Finnish fashion and textile designer Korkeila is currently based in Helsinki after three years working as a freelancer in Paris. After graduated from the BA Fashion course at Aalto University in 2016, she’s showcased her work at both the Hyères Festival and Pitti Uomo. At the latter, her clothing capsule for Fiskars — Finland’s oldest business still running and globally known for their iconic orange-handled scissors — debuted a year ago, during a memorable night at the also iconic Palazzo Pucci in the heart of Florence.
— When approached to design a collection for Fiskars, I didn’t hesitate for one minute, she tells. Fiskars has such a rich history and is a household name in Finland, so I was very excited to be the first to design clothes for them.
The 12-piece-capsule, she shares, is both functional and down-to-earth, suitable for both the garden and urban environments.
— We wanted to make a collection that works outdoors and as actual workwear for gardeners but that you can also wear in everyday life. The inspiration came from Fiskars itself, its history, their village, and its nature, as well as from pictures of Finnish photographer Ismo Hölttö.
— It’s fundamentally a unisex collection and designed keeping that in mind. The idea was for it to be suitable for everyone.
How have you worked with sustainability?
— We wanted the collection to be respectful to the nature it was intended to be used in. Therefore we carefully chose high-quality and more sustainable materials, such as organic and recycled textiles, PFC-free water repellency, and innovative vegan leather based on apple.
Is this a one-shot or will you do more stuff together?
— Time will tell! I hope we’ll continue working together. In the meantime, I’m currently developing my own brand while working freelance. I also make music, releasing two EPs in the very near future, so plenty of things forth-coming, Korkeila concludes.
