GLOBE HOPE
It all started from a concern about the growing amount of waste. There was also a demand for ecological fashion, which didn't really exist yet. Seija Lukkala decided to combine recycling and clothing design and ended up creating a brand. In spring 2003, the first Globe Hope collection was launched. It recycled and reworked textiles that had been removed from use: sleeping bags and clothes from the army, textiles and uniforms from hospitals. In the skilled hands of Globe Hope's designers, these materials become trendy and comfortable clothes and accessories. A sleeping bag becomes a parka; operating room sheets, a skirt; it's all about ecological and ethical consumption and fashion. In December 2006, the company received the Finland Prize of art and culture from the Ministry of Education.
Shown here is a dress made of old army parachutes
Visit www.globehope.com
DESIGN COLLECTIVES In the early 2000s, design collectives consisting of a few designers became the rage in Finland. This was spurred by a difficult employment market but also by a desire to do work that reflected an individual aesthetic. Collec- tives are generally formed of designers, architects, and visual artists, but the presence of philosophers, photographers, and business people isn't rare, either. They range from close-knit groups to looser associations, and the people involved may change with time and/or projects.
Common to the collectives is a broad approach to design: they do all kinds of work, from object design to interiors to art installations to experiential design. The Anteeksi group currently consists of 14 young designers, from architects to graphic designers and everything in between. Rehti produces furniture, but its collection also includes a leaf-motifed cast-iron frying pan and small objects for the home. Imu, on the other hand, advertises itself as Finland's national design team and includes twenty designers, give or take.
Shown here is a Lava coat rack by Rehti.