibility lie at the core of Kaiko’s business. As such, we don’t stop at ensuring our products are transparently produced but also direct 7% from the profits of every sold piece to the education of women in developing countries. As an extension of this, our dream is to expand production into developing countries. While production in Europe is mostly responsible, there is still much work to be done in this regard across developing countries. We want to be part of creating a better clothing industry that also stretches beyond Europe. It is possible to do good and create change through fashion – that is what our slogan Fashion with a mission is all about.” Mirjam Sokka, Founder and creative director of Kaiko Clothing

Kaiko is committed to environmental responsibility. Through careful material selection and a focus on quality, the brand contributes to a circular economy while actively working towards carbon neutrality by 2024, aligning with broader industry initiatives combating climate change. At the core of Kaiko’s values guide every aspect of the brand’s journey. 1. Design Kaiko boldly crafts high-quality designs with a personal touch, reflecting a commitment to individuality and style. They also promote slow fashion principles, creating timeless pieces that contribute to a circular economy. 2. Transparency The brand is open about its manufacturers and supply chain, ensuring customers have a clear view of the ethical practices embedded in every creation. 3. Social Responsibility Kaiko creates employment and education opportunities in Nepal, fostering positive change. 4. Profitability Recognizing that a profitable business supports its mission, Kaiko aims for sustainable growth to enable change for the better.

Social Responsibility in Action: Empowering Women in Nepal

There are several reasons why Kaiko chose Nepal. In Nepal, where government-provided social security is lacking, Kaiko pays particular attention to salaries. The brand tracks wages through annual surveys, employing the World Trade Organization’s salary model to determine a real living wage. Through collaborations with Women’s Bank and their own projects, Kaiko directs 7% of profits to women’s education in Nepal, supporting women-led businesses and grassroots training efforts. Fair employment opportunities are especially important in a developing country, where many people face work-based exploitation and salaries are insufficient for living. The independence provided by a job and the ability to earn a living is often more than life-changing for Nepalese women; it can also offer a way out of multi-generational poverty. Despite being one of the World’s poorest nations, Nepal has a unique atmosphere thanks to its 123 ethnic groups and their rich traditions in crafts and artistry. Learn more about Kaiko at Kaikoclothing.com. Photos: Kaiko

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Marimekko Global Expansion – New Stores in the Nordics and Asia

Katja Presnal — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:45:33 +0000

Marimekko is one of the best-known Finnish brands around the world. Marimekko was founded in 1951, and for example, Marimekko products have been sold in the USA since 1959. Marimekko has done several collaborations that you might know of, with Crate and Barrel, Target, and Adidas. Did you know that Skimbaco was founded in 2006 and for a brief two years, Skimbaco was an upscale online store? During those years, we also sold Marimekko products in the USA. North America is one of their key markets, but Asia-Pacific and Nordics seem to be more important. Globally, there are roughly 150 Marimekko stores, and the online store serves customers in 35 countries. As part of its 2023–2027 strategy, Marimekko focuses on scaling its business and growth, particularly in international markets. Northern Europe, including key cities like Copenhagen, remains a focal point for Marimekko as it strives to enhance brand awareness and expand its presence in alignment with the overall growth strategy.

New Marimekko Store Openings

This year Marimekko has opened multiple new stores, the latest opening is the new flagship store in Copenhagen. Nestled in one of the city’s fashion districts at Pilestraede 29, this new experiential retail space stands as the vibrant hub of Marimekko in Copenhagen, housing a design team studio on its upper floor. The Copenhagen flagship store mirrors the dynamic retail concept introduced by Marimekko in New York in late 2022 and echoes the redesigned flagship store in Stockholm.

Marimekko Store in Copenhagen

Paying homage to Marimekko’s globally acclaimed art of printmaking, the unique design of the space embodies the brand’s optimistic and creative lifestyle philosophy. The store boasts a carefully curated selection of Marimekko’s lifestyle products, including fashion, bags, and accessories, offering customers ever-evolving visual experiences, community events, and activations, as well as personalized and expert services—a hallmark of Marimekko since its inception.

