29 May 2024 • 14.00–17.00
Hotel St. George Helsinki, Wintergarden, Yrjönkatu 13, 00120 Helsinki, Finland
Conference entry is free of charge
Scandinavian MIND x Juni Communication
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Programme
13.45 Registration
14.00
Opening words
By our moderator Konrad Olsson, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, of Scandinavian MIND
14.05 Panel talk
ALPHA Talks: Finnish Fashion
Finland may be known internationally for its fashioned functionality and prints and as the hotbed of talents from Aalto University, but what are the links between the past, present and future shape of Finnish fashion, and which institutions and people have been instrumental to its developments? The talk is the first in a series of talks on Nordic fashion, moderated by Ane Lynge-Jorlén, director at ALPHA.
Speakers:
- Rolf Ekroth, designer and creative director
- Annamari Vänskä, fashion scholar and senior lecturer at Aalto University
14.45 Panel talk
“Nordic fashion needs a new north star”
Building a meaningful career in fashion has never been as difficult as it is now. We look at a recent study of fashion students and their view of the future.
Speakers:
- Evie Kivi, strategic designer and author of the article Nordic fashion needs a new north star
- Maria Ervast, international customer success manager and author of the article “Nordic fashion needs a new north star”
- Moderator: Konrad Olsson
14.55 Panel talk
The future of the Nordic fashion designer
What does the future of fashion designers look like? What are the opportunities and challenges in a more fragmented fashion landscape? What is the role of investors in fostering new talent? We look at a recent study of fashion students and their view of the future, and ask established designers about their prospects.
Speakers:
- Jenny Hytönen, designer
- Anna Semi, designer
- Ervin Latimer, designer
- Moderator: Konrad Olsson
15.30 Keynote
Eco-Consumers: Separating Hype from Reality
A deep dive into three green consumer archetypes, representing 75% of the Nordic population, and an exploration of how brands should target the NXT Sustainable Consumer.
Speaker:
- Fredrik Ekström
16.10 Interview
How Brightplus future-proof functional fabrics
Brightplus is the first truly scalable and renewable textile coating set to transform the textile industry. We speak to Milja Hannu-Kuure about the innovation.
Speaker
- Milja Hannu-Kuure, Managing Director, Brightplus
16.15 Keynote
Navigating the new EU legislations for fashion
Everyone has heard of Digital Product Passports (DPP), but what is this really about, and how should you, as a brand, get started preparing? Jenny will share insights related to the regulatory framework, experience, and learnings from the Trace4Value Pilot DPP for textiles and introduce the audience to TrusTrace’s recently released DPP Playbook, helping fashion Brands get a deeper understanding of what to do now.
Speaker:
- Jenny Wärn is the Director of Product Operations of TrusTrace
17.00 Seminar ends
Speakers
Jenny Hytönen, designer
Jenny Hytönen is a Finnish artist and fashion designer based in Paris, France. Her designs are known for their intricate and sensuous structures, which are achieved by utilising traditional, hand-made craftsmanship techniques: knitting and leathercraft combined with new experimental technologies. In October 2022, Jenny Hytönen was awarded the Grand Prix du Jury Premiere Vision and the Audience Award 2022 during the 37th International fashion, photography and fashion accessories festival in Hyères. She is currently living in Paris working for different fashion houses and her own brand.
Anna Semi, designer
Anna Semi is a designer working as a university teacher in Textile Design at the Department of Design at Aalto University. Semi holds an MA from Aalto University. Semi’s work can be described as highly material-oriented and experimental. Semi’s collections include mesmerizing new materials such as Shimmering Wood Crystals, an exclusive material innovation by Structural Colour Studio that offers a sustainable alternative to toxic shimmering materials.
Ervin Latimer, designer
Ervin Latimer is founder of Latimmier, a Helsinki-based ready-to-wear label designed for anyone who wants to express masculinity with their clothing. Latimer works as the professor of practice in fashion practice at the prestigious Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, and his prior design positions include the likes of 1017 Alyx 9SM and Heliot Emil.
Maria Ervast
Maria Ervast is a recent graduate in business management and specializes in fashion and textile innovations. She has experience in regenerative fibres, textile traceability, and impact measurement solutions. Currently, Maria is based in Paris, France. She is co-author of the article “Nordic fashion needs a new north star”.
