The movement to promote Finnish design began in 2005 with the branding of the Helsinki Design District and it is slated to come full force by 2010, but from what I can see on the website there’s PLENTY to see and do already. I wish I had read about this in time to attend September’s Annual Helsinki Design Week, but I will de-Finnishly put it on the calendar for next year.
*Tip: Wouldn’t this make a perfect girlfriend getaway pre-Christmas shopping trip?
This popular event engages the entire city of Helsinki: chefs kick off “designer menus�? and their restaurants host fashion/entertainment happenings; there are introductory tours at architectural firms, special exhibits and educational forums. Visitors can dabble or immerse themselves in Finland’s world class design forum during this exceptional event.
Located in city center the Design District takes one simultaneously backward and forward in time with some 150 design and antique shops, fashion stores, museums, art galleries, restaurants and showrooms presenting a bedazzling mix of tradition style and new concepts right off the drawing table. Art Nouveau architecture punctuates the district’s 25 streets where trend setting meets classic design and tourist and artist alike will be charged with excitement.
The nabe of Design District Helsinki is described as a hub of creativity, a state of mind-a state within a state. Even their manifesto reeks of coolness: “We stand united against mediocrity, lack of perspective, amorphousness and hopelessness. Together we defend clarity of thought, bold acts, creativity, community and all that bubbles under the surface. Ordinary states are created from political or geographic motives. State of Mind’s borders enclose a shared attitude and love for design. Our citizens are people with creative fervor and the need to do things that will leave their mark on our era. ”
A perfect example is the hip, green Secco Shop, which sells products made from recycled materials, from washing machine drums to inner tubes and transforms them into furnishings for home and office as well as jewelry.
For more information about Finland visit www.visitfinland.com.
By Vagablond’s Token Redhead.