Marimekko has a long history in Denmark and with the new flagship store we are able to showcase both our existing and new customers our updated, modern take on the joyful Marimekko lifestyle brand. The new flagship is designed to be the heart of the Marimekko brand culture in Copenhagen, increasing awareness, deepening the customer experience, and bolstering omnichannel sales in Scandinavia. With Copenhagen representing one of the key cities in the global fashion and design industry, the store will support building brand awareness and positioning also more widely in Europe in line with our growth strategy. Noora Laurila, Senior Vice President, Sales, Region West at Marimekko.

Stockholm Store

Marimekko opened its revamped Stockholm flagship store at Norrmalmstorg 4 on September, 2023. Located in the central shopping hub of Östermalm, the redesigned space reflects Marimekko’s dynamic store concept, inspired by its textile printing factory in Helsinki.

Marimekko store in Stockholm

Serving as a creative hub and platform for visual activations, the store offers a curated selection of fashion, bags, accessories, and home décor.

Marimekko’s Expansion in Asia

Asia is the most important geographical area for Marimekko’s international growth, and the company sees growing demand for its brand in the region. They opened their first store in Singapore in September 2023. In Vietnam, Marimekko stores will be opened in the Lotte Mall Westlake in Hanoi and in the Takashimaya mall in Ho Chi Minh City later this year. The first Marimekko stores in Malaysia will be located in Kuala Lumpur: one in the KLCC mall at the world’s highest twin towers and another in The Exchange TRX mall.

Marimekko’s Growth

The recent store openings tell a story of huge global success, but let’s look at some financial numbers.

According to Marimekko’s financial guidance for 2023 (Interim Report 1–9/2023, 8 November 2023), Marimekko Group’s net sales for 2023 are expected to grow from the previous year (2022: EUR 166.5 million).

What I find as an absolutely insane number and fact: Marimekko’s most important market is the domestic market, Finland, and traditionally it represents about half of the company’s net sales.

This is kind of shocking. Finland is a very small country with a population of 5.5 million. It’s of course great that it has a loyal customer base in Finland, but there is potential for so much more, globally. Marimekko is a front-runner in Finland in so many ways, but its growth has also been very moderate considering what a legacy brand it is. My guess is that Marimekko lacks what most Finnish companies lack: investment funding for growth. Even if you are a well-known, loved brand, you still need to invest in growth and marketing. Marimekko, like many others at the moment, faces diverse risks spanning economic and political environments, retail dynamics, supply chain disruptions, sustainability challenges, climate change impacts, compliance issues, intellectual property concerns, information security risks, and personnel-related challenges. One of the risks and opportunities lies with Marimekko’s sustainability work and targets. For example, they need to continuously evolve their sustainability practices in their product and value chain to meet the demands of values-based customers and new regulations. Sustainability and responsible business practices combined with increased investments in marketing efforts most likely will be the winning combination. Read more about Marimekko’s sustainability efforts.

Focus areas of strategy 2023-2027: Scaling the Marimekko business and growth, especially in international markets

Marimekko has defined the following five strategic success factors to scale the growth of the Marimekko business during the next strategy period: S: Determined sustainability efforts strongly support Marimekko’s long-term success C: Sharpened creative vision to speak to a wider global audience A: Accelerating growth in Asia L: Love for Marimekko life E: End-to-end digitality to boost omnichannel growth and efficiency I look forward seeing the next steps in Marimekko’s global expansion.

