Jukka Rintala, the designer in a class of his own

Last Friday Jukka Rintala had his 35 years in the business celebration show and party in Helsinki. The fashion show Fall-Winter 2011-12 in Rake-Sali Ball Room turned out to be so popular that instead of two shows the organizers had to add the third one. 

It was lovely to see there Jukka´s friends and his typical fluent lines and strong designs, breathtakingly beautiful blouses, evening and bridal dresses, and matching outfits for ladies and their dogs (!).

As we all know the fashion is not Jukka´s only creative field – Finland´s Pierre Cardin has his fingers and drawings in absolute everywhere. Just name it, and he has done it or will do. Soon you can have Jukka on your walls, too: his new project will be wallpapers.

The talented Mr. Hewitson

Photo © Paula Hietaranta

Dean Hewitson is a charming Australian fellow, who makes elegant quality wines with stylish labels and funny names like The Mad Hatter, Gun Metal, Miss Harry (nickname of daughter Harriet), LuLu (his wife´s name is Lou) and Ned and Henry´s Shiraz (Ned and Henry are their sons).

This week the world-famous winemaker paid a visit to Finland to launch a new wine he made exclusively to Viking Line in the honour of maritime councelor Gunnar Eklund, the founder of the shipping company.

Perhaps I will never have a wine dedicated to me, so I would be happy to get a bottle or two of this beautiful Gunnar´s Reserve Shiraz 2008. So please do remember me if you are going to travel by Viking Line, because you can buy this wine only on board. 

Who said that Finnish men cannot talk?

Whoever said that has not seen the documentary film Miesten vuoro by Joonas Berghäll and Mika Hotakainen.

It is a film about Finnish saunas and Finnish men in saunas - a spellbinding experience to see them talk, laugh, cry, suffer, sing, love and miss their beloved ones. It is not only the heat of sauna that brings the emotions to the surface, it is also the ears and eyes of fellow men sitting next to them, sweating, listening and understanding.

Here you see that the sauna at it´s best is a place to become both externally and internally clean – a perfect way of Finnish psychotherapy.

Antti, the sweet storyteller

Photos © Paula Hietaranta

Antti Asplund is a fashion designer who does not make fashion. No, he makes stories to wear. There in his designs is always romance and drama, gold and fire, moments of hope, love and broken promises.

In his clothes you can become more you – an ice princess, a golden girl, a nurse, a girl lost in mourning or survived the war. Or you can be sweet as a kitten or fly like a kite. 

Antti´s new Spring-Summer collection 2011 is his eleventh and is called There: Girl and her Kites. Part of it is to be seen during January in the Miltton Showroom where Antti is the first designer of the showroom´s Fashion Year 2011.

You can see the clothes even by passing by the showroom window in Uudenmaankatu 4-6. Or in his new store called Island, Iso Roobertinkatu 38; open Mon-Fri 12-18, Sat 12-16. http://www.anttiasplund.com

Do you believe in miracles?

Eija-Liisa Ahtila: The Annunciation, Frightened Mary.

There are art exhibitions which could tempt you to travel for hundreds and hundreds of kilometres, but when they are on your doorstep it is too easy to postpone seeing them – until it is too late.

This is a reminder of Eija-Liisa Ahtila´s new video work The Annunciation (2010) in Galleria Heino, Uudenmaankatu-16-20, Helsinki.

This Sunday from noon to 4 pm is your last possibility to see it – no, to experience it. To meet your own humble faith in one of central scenes of our Christian iconography.