Evie Kivi
Evie Kivi is a Helsinki-based strategic designer, about to graduate from Aalto University. With a background spanning venture capital investing, futures research, and sustainability consulting, she keeps a human-centred focus on technology and innovation. She is co-author of the article “Nordic fashion needs a new north star”.
Fredrik Ekström, founder of Above The Clouds
Fredrik Ekström is a brand strategist and founder of Above The Clouds. With over 20 years of expertise in consumer insights, brand development, and strategic communication, Fredrik has a unique understanding of the evolving landscape of sustainability and consumer behaviour. Today, he will unveil key findings from his latest report, THE NXT SUSTAINABLE CONSUMER 2024, which draws on data from 2,500 individuals across Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark. He will explore three distinct green consumer archetypes, their unique characteristics, and the catalysts that drive their commitment to sustainability and how brands should approach them. Get ready to gain invaluable insights into how sustainability is influencing consumer choices and aspirations.
Jenny Wärn, Director of Product Operations of TrusTrace
Jenny Wärn is the Director of Product Operations of TrusTrace. With more than 15 years of experience in delivering impactful technology solutions for a wide range of industries, Jenny is now combining her passion for sustainability with her knowledge of unlocking digital enablers to contribute to sustainable transformation in fashion and textiles. She heads up the complex innovation projects for TrusTrace, such as the Digital Product Passport (DPP) pilot, building a fully functioning data infrastructure to support the data collection and distribution for the DPP.
Milja Hannu-Kuure, CEO, Brightplus Oy
Milja Hannu-Kuure is the CEO of a biomaterials company Brightplus Oy and a chemistry docent from the University of Oulu. Milja has over two decades of experience in research, product development, and management across diverse industries. She is a firm advocate of sustainable development and continuous innovation, with an extensive portfolio of over twenty patents.
Brightplus Oy is a technology company that creates functional and fully recyclable coatings from unutilized and cost-effective side streams with innovative green chemistry. The company’s glass coatings are already globally used with renowned brands such as Dior and Shiseido. Now Brightplus is tackling the textile challenge and is piloting a fully recyclable textile coating enabling the recyclability of coated textiles. Brightplus is open to collaborations for piloting and commercialization the textile coating as well as seeking potential investors.
Ane Lynge-Jorlén, Director, ALPHA
Ane Lynge-Jorlén is Director of ALPHA, an organisation that supports and empowers emerging Nordic fashion designers internationally. Lynge-Jorlén is also Special Advisor on fashion talents for Copenhagen Fashion Week. She holds a PhD in Fashion Studies from University of the Arts London, and she has published her research internationally, including Fashion Stylists (Bloomsbury 2020) and Niche Fashion Magazines (Boomsbury 2017) and she has curated several exhibitions on contemporary, experimental fashion across, and beyond, the Nordics, most recently Liminal Objects. Contemporary Critical Fashion at Le Bicolore in Paris (2024) and Beautiful Repair. Mending in Art and Fashion at Copenhagen Contemporary (2023).
Rolf Ekroth
Rolf Ekroth, who initially studied social work and later pursued a career as a professional poker player, transitioned to fashion in his late 20s. In 2016, he was named one of the finalists at the Hyeres Festival. Prior to this, he won the 2015 ALPHA Award, dedicated to supporting innovative Nordic fashion graduates. In 2020, during the pandemic, Ekroth launched his own label independently. He has showcased his collections at Pitti Uomo and Milan Fashion Week, and he is currently participating in the NEWTALENT programme at Copenhagen Fashion Week.
Annamari Vänskä
Annamari Vänskä is Senior University Lecturer of Design Cultures at the Aalto University in Finland. She is the author of Fashionable Childhood (Bloomsbury, 2017) and Understanding Fashion Scandals (Bloomsbury 2024) and the co-editor of Fashion Curating (Bloomsbury 2018). Vänskä’s work spans fashion as embodied culture and digitalization of fashion. She is currently the Deputy-PI of the consortium “Intimacy in Data-Driven Culture” and PI of the research project “Intimacy, Creative Work and Design,” funded by the Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland (2019–2025).
Konrad Olsson, Editor-in-chief and Founder, Scandinavian MIND
Konrad Olsson is the founder and editor-in-chief of Scandinavian MIND, a magazine and platform covering the intersection of lifestyle and technology. He regularly advises companies and organisations on brand strategy, communication, and digital transformation.