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Helsinki Fashion Week 2023: House of Parvi

Katja Presnal — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 12:30:47 +0000

House of Parvi served an elegant perspective on sustainable fashion at the Helsinki Fashion Week. The brand, created by the visionary partnership of Parvi Chadha and Mridul Jacob, showed how you can craft beautiful garments with a commitment to luxury with a conscience. Just wait until you hear about their fabrics. House of Parvi’s founder Parvi Chadha, heir to a legacy of bespoke clothing, ventured into the world of fashion business management after her graduation. Driven by her passion for both sustainability and fashion, she joined forces with Mridul Jacob, an esteemed designer renowned for his expertise in bespoke menswear and a shared dedication to eco-conscious fashion. Mridul Jacob’s impressive accolades, including winning the prestigious Will’s Lifestyle “The Debut” Award at the India Fashion Week. Raised in the United Arab Emirates, he brings a unique blend of luxury and finesse to the brand. Both Parvi and Mridul are alumni of the prestigious Pearl Academy in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University, UK. Together, they have crafted a brand that embodies their vision of seamlessly marrying luxury and sustainability, delivering exceptional fashion with a conscience.

The Art of Sustainable Elegance & Fabrics

House of Parvi’s collection at Helsinki Fashion Week was elegant, flowy, well-crafted, and ready-to-wear. The collection succeeded in both: having pieces with beautiful artistic prints that looked hand-printed, but minimal with simple cuts. The collection included silky shirts, stoles, series of flowing scarf-like summer dresses, each designed with precision to show impeccable tailoring. The prints were inspired by nature and looked like they were painted by watercolors.

At first look, the material looked like luxurious silk, but it was rose petal fiber. Yes, you read that right. The rose petal fiber is extracted from the natural waste of rose petals and then processed to create a luxurious and soft spinning fiber. In addition to rose petal fiber, House of Parvi uses aloe vera, and lotus stem as fabric materials. The aloe vera fiber sounds amazing, it’s breathable, wicks moisture, and it’s wrinkle-resistant and good for your skin. The fabric is antibacterial and anti-allergenic and also cools during the warm days and warms during the cool temperatures. These natural fabrics are sustainable, eco-friendly, and biodegradable.

Photography: Fashion photographer Kristian Presnal

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Helsinki Fashion Week 2023: BOiE&Bill

Katja Presnal — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:17:15 +0000

At Helsinki Fashion Week 2023, the last day’s colorful show was by BOiE&Bill. Boie and Bill from Ghana inserted West African voices into the show and weaved their narrative into bold bombers, other colorful streetwear, and clothing made of recycled materials. One of the reasons why I like the Helsinki Fashion Week is that they always bring designers from multiple countries, and something to say. Sustainability is the key theme at HFW, and so it is for BOiE&Bill. Boie and Bill, founded by brothers Ellisha “Boie” Ofori Bamfo and Calvin “Bill” Bamfo showcased their unique approach to fashion, one that stands in stark contrast to the throwaway culture that plagues many Western nations. In Ghana, where countless garments donated to charity from the Global North often end up in landfills, these brothers have taken a different path.

They started at Kantamanto Market in Accra, where they repurposed old clothes, collected plastic, sorted it, cleaned it, and made each upcycled clothing item as unique as the individual who wears it. Their street fashion creations, from printed shirts to bomber jackets, are stories woven from the fabrics of the street. The brothers of BOiE&Bill have been voicing the importance of sustainable fashion for years, and recycled material collection sessions are also offered for schools to inspire young people to opt for environmentally friendly fashion. They have done great marketing initiatives like hiring the world’s oldest model for their collection. They featured a 90-year-old male model in a photo shoot five years ago and got a Guinness World record for the world’s oldest model. A striking example of their ingenuity is the Blackstar Bomber jacket, a true showstopper. Crafted from a fusion of plastic and textile strips and splashed with the vibrant colors of the Ghanaian flag, it encapsulates their commitment to incorporating African prints and bold hues to create signature silhouettes that are unmistakably Boie and Bill. For Boie and Bill, fashion isn’t just about clothing; it’s about storytelling. Their designs are a celebration of Ghana’s rich heritage and a defiant stand against the wastefulness of the fashion industry. They prove that fashion can be a powerful medium for preserving tradition, reducing waste, and making a bold statement about the beauty of their culture.

