Looks by Finnish designer Henna Lampinen.
Henna Lampinen creations.
HENNA LAMPINEN - FINLAND
Where it is: My father's side of the family lived in Karelia before World War II, which had a very rich craft culture at the time. My roots and family history have influenced me as a designer and are the values I believe in."
Where does it manufacture: in Helsinki. Much of the textile work is done by hand, most of it using sustainable materials.
His inspiration: It comes from Finnish history and traditional craft techniques.
What makes it different: Their collections are very based on craftsmanship, they have a sustainable vocation, and the whole process is slow. "My concepts usually revolve around women's history. For example, one of my collections was based on the idea of women's makeover in the 40s and 50s."
Your Traveler side: "One of my favorite destinations is Japan. I have worked in Tokyo for a short period of time and have a constant yearning for this city. The Japanese design aesthetic is also very close to mine. I dream of staying in a traditional Japanese ryokan far away. from the city".
Finnish designer Henna Lampinen.
Proudrace Lookbook.
**PROUDRACE - PHILIPPINES **
Who: Rik Rasos is the creative director of Proudrace, a contemporary brand from the Philippines based in Metro Manila. His clothes belong to the "tropical gothic skater" genre.
What is he inspired by? In his country, which is a melting pot of different cultures. "Being colonized by different countries, it is sometimes difficult to determine the true nature of our culture. Growing up, imported products are introduced to us daily, this influences how it intertwines with the local style of people in our country."
Where does it manufacture: "Proudly made in the Philippines."
His inspiration: "Off-beat references. The country's weather. Nostalgia and DIY culture."
What makes them different: "Resilience and sincerity. The best traits our brand and country can offer. And also being homegrown but presenting on a global platform makes our brand special. It's third world contemporary fashion."
The Traveler side of him: "Travel is essential when you're in the creative industry. We love Japan! And the 7,000+ islands of the Philippines are a must to explore."
proud campaign
Canadian designer Vejas Kruszewski.
VEJAS - CANADA
Where it is: From Montreal, although he lives in Paris.
What is the concept of it: "Canada hasn't traditionally been very well known for fashion or culture, the weather is pretty extreme. I think this influenced me in keeping a practical and functional sense in clothing, always keeping it practical and durable."
Where he manufactures: In France, Italy and Portugal.
His inspiration: "I have a deep admiration for designers like Alix Barton (Grés), Gilbert Adrian and Azzedine Alaïa."
The Traveler side of him: "I would love to travel more. One of my favorite vacations was two years ago, I went to Rome and then I took a train and a seaplane to get to an island called Ponza. Its name seems to come from Pontius Pilate, whose family owned a grotto in the island, and was also the home of the sorceress Circe from Greek mythology. It was a sensuous and secluded paradise, every morning we swam naked and stole figs from the neighbor's tree for breakfast. My favorite hotel? The Greenwich in New York, owned by Robert de Niro. It's exuberant and romantic, or maybe it seemed that way to me because of the company...".
Look S/S 20 from the Canadian firm Vejas.
Designs by the Spanish Victor Von Schwarz.
VICTOR VON SCHWARZ - SPAIN
Where it is: "I am from Barcelona and now I have decided to stay here for a while. I have previously lived in Taipei, which has undoubtedly been my place of inspiration, I have learned to see beauty from their point of view and how detailed they are with the subject of clothes".
The concept of him: "I always try to ensure that the garment has the highest possible quality and that there is a lot of craftsmanship in the process. In this way, although the piece is simple at first glance, it has a job and a story behind it."
Where does it manufacture: All clothing is made in Barcelona and Sabadell.
What is your inspiration: "My biggest source of inspiration is Asia, they have a very different vision of fashion, very much their own. I also love cinema, I love the 2000s movies that marked my adolescence, I am reviewing all of them for these latest collections."
