The vintage store Kaartinen & Kuusela received the Retail Award. Photo: Liisa Hietanen, Finnish Fashion Awards
The Finnish Fashion Awards shone a well-deserved spotlight on Finnish fashion on Friday, 23 May 2025, in Helsinki. The winners represented a mix of established fashion brands and emerging new talents. Today, local designers are gaining recognition for their strong focus on sustainability, identity, and a new sense of community – crafting garments that not only look good, but also tell meaningful stories.
Awards were presented in six categories: New Talent, Scaling, Branding, Retail, Beauty, and Fashion Photography. Additionally, three special awards were given: the Fashion For Happiness Award in collaboration with Helsinki Partners, the Sustainability Action Award with LAB Institute of Design and Fine Artsand the Hyvon Award For The Innovation In The Textile Industry in cooperation with the Kaute Foundation.
“The Finnish fashion industry is filled with talent, creativity and great brands. The popularity of the Finnish Fashion Awards underlines how important it is to highlight the success stories,” said Miia Koski, CEO of Juni Communication, the company organizing the gala. “Finnish fashion is known for sustainability, high quality, conceptual collections, young talented designers and innovative brands. At Finnish Fashion Awards we award best Finnish fashion and designers from the categories of new talent to innovation.”
Expanding to International Markets
The Scaling category, recognizing international growth, was organized in collaboration with Zalando. This year’s winner was Marimekko.
“We are proud to once again present the Scaling award and recognize the remarkable journey of a truly iconic Finnish brand. Marimekko is a true Finnish icon that has successfully expanded its business beyond borders,” said Fabio Baum, General Manager for Benelux and Nordics at Zalando.
“Finland is an important market for us —full of creativity, innovation, and global potential. As a company that connects more than 52 million active customers across 25 European markets with local and international brands, Zalando is committed to enabling fashion brands like Marimekko to expand internationally and grow sustainably. We look forward to continuing our support for Finnish fashion and helping more brands take their next steps on the European stage.”
A Celebration of Talent
The New Talent award, in partnership with Finnish department store Stockmann, recognized an emerging designer who stands out for their creativity. The winner was Tuuli-Tytti Koivula, an internationally awarded fashion and print designer who graduated from Aalto University and has worked with leading global fashion houses.
“For us at Stockmann, fashion means much more than clothing—it’s a form of self-expression and a way to find beauty in everyday life. We don’t believe in throwaway culture or mass-market trends,” said Tia Rantanen, Stockmann’s Marketing Director. “Supporting young designers is not just an investment in fashion’s future—it’s a values-driven decision: a commitment to cherish thoughtfully crafted and independent aesthetics instead of disposable fashion. That’s why we support designers like Tuuli-Tytti Koivula—not just for the sake of fashion, but for a bolder future.”
Honoring Strong Brand Building and Background Talent
The Branding award went to VAIN, a rising brand tightly connected to the creative scene in Helsinki and gaining popularity in Europe and Asia.
The Beauty Award recognizes behind-the-scenes talent in makeup. The winner was Miika Kemppainen, a veteran of the international fashion scene who recently contributed to Finnish Eurovision candidate Erika Vikman’s artistic team.
Shops And Communities That Shape Cities
The Retail award went to Helsinki-based vintage store Kaartinen & Kuusela. In addition to making circular economy stylish they are known for engaging men in sustainable shopping.
The Fashion Photography award was given to Jens Zitting who was recognized for redefining fashion imagery with strong visual storytelling. 26 year-old Zitting represents a new wave of Finnish creative scene and works with the top Finnish young designers and artists.
Three Special Awards
Fashion For Happiness Award (with Helsinki Partners): Awarded to Lilja The Label, a sustainable swimwear brand known for its community-driven swim clubs that have expanded beyond Finland.
Sustainability Action Award (with LAB Institute of Design and Fine Arts): Given to Mifuko, an accessories manufacturer that blends multidisciplinary sustainability with profitable international business.
Hyvon Award For The Innovation In The Textile Industry (with Kaute Foundation) supports the textile industry by annually rewarding an innovation that is based on or utilizes research and promotes sustainability and renewal. The Hyvon Award is awarded to a product, service, concept or process that strengthens the Finnish textile industry and is scalable for wider use. This year’s winner Structural Colour Studio and its new brand Shimber tick all the boxes.
“When founder Aarne Karjalainen was asked about Hyvon’s secret, he would answer with one word: product development,” said Jenni Karjalainen, representant of the Karjalainen Special Fund.
“The Hyvon Award continues this legacy, supporting innovation and renewal in the Finnish textile industry. Structural Colour Studio is an inspiring example of long-term, cross-disciplinary R&D work with significant commercial potential. We’re proud to present the first Hyvon Award to this breakthrough nanostructure-based innovation that enhances sustainability in textiles.”
International Jury
Shortlists and winners were selected and voted by an international jury that included:
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Krzysztof J. Lukasik, Design Director, Bottega Veneta
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Heikki Salonen, Creative Director, MM6
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Kieran Long, Director, Amos Rex
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Leena Karppinen, Senior PR Manager, Helsinki Partners
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Sofie Fuchs, Brand Manager, 1664 Sinebrychoff
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Pirjo Kääriäinen, Professor of Design and Materiality, Aalto University
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Aino Frilander, Culture Reporter, Helsingin Sanomat
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Fabio Baum, Zalando
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Tia Rantanen, Stockmann
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Tytti-Lotta Ojala, LAB Institute of Design
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Miia Koski, Juni Communication
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Jani Niipola, journalist
More information & press images
Leena Karppinen
Senior Manager, Helsinki Partners
leena.karppinen@helsinkipartners.com
Partners
The Finnish Fashion Awards’ partners include: Zalando, Stockmann, Helsinki Partners, Kaute Foundation, LAB Institute of Design, Finlandia Hall, 1664 Blanc, and Sinebrychoff. The awards are part of the Fashion in Helsinki fashion week.
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