In a world where fashion can sometimes be shallow, Boie and Bill are a breath of fresh air, showing us that fashion can be a canvas for cultural expression, sustainability, and innovation. At Helsinki Fashion Week, they left an indelible mark, showcasing their Ghanaian pride and creative genius to the world, one upcycled masterpiece at a time.

Photography: Fashion photographer Kristian Presnal

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Helsinki Fashion Week 2023: Studio Lamea

Katja Presnal — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 12:45:05 +0000

In the heart of Helsinki, a fashion revolution is underway. Helsinki Fashion Week collects together some of the up-and-coming brands each year, and one of the unifying factors is a commitment to sustainability. Studio Lamea, a fashion brand driven by values, creativity, and a commitment to sustainability, took the spotlight at Helsinki Fashion Week. Their fashion show was a bold testament to their unique blend of style and provocation. With a mantra of “saving the planet while looking fabulous,” Studio Lamea introduced a thought-provoking collection called Pure/Provocation that challenged societal norms and celebrated the power of individuality. Studio Lamea’s journey began with a vision to transform the fashion industry and the focus is clear: ethical sourcing and timeless creations. They are guided by values: empathy, responsibility and inclusiveness. The brand’s commitment to sustainability is evident in their meticulous selection of pre-owned materials.

The Collection: Pure/Provocation

At Helsinki Fashion Week, Studio Lamea’s collection Pure/Provocation collection was a striking exploration of duality, blending purity with provocation. The garments featured beautiful velvets, fringing, laces, and crosses, creating a rich and alluring tapestry of colors and textures. The craftsmanship within the collection was striking. The pieces combined rich reds, greens, and blacks with sparkling jewels, cheeky cutouts, and just the right amount of skin exposure to make a powerful statement about the coexistence of opposing qualities in an individual.

Notably, a pair of burgundy lace leggings and a veil dripping with crosses and the word ‘pure’ accompanied by oversized velvet-bowed stilettos made a profound impact, merging mystery, sensuality, and defiance.

The showstopper was the Virgin Mary look with a see-through lace dress and the Virgin Mary cape with the text “Virginity is a Myth” stitched in the back. Very Catholic priest on the back, but seductive confidence in the front.

Isabella Presnal also walked the show, and she wore a white lacey dress combined with black flowy pants, but the real attention piece was the black veil with golden embellishments.

The collection also showcased a look with a lace with chaps. Studio Lamea’s approach was thought-provoking, shedding light on the way society imposes ideals on individuals, often through the male gaze, dictating how they should dress and be perceived.

Like A Virgin reimagined. The show reached its crescendo with a runaway bride, complete with ‘pussy cat’ knickers, reminiscent of Madonna’s iconic ‘Like A Virgin’ era. This playful finale was the icing on the cake, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to breaking boundaries and defying traditional expectations.

Studio Lamea’s fashion show at Helsinki Fashion Week daring exploration of the “Madonna-Whore” complex set them apart at the fashion show. The brand’s vision is to blend style seamlessly with ethical practices, and they brought it to life in their collection. Studio Lamea’s willingness to challenge conventions shows that fashion can be a powerful medium for change, a message that resonates beyond the runway. Photos: Fashion photographer Kristian Presnal

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What Is The Future of Sustainable Fashion?

Isabella Presnal — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 16:10:08 +0000

Currently, the fashion industry is in this rapid-fire fast fashion cycle. Clothing is made quickly, in countries where labor is cheaper and exploitative, with lower-quality materials and less attention to details. Clothes are unlikely to last even a season much less for years, resulting in a flood of clothing in our landfills. The vast amount of energy and material needed to make garments. This results in the fashion industry creating nearly 20% of wastewater often filled with toxins from dyes, the incineration of over 80% of fibers used, and responsible for 10% of all carbon emissions globally. Roughly 1% of clothing is recycled. (via The World Bank) Many of us are recognizing that we need to end fast fashion and micro-trends, and brands are waking up. However, there is a difference between actually sustainable clothing versus using the climate crisis as a promotion tactic – ie greenwashing. H&M is the biggest example of a large corporation using the climate crisis as a campaign to make itself look better, without actually taking action to improve its use of child labor, polluting toxins, and over-production of cheap low quality clothing.