How is it different: "VVS always starts from a dark idea, hence the Von Schwarz. Then, with that concept, I always try to give it color and mix it with all my obsessions of the moment. There is something that I always have in mind and that is that it has to be * " cute".* I'm not obsessed with making something new, I want to make something that people want to wear, that they want as soon as they see it."
The Traveler side of him: "Taipei is my favorite city to live in. I love the Zhongshan neighborhood, halfway between Japan and ancient China. The food is the best I've had in Asia, they mix the oldest and traditional with technology and luxury and the people It is very nice. To travel, the place that has impressed me the most is Moscow. Everything is huge and you feel very small, it is a very special feeling. Of the hotels I have been, my favorite is the Metropol, next to the red square It's pre-Soviet and has a decadent charm with harps, baroque party rooms, fountains inside the breakfast room... I would love to go to Paradiso in Ibiza too, I've seen photos and I think it totally fits my aesthetic."
Portrait of the Spanish Victor Von Sschwarz.
Design of the Norwegian firm SosterStudio.
SOSTERSTUDIO - NORWAY
Who: Pernille Nadine is the creative behind the firm, she is from Norway and currently lives in Oslo.
Her concept: "I love nature and being outdoors. The landscapes, stillness and slow life in Norway have a lot to do with how I design and produce the collections. It makes it natural to be mindful and create only durable clothing with a purpose."
She where she manufactures: Her clothes are made in a small studio in Whitechapel, London.
Her inspirations: Things that push boundaries, things that make me angry and music, art, sex, travel, movies."
What makes it different: "I want to create beautiful and durable garments made responsibly. I have always been drawn to change and what is exciting and transformational, I am not interested in safe and traditional! I focus on recycling, producing ethically, locally and in small quantities, working with natural and organic fibers, supporting traditional craftsmanship and transparency. I always make sure to include unisex pieces in my collections, never retouch photos and shoot everything analog. As a brand that works for equality, it is important for me that the production of my garments does not harm anyone along the way and that the brand is inclusive".
Ella's Traveler side of her: "Traveling or moving to new countries clears my head and gives me new ideas. I get restless if I'm in one place for too long, and I like the unknown - being uncomfortable is a challenge. I grew up traveling the world with my parents, as we both work in the travel industry. I was very influenced by being exposed to so many different cultures, styles and interpretations of universal ideas from a young age. I don't have a favorite destination, what I like the most is going to places I never I've been before. I don't normally stay in hotels, but if I had to choose one, La Mamounia in Marrakech is beautiful."
Pernille Nadine, designer at SosterStudio.
ALEKSANDRE AKHALKATSISHVILI - GEORGIA
Who: Aleksandre Akhalkatsishvili is from Georgia, "a European country, not the United States," she points out.
The concept of him: "My country is situated at the strategic crossroads where Europe meets Asia. War, occupation, unpredictable political influence, the arena of conflicting interests and protests define the last two decades. We are still in a transition phase. young generation in Georgia is strongly attached to the preservation of Georgian culture, tending to reproduce traditional values. These cultural and social movements have a great impact on my creations. Sometimes it is very difficult to concentrate, but eventually it becomes a way of protest. But there is more to Georgia than that. Georgia has a unique and ancient cultural heritage, and is famous for its hospitality and cuisine."
Where she manufactures: In Tbilisi, the capital. "It is really difficult to produce in my country, but with the help of my dedicated team everything is easier."
Inspiration: "It's not something you can control. No matter what it is, it's always connected to life in every aspect."
Because it's different: "Brand recognition was something I've always wanted to achieve. I think the most important thing is when people can identify your pieces."
Ella's Traveler side of her: "I love to travel, but I don't have enough time to do it. I love to relax and discover fresh green vacation destinations, getaways that allow room for solitude and tons of adventure. There are different types of hotels that I like. It depends on my status My favorite is the Kvareli Lake resort in Kakheti, Georgia and the Adjara hotel group, especially the Stamba hotel, are turning Soviet-era brutalist buildings into boutique hotels."
Lookbook image of the firm Argentina JT.
