Design Helsinki exhibits the best in contemporary design in its first edition

As the first-ever B2B contemporary design event in Finland, Design Helsinki 2022 stirred the global design scene with iconic installations and presentations by Dutch and international brands. For the primary edition, the design and interior event aimed at exploring nordic minimalism and functional architecture and design across several locations in and around the Finnish capital in an attempt to showcase the artistic oeuvre and the creative wealth of Finnish design. As a two-day festival, the event was on between the 24th of August 2022 and the 25th of August 2022 with the support of Habitare, the Alvar Alto Foundation and Media10.

As the Dutch design scene hits an all-time high, STIR brings to you a platter of ten brands that caught our eye at the Finnish design festival.

Carl Hansen & Son

With over 110 years of experience in furniture design, Carl Hansen & Son showcased their passion for quality craftsmanship. As an iconic global brand, it has previously featured the works of renowned architectural masters such as Ole Wanscher, Kaare Klint, and Frits Henningsen among others. For Design Helsinki, The Denmark-based brand brought forth their Vega chair and the Foyer series designed by the Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen and the Asserbo series by Danish designer Børge Mogensen. Highlighting the display, the Foyer series consisted of a bench, a sofa and a lounge chair for which the Copenhagen-based architect, offered a keen eye for detail with glimmering Danish functionalism. Furthermore, the Vega chair which Vilhelm Lauritzen initially designed as a wooden furniture piece for the musical venue Vega is an elegant mix of steel, wood and textile.

Herman Miller

Synthesising the classic silhouette of a commercial chair, while foreboding contemporary ergonomics and even sustainability in product design, the iconic global brand, Herman Miller had an opulent display at Design Helsinki 2022. Along with a wide range of products and offerings, the upcycled design of the Aeron chair by Herman Miller Furniture was nothing less than a show-stopper. The chair design, as comfortable as it functionally is, is curated of a sustainable design using ocean-bound plastic that is retracted, recycled and reused. Ever since the American company's conception in West Michigan over a hundred years ago, the Herman Miller chairs have led the commercial design market with the added support of designers such as Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick.

Quinti

Founded in 1975, Quinti is an Italian brand that has been known for manufacturing quality metal components for chairs and sofas. For over three decades, the brand has been collaborating with multiple furniture designers based all across Europe. For the design event, the brand displayed a contemporary mix of products and collections including the Only Ju armchairs, the Hill sofa design by Atelier Borella, the Keira chairs, and the Xa Xa waiting tables designed by Ximo Roca among others. The entire installation successfully captured the essence and importance of colours through their designs and platformed the artistic products on an important global platform.

Aritco

The Sweden-based brand continued to set design standards with its state-of-the-art and highly functional home lifts. As part of their display at Design Helsinki, the brand showcased their Aritco HomeLift, designed by Alexander Lervik as a successful ignition of a luxury home interior. The lift came with the exclusive DesignWall feature offering a backlit wall with selected wallpapers by prominent Scandinavian designers. Not just on the design front, the brand displays its full potential in modern technology balanced with artful lighting solutions.

Nardi outdoor

The Italian furnishing brand, Nardi Outdoor, channels functionality and minimalism through their display at Design Helsinki 2022. While draping over three decades worth of experience in furniture design, the brand comes up with a series of collections and outdoor furniture pieces that are comfortable, highly functional and vibrantly coloured. It adds a sense of tranquillity to any outdoor environment and channels the Italian style of designing and joyful living with its chairs, tables and sofa selection. Also On view were the different shades of the Doga armchair, the Folio armchair and the Net bench and lounge alongside other objects.

Drop Design Pool Oy

While most brands captured the contemporary essence of spatial furnishing solutions, a unique display of tranquil outdoor spas was platformed by the Finnish design brand- Drop Design Pool Oy. While offering a near-transcendental experience, the display consisted of their latest design for an outdoor spa, including the Black Drop Spa, the Drop X- a flagship product with nearly 50 massage nozzles and also the Drop Lampi among other products. The products are designed by Finnish designers namely Nikolai Ruola and Sirena Kiviranta who successfully tapped the nordic vibe and designed products which are hand-crafted to perfection.

Secto Design

In an interesting collaboration between Secto Design and the Finnish architect Seppo Koho, the Finland-based brand displayed its assortment of entrancing lighting. Secto Design lights are admired for their Scandinavian design, which complements a variety of décor and styles. They are used in hotels, restaurants, homes, and other public locations all around the world. On display were 26 unique, hand-crafted models all designed to work seamlessly together and be mixed and matched as pleased.

Kvadrat

"In a simple, geometric form, the modules illustrate both the many possibilities for processing and that really is easy to use for everything from cabinets and folded constructions to shelf material and tabletops. My mantra is to make the complex simple and playful,” states architect Anne Boysen, who collaborated with the prolific textile and material brand Kvadrat. In a celebration of solid textile board Melamine, the collaboration was featured alongside other materials during the design festival. Each of the collaborative creatives focuses on a design palette with clean lines and strong graphic elements, drawing parallels to minimalism in design.

From textiles to tableware, Marimekko showcase its opulent style

The prolific Finnish lifestyle design company exhibited their classic prints and colours in their fall/winter collection for 2022. Under the creative direction of Rebekka Bay alongside a band of artistic print designers, the company presented a collection of high-quality clothing, bags, accessories as well as home decor items ranging from textiles to tableware. Each of the products reflected the strong and unique identity of the brand. With the 70th anniversary of the brand’s iconic Telliskivi print, the entire collection certainly pays homage to the minimal iconic print.

Skanno brings the best in design to the front line

The Finnish brand was established in 1946 and currently focuses on platforming the best in design. The brand works in collaboration with iconic brands and studios from across the world including Minotti, B&B Italia and Tacchini alongside other renowned design giants. For the brand’s display, the context was to offer high-quality interior design services to create timeless and truly representative design personalities for every space. Instead of just one installation, Skanno focused on displaying the brand’s identity which comprises a plethora of products from over 40+ brands. Each product holds a unique personality but also carries a common creative identity that the brand has formed over the years.