So how can the fashion industry work toward a more sustainable, better future?

There are many who are looking to create a more sustainable industry, from influencers who share thrifted or DIY outfits, designers repurposing fabric scraps, to brands supporting initiatives outside of their products to better the planet. Sustainable fashion is not just vegan or vintage, there are many solutions for sustainable fashion. It is also not just the material. Sustainable fashion refers to how a garment is made, who made it, and every step it takes between the initial design to your closet. It is deadstock fabrics, repurposed items, fair wages, safe working environments, using every bit of fabric, recyclable or compostable packaging, and so much more. It is a cycle of continued use and repurposing, not a line to the landfill. In Helsinki, a local event was founded in 2016 with the intention of spotlighting sustainability.

“I wanted to make sustainability mainstream, commercial, beautiful and sexy. I thought it was the most important next direction to take anyway, whether in terms of fashion or its impact on climate change.” Evelyn Mora, the founder of HFW, Helsinki Fashion Week (via WWD).

Helsinki Fashion Week has always selected designers who create pieces ethically, resource efficiently, and with innovative material sourcing. In 2018, HFW created an eco-village with solar power, purified sea water for drinking, and Tesla cars for transportation. The year after, Cosmopolitan called Helsinki Fashion Week the “most sustainable fashion week in the world”, and became the first fashion show to ban fur and leather. Sustainable also means selecting a cast of diverse models to show beauty in an all-embracing way and using hair and makeup products that are natural rather than synthetic.

Helsinki Fashion Week 2022

This year Helsinki Fashion Week returned to a physical format and was held from August 5th to 7th at The Train Factory and Hotel Mestari in downtown Helsinki. The focus of 2022 was social and cultural sustainability, and mental health in the form of digital sustainability. A total of eight designers and brands showed during the event in the Finnish capital, each chosen based on their sustainability practices and future goals. The digitalization of the fashion industry is impacting physical fashion, something we’ve seen particularly in recent years. Saga Weissmann, HFW’s executive producer, sees that digital and physical fashion should go hand in hand, rather than as separate entities. One brand, Only One On Planets’ (OOOPS) used digital technology to explore sustainability. OOOPS offered one-of-a-kind vintage items both physical and digital garments, using non-fungible token (NFT) technology. Something to ponder is how sustainable is digital fashion, and how we compare the physical footprint to the digital footprint.

Slow fashion and craftsmanship

Weissmann told FashionUnited:

“This season our focus was also on slow fashion and craftsmanship. The pandemic has slowed a lot of things down, and our consumption is one of the things that should stay that way. We see craftsmanship as the future of physical fashion, as people are starting to see the value behind clothing, supply chains and being more aware of where their garments come from.”

I had the pleasure of walking for the family-owned brand, KRIS MARÁN, which particularly focuses on quality garments that represent the artisanal values of Ukrainian craftsmanship. Inspired by the late 80s, the brand balances feminine and masculine forms by blending strength with sophistication. The brand is known for its minimalist approach focused on textures and fabric. Their factory and headquarters are located in the same space, allowing for close supervision to ensure every product is up top-notch.

Many of this year’s designers explored eco-fashion through various means of upcycling and repurposing.