JT - ARGENTINA
Who are they: Paula Neira Bayá and Patricio Bayá are from Buenos Aires.
Your concept: "Our brand is based on the classic Buenos Aires neighborhood of Villa Crespo. A lot of our inspiration comes from this place, its people and its famous Atlanta soccer stadium. It's like a mystical place and we love being a part of it."
Where they manufacture: In Argentina. "We work in our own factory to make the most handcrafted pieces, and we collaborate with different specialists according to the needs of each design."
Inspiration: "Buenos Aires, our people, different artists from around the world, cities we have visited and their different tendencies. We really like to discover and mix. It is very important for us to always find that balance between the local and the global."
What makes them different: "We are really focused on making perfect garments. We respect design, we think very meticulously about each collection, the concept behind it. We concentrate on making high-quality pieces with a distinctive design. In Argentina that is really hard work, but we love it." , and every time we finish a collection we are proud of the results."
Your Traveler side: "We love to travel, many of our inspirations come from our travels and from the people we meet. We would say that Paris is one of our favorite destinations. We have the opportunity to go there every season to present our collections and it is a city that always gives us We are welcomed and inspired. Right now we would love to visit Tokyo, we find Japan a fantastic and exciting place. Our preferred hotel? We have great memories of the Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam."
Pieces Uniques lookbook.
The current designers behind the Argentine firm JT.
UNIQUE PIECES - FRANCE
Who: Edmond Luu was born and raised in the northeastern suburb of Paris, in a multicultural and urban environment.
Concept: Wearable but unconventional. "France's cosmopolitanism and ever-evolving culture are endless sources of inspiration on which I draw to deliver eclectic creations to my community. I graduated from a Paris-based communication school, started my career at the advertising agency of luxury Publicis 133, before taking my current position as Art Director at Dior Parfums (LVMH group).In everything I create and design, there is a good balance between my attraction to the luxury sector and urban roots, which actually reflects very much what modern France is".
Where does it manufacture: "We have a small but extremely vibrant workshop in Paris, where innovative patterns and cuts are imagined and designed. Working hand-in-hand and in close collaboration with our designers gives us total control over every detail of the final results. We also work with factories of highly specialized garments in China (high-tech garments, active garments, essential elements, accessories and metal elements, etc.)".
Inspiration: "In addition to my urban inspirations and my love for French culture, Japan's culture, history, legends and mythical representations definitely influence my creations a lot. I'm a big fan of Japanese anime and manga, and especially the drawings and characters by Masashi Kishimoto, Koyoharu Gotouge, Hiromu Arakawa and Hayao Miyazaki. They are limitless sources of inspiration in terms of aesthetics."
What makes them different: "What makes us "unique" is that equal importance is given to building a poetic and creative brand, and selecting quality, comfortable and wearable fabrics. Pierre and Alexandre, the two designers who work with me, assign a substantial amount of his time on this highly technical selection process. I am interested in minimalist and brutalist architecture. We collaborated with Ricardo Bofill to film in two of his iconic architectural installations in Spain: the Red Wall in Calpe and the Walden 7 in Barcelona. We also filmed in Xavier Corbero's unfinished house in Barcelona."
Your Traveler side: "We travel a lot to shoot our advertising campaigns, sometimes going to remote places to find hidden architectural or natural gems. I attach the utmost importance to associating our brand image with travel and discovery. Going abroad, connecting with different cultures and traditions , meeting with local populations, always adds new layers to our value systems and artistic references. As Art Director of Dior Parfums, I also had the opportunity to work with foreign film production companies, which gives me the feeling of being a global citizen.
His favorite hotels: "The Pergola hotel in Greece is a haven of peace offering a breathtaking view: no angles, curved shapes everywhere, and soothing light reflected off the pure white walls. And finally, the Amangiri in Utah, USA." , It's a hotel located in the middle of the Grand Canyon, whose architecture is essentially cubist and brutalist. Definitely one of the best places on earth."