By Ian Morales | Photo: Sanna Saastamoinen-Barrois
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This year Helsinki has been celebrating its role as World Design Capital 2012. Amongst the five designers chosen to represent Finnish fashion at an exhibition called “Boutique” at the Amos Anderson Art Museum is the capital’s hottest rising star Samu-Jussi Koski.
In the heyday of Finnish design in the 1950s, a young window dresser named Giorgio Armani spotted the bright, bold prints of designer Armi Ratia in Milan and invited her to show her cotton shift dresses at the upscale Rinascente store. Three years later, in 1960, her brand achieved international recognition when Jackie Kennedy bought several Marimekko dresses to wear on the JFK presidential campaign. However, the bright light of Finnish fashion eventually began to fade, and by the 1980s, Marimekko stood on the verge of bankruptcy.
A young graduate from Lahti University of Applied Sciences was appointed as one of a new generation of designers tasked with reviving the fortunes of the company in the new millennium. The new assistant Samu-Jussi Koski’s designs were so impressive that he was fast-tracked to launch his first collection for Marimekko in spring 2005. Of the seven designers representing the label that season, Koski’s debut collection, which gave Maija Isola’s prints a modern twist, stood out for its originality, bold patterns and vivid colours. Within a few seasons, he had rejuvenated the brand and was promoted to creative director in 2008.
But Koski yearned for more. A year later, he resigned from Finland’s most venerable fashion house to set up his own label, Samuji. “I worked at Marimekko for almost 10 years altogether, and it was a wonderful learning experience. However, it was a natural transition to move on as my ambitions changed as I grew with the profession, and I wanted to create a different concept and see what else this business had to offer,” he says.
In 2009, Koski founded Samuji, a multi-disciplinary design studio, with graphic designer Hennamari Asunta. The studio’s clothing range, first showcased in spring 2011, brings together two separate lines: Samuji Classic Collection and Samuji Seasonal Collection. Classic consists of elegant, timeless pieces, whereas Seasonal is more bohemian and changes with the trends each season. “Our ambition is to produce timeless and sustainable design that serves a purpose and carries a story,” he says.
That story is invariably flavoured with Finnish folklore – a common source of inspiration for Finnish designers. “I’m not sure [why],” Koski surmises. “Maybe it’s because Finland is so young and the whole world of folklore was still very much part of my grandparents’ lives.”
Koski grew up in Muurame, a small town in central Finland. His interest in fashion developed as an escape from the monotony of the rural province where he found there was nothing to do. “We used to hitch-hike 15 kilometres to Jyväskylä to go shopping for Italian and French Vogues,” he says. “Because they were so expensive, we used to switch the price labels to cheaper ones. That inspired us to design clothes for each other for techno parties.”
Despite his success, Koski has no plans to relocate to Paris or New York. “I feel like it’s good to remember that it’s not necessary for everyone to leave to live in Milan, Paris, London or New York. Let the world come to you instead. Finland has a lot to offer and that inspires me.”
For more information, please visit: www.samuji.com