One designer’s work was presented as part of the runway space. Sini-Pilvi Kiilunen, an Aalto University Master’s fashion student, showcased a collection of garments utilizing leftover and recycled materials. While her previous work has been characterized by elaborate materials and described as romantic and intense colors, this collection is focused on construction. Utilizing second-hand shirts and leftover materials, the designs combine masculine and feminine characteristics and shapes. Hailing from Accra, Ghana, BOIE&BILL by Ellisha Boie is a fashion brand that is focusing on sustainable development by preventing and putting to use discarded plastics and second-hand clothing imported into the country’s landfills. The upcycled collection is made up of plastic waste and second-hand clothing from the markets of Accra. Additional materials include broken mirror and glass pieces, fabric and plastic scraps, etc. The brand created an innovative clothing line of raincoats and jackets, to be donated during the rainy season, and tie/dyed second-hand jackets, sweatshirts, jeans trousers, and more. The aim is to promote and draw attention to upcycling and sustainable fashion in Ghana and Africa as a whole. 7585’s collection Middle Voices explores recycling through avant-garde designs. The collection includes 7585 EAST line basic essentials in white, nude, and black colors and 7585 WEST deconstructed upcycling one-of-a-kind garments. During the show, the brand premiered its first film “MIDDLE VOICES” directed by Alla Lepnina and Anya Biarozka. It investigates the many aspects of plastic waste pollution. The film speaks about recycling, human health, and how overconsumption is killing the planet. The aim is to educate through art and fashion in order to address social issues.

HFW also strived to support Ukrainian designers and brands. The ongoing situation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked designers to dedicate their entire collections or shows to highlight the war.

Helsinki Fashion Week started with Ukrainian brand CHERESHNIVSKA’s sustainable collection 2402. Designer, Anastasiya Rozava, describes the collection:

“First of all, I wanted to support everyone who is currently experiencing [fighting for a normal life] and remind them that they are not alone in this ‘journey’. At the same time, we want to once again draw attention to the war in Ukraine. After all, art is also a weapon.”

The collection mirrors different stages of war through the use of color, material, and repurposed secondhand items, and features collaborations with Ukrainian textile artists. The collection is a symbol of the nation’s emotional state – desperately fighting for a normal life.

“I worry that the topic of Ukraine has tired people abroad a little. I think about how to talk about it differently, to remind us that we need help. Every week, every day, we receive news about friends and acquaintances who have died. This is too high a price to pay.” Irina Kokhana, co-founder of CHERESHNIVSKA.

Helsinki Fashion Week’s Designer of the Year was Ukrainian designer Jean Gritsfeldt, who celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his brand during the show. His 10-year career was presented in a reminiscence collection described as a “bridge to the future”.

Ten years ago and today, my work is permeated with the same ideas: thoughts and dreams about love, struggle, and freedom — in art, desires, and self-expression. About finding yourself and faith in tomorrow.

The collection features his work created after February 24th, 2022, a turning point for Ukraine. The show ended with a rally of people holding signs in reference to the war in Ukraine: “United in love, united in fight”, “Free people must stand together”, “We are fighting for our land and for the values of the entire independent world”, “What’s next?”, and “Stay proud, stay ready”. As part of his demonstrative work, Gritsfeldt offered a capsule collection of tote abgs with similar quotes, of which 50% of proceeds with going to the Fedor Shpyg Foundation to support its efforts in restoring Ukrainian children’s cultural institutions destroyed in the war.

“Every famous Ukrainian is an ambassador of freedom and independence in the world and whose mission is to draw attention to important topics,” says Jean Gritsfeldt.

Helsinki Fashion Week shows that fashion can be sustainable, and offers a platform for many designers to showcase how they are doing it. Fashion has and can inspire solutions for global challenges. The climate crisis is a global issue that needs multi-disciplinary solutions. The climate crisis is bigger than fashion week, bigger than the fashion industry, and yet fashion is one of many ways we can create solutions for social sustainability. All photos by Kristian Presnal

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Weecos – the Sustainable Marketplace

Katja Presnal — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 13:02:00 +0000

