Laura Laine: a star of glass is born

Finland has some amazing glass artists known all over the world. For example Kerttu Nurminen, Markku Salo and Oiva Toikka.

Now you can add a new name to that list: Laura Laine.

Until now Laura, Young Designer of the Year in 2011, has been well-known as a fashion and commercial illustrator for the Finnish magazines and international clients like Vogue, Sephora, Elle, Zara, H&M, GAP, The New York Times, The New Yorker and The Guardian.

The Wet Collection, Laura´s first unique adventure in the deep sea life translated into the world of glass, is now open at the Design Museum Helsinki. 

Go there and have a swim in the sea of fantasy and surreal beauty only a real artist can create.

Laura Laine: Mollusc.

White Baby.

Laura Laine: The Wet Collection is open until March 15th 2015 at Design Museum Gallery, Korkeavuorenkatu 23, 00130 Helsinki. Open Tue 11am-8pm, Wed-Sun 11am to 6pm. Closed on Mondays.

http://www.designmuseum.fi/fi/exhibitions/laura-laine/

Photos © Paula Hietaranta

New fire to your interior decoration

This is not a pipe but a tea light holder.

Photo©Sami Repo

Fashion designer Samu-Jussi Koski has now also a homeware collection of his own and a brand new tiny shop in Helsinki.

The selection of Samuji KOTI offers to you for example the most beautiful vases, textiles, red clay ceramics, candles and lovely soaps made in Helsinki.

Samuji KOTI

Mikonkatu 1, Helsinki.

Christmas à la chef Mannerström

The easiest way to enjoy Scandinavian Christmas delicacies this December is to book a Viking Line ship voyage – the famous Swedish chef Leif Mannerström has once again given his best traditional recipes to delight the taste buds of the hungry passengers.

Ah – all those wonderful marinated herrings, hot smoked salmon fins, Skagen delicacies, smoked turkey, Christmas ham, Sandefjord butter sauce, Jansson´s temptation, Mannerström´s strong  mustard... And then the desserts... 
Try for example almond cookies with berry jam and whipped cream. And gingerbread mousse with plums...

Sumptuous Christmas buffet is set on all Viking Line ships untilDecember 26th.

If you would like to try all those recipes at home you can buy there also Mannerströms Julkokbok, the lavishly illustrated Christmas Cookbook by the chef.

Photos ©Paula Hietaranta

www.vikingline.com

Shop macabre in Helsinki

The most weird shop you can imagine is Götan maailma – Omituista antiikkia (Göta´s world – weird antiques).

The owner Thomas Hamberg is an artist-actor and a passionate collector of weird things. When his home became too crowded, he opened this shop in May 2011.

Now the shop is also crowded and getting more and more crowded with old things, medical objects and death masks, skeletons and skulls, dioramas and animals from Victorian era, fossils, all kind of death memorablia and religious antiques.

There are also workshops, for example how to make a bit different Christmas decorations or how to stuff animals.

Here a stuffed rabbit means something else you normally think. It is not a meal.

Götan maailma, Tarkkampujankatu 9, Helsinki. Open Mon-Fri 10am to 6pm, Sat 10 am to 2pm. Check the news of the shop also in FB/Götan Maailma.

Photos©Paula Hietaranta

A tiny Marimekko shop for tiny people

Muksula, a special Marimekko shop for kids only, was opened in February in Helsinki. Now the baby is decorated for it´s first Christmas.

There you find a nice selection of children´s clothes and toys. Especially the night rompers, striped one pieces and bath towels are charming.

But why the grown-ups are always asking when they see clothes for children: - They are so sweet, but why don´t you have them in my size?

Marimekko Muksula, Mikonkatu 2, Helsinki. Open Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-5pm.

Photo©PaulaHietaranta

Harri Koskinen knows how to win

The winner of Kaj Franck Design Prize 2014 was announced today: he is Harri Koskinen.

Congratulations and a big hug!

Good design is not always shouting – sometimes it is whispering.

And sometimes the work of a designer is like a work by a detective: to find a solution to a problem. To make something lighter, more wearable, more efficient, even cheaper. And perhaps more beautiful.

I think that Harri Koskinen, one of our most famous designers, knows all sides of designing and it´s challenges: along with his own company Friends of Industry Ltd he is since 2012 also the design director of the Finnish design brand Iittala.

The exhibition of his works in Design Museum, Korkeavuorenkatu 23, Helsinki, is open until January 11th 2015.

www.designmuseum.fi/fi

To see the versatile selection of Harri´s works and clients go to www.harrikoskinen.com

(By the way - this guy may always look austere in photos, but he has a nice sense of humour and a wonderful smile!)

To sleep with the most famous lady in Helsinki

The nights in this Helsinki art hotel were sold out immediately as soon the project was announced, of course, but during daytime you are most welcome to experience the amazing idea by Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi at the central Market Square: a hotel room built around the most famous statue in Helsinki.
The mermaid statue Havis Amanda by Ville Wallgren symbolises the city of Helsinki rising from the sea. It was unveiled in 1908.

Hotel Manta of Helsinki is open to visitors during daytime until 12th October. 

http://www.hotelmanta.fi/#

Photos©Paula Hietaranta