I always say – you can vote with your wallet and make a difference in the world by buying or not buying certain things. But buying the right things or avoiding the wrong things is not always that easy. How do you really know how the chocolate you buy is harvested? In what kind of conditions products are made? Some companies make it easier to find out, but for some, it’s difficult to know how ethical and environmental their practices are. What if there was a place where you could buy with confidence? What if someone did that job for you? That’s what the founders of Weecos, Hanna and Anna, thought too and they started a sustainable retail platform Weecos. Weecos is a sustainable marketplace, where brands can come and sell their products – but only if they pass Weecos’ sustainability auditing. The sustainability of the brand and the products are evaluated by the points of view of economic, social and environmental sustainability. The brands share information considering the production and the products, for instance, as transparently as possible. The initial survey in the audition is divided into six sections: 1. the brand and its values, 2. their products and services, materials and raw materials, 3. production, 4. product safety 5. product care, recycling and disposal, 6. how the brand is going to develop its actions. Each brand sold at Weecos has passed sustainability auditing, which Weecos developed together with experts. The brands are also given sustainability stamps so you can easily recognize and shop according to your values. Currently Weecos has close to 300 brands, and it is the largest sustainable marketplace in the Nordics. Note: you don’t have to be in the Nordics to qualify as a brand or to shop at Weecos, but due to Weecos’ home base in Finland, the company has just grown in the Nordics. When Weecos contacted Isabella for partnering with them, we knew it was a perfect brand match. We already like many of the brands available at Weecos, like People Tree, Papu, LUMI, and Marita Huurinainen. Watch Isabella’s fun lookbook from Weecos video that we filmed in Stockholm last month. Disclosure: post was done in a partnership with Weecos, but our opinions are always our own.

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Springtime with Marimekko

Katja Presnal — Wed, 01 May 2019 17:52:35 +0000

Marimekko’s Spring is Green

Green! Finally it’s green outside! And so is Marimekko’s spring: all about green. I visited Milan Design Week to check out Marimekko’s shoppable home concept, and found the cutest small glass vase: the Mini from Marimekko’s home collection. Scroll down the photos what else Marimekko’s design week installation had.

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Isabella attended Finnish movie awards, Jussi Gaala, as a videographer, and wore her favorite piece from Marimekko’s spring collection: the Seikkailulle jumpsuit in Iso Vikuri print. Scroll down to see some more photos from a photoshoot in Helsinki.

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Marimekko Milan Shoppable Home

Marimekko created a shoppable home installation for Milan Design Week 2019. The installation was set like a normal apartment, with Artek furniture and Marimekko products, but in each room you’d find a QR code that took you to a webstore where you could find each product used in the apartment. As an example: QR code on the wall of the open closet took you directly to shopping page where you could easily order the items you wanted. Note: I had hard time getting the website to actually work in other languages than Finnish, especially on mobile, and it was only geared towards the European shoppers. You might be able to view it in English here. The Milan Design Week concept perfected comfortable Finnish home. Rooms had Artek’s classics from tables to armchairs to lamps. The small apartment had a dining room area, living room, bedroom and bathroom, which were all divided in smaller “shoppable” areas.

Oiva 10 years old

The Milan Shoppable Home highlighted the Oiva tableware. Oiva is a contemporary classic at the heart of Marimekko’s tabletop collection designed by Sami Ruotsalainen in 2009. For Oiva’s 10th anniversary Marimekko introduced a limited-edition collection of oversized Oiva cups and bowls. The collection includes a total of 300 numbered collectibles, and it is available online and in the Marimekko flagship stores. Oiva is also available with Marimekko patterns such as Unikko or Räsymatto, and the Oiva collection includes dishes from coffee and tea cups, mugs, plates and bowls to items like teapots, jugs and pitchers.

Spring is in Helsinki

Finnish spring is typically what most people in the world would call a winter. But spring in Helsinki feels like an actual spring at the moment, and it’s getting greener each day. Helsinki based photographer Omar El Mrabt had a fun spring photoshoot with Isabella in her Marimekko jumpsuit, enjoying a nice spring afternoon by the shore. Check out Omar’s blog, he did another colorful Marimekko shoot with a local influencer Joonas Pesonen. Photos from Milan Shoppable Home: Katja Presnal, follow me on Instagram as @skimbaco. Photos of Isabella: Omar El Mrabt, follow him on Instagram @omarelmrabt.

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UNIQLO Has Moomin T-Shirts – And They Are Selling Fast

VIP Guest Blogger — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 14:26:12 +0000

UNIQLO did it again! They have a collection of Moomin t-shirts designed by Masaru Suzuki. The new t-shirt collection for women showcases summer in the Moominvalley and Moomin characters created by Finnish Tove Jansson. UNIQLO teamed up with Moomin the first time in 2013, then again in 2017. This is the third time Moomins can be found at UNIQLO, and that just tells how popular the lovely Moomins are around the world. The Moomin t-shirts were releases just a few weeks ago, and already selling fast!

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From Forest to Fashion – Textile Technology Makes Trees into Tees

Katja Presnal — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 11:34:05 +0000

Knowing how to reuse and recycle is not enough in order to save the mothership Earth. Climate change is a severe threat, and we need to stop over-consuming natural resources and learn to use them more efficiently by designing materials for products that can have second or even third life. Industries need to come closer together to find solutions that benefit humanity as a whole, and sometimes the solutions can come from industries or companies that can surprise us. Let’s look at an example in the fashion industry. Many current ways to produce textile fibers come with huge cost for the environment – and frankly are hazardous to us too. Some ways fast fashion is bad for our health – like the use of chemicals in clothing – can be self-evident, and we all feel bad about filling up the landfills. But for example did you know that you might be eating fast fashion … in your sushi? When your polyester sweater is piling and small microfibers are shed they wash down from your laundry water back to waterways and can end up in oceans. Planktons eat the plastic fibers from our waste, and fish eat planktons and we eat fish. This is not the circle of life I want! Thankfully there are many companies seeking for more sustainable alternatives, and finding materials that are made from renewable resources, that also can be reused and recycled. And when we talk about this kind of solutions, one company can rarely do it all from the sourcing to manufacturing to giving a new life to the product after it isn’t needed anymore. This is why the solutions need to be part of the bigger picture: part of circular economy. And even when it comes to fashion, there is a big surprise: many companies creating solutions for the fashion industry are not even in the fashion industry! And solutions arise in places with genuinely renewable materials – places like Finland. Forests cover 80% of Finland’s total area, and the forests are used in a genuinely sustainable manner: the forests grow faster than they are harvested.

Fashion from Forest

One of the companies working to find new materials for products is Finnish Metsä Group (fun fact: “metsä” means forest) – a forest industry group whose core business consists of tissue and cooking papers, paperboard, pulp, wood products, and wood supply and forest services. Metsä Group is owned by more than 100,000 Finnish forest owners, and they take good care of the valuable raw material. Metsä Group established an innovation company Metsä Spring, and plans to build a demo plant in Finland for the production of textile fibers.

“Our welfare society is a great achievement, and it has been driven by the fossil economy. However, this culture of disposability has come to its end. The bioeconomy offers a solution to these global issues. It enables us to replace fossil materials with sustainable alternatives and stop climate change – if we act smartly. We make use of this sustainably grown wood raw material in increasingly valuable ways, and we manufacture products with genuinely lower impact on the environment, that are replacing fossil raw materials,” says Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring, Metsä Group’s new innovation company.

Wood is suitable for nearly anything that can be made from fossil raw materials. Pulp-based textile fibers can be a real solution for more sustainable textiles. They have the potential to offer an alternative to cotton with a lower impact on the environment, as the production of cotton can no longer be increased because of environmental issues. Wood-based textile fibers are already being used to replace cotton as a raw material for yarn, and they offer great potential for resolving shortages of raw materials in the textile industry. Pulp can be used to produce strong textile fibers for clothes and technical textiles. Metsä Spring is developing a direct-dissolution method for the production of textile fibre. The method makes use of entirely new types of pulp-dissolving compounds. It has lower impact on the environment than the current production options. Now… fashion designers needed. Who will be the fashion designers who will be taking the world by storm by bringing fashion straight out of forest?

The post From Forest to Fashion – Textile Technology Makes Trees into Tees first appeared on Skimbaco Lifestyle | Nordic lifestyle magazine.