Helsinki designs me

Helsinki, 8 degrees

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Spring has now officially hit this town! Helsinki is just overflowing with that special spring feeling! The air smells like flowers and birds are singing. Spring is noticeable everywhere! People are happy, and finally walking around with sunglasses, sneakers, leather jackets or trench coats.

Source: mARTynax

But even more important: people are acting different! It's like they are finally acknowledging each other again - checking each other out. Cars pass by and honk. Shop assistants are smiling and even happy when they are at work! One could even say that the Helsinkian people have finally awakened from their hibernated state! A woman at a coffee shop yesterday put it perfectly into words when she said "we have finally made it through winter!" Nobody can exceed the happiness of Finns when winter's over!

On this beautiful sunny Saturday mid day I decided to check out one of my favorite repeating events in the city; the Design Market at the culture factory Korjaamo. The market always manages to surprise me with its ability to introduce new and interesting designers in Helsinki. Since it's a market, the items sold there do not represent the whole production lines of the designers', but the designers tend to choose to show the products that are best adapted to the market setting: products of reasonable cost and small size. Basically that means everything from interior design items to accessories.

Source: Designmyyjäiset

This spring I saw some new exciting design items but also a lot of well known ones. Finnish design has for some time now focused on recycling, something very apparent also at this weekend's market. When I say recycling, I mean recycling in all forms. A great example is Makee Design that reuses candy paper in a humorous way.

Natural materials are also highly appreciated, an example Pisama Design.

Usually every season gets its own characteristic figure or pattern. For some time now owls and birds have decorated clothing but also been visible in jewellery. Today I saw a lot of matryoshka figures.

Source: Peikonpoika

Source: Peikonpoika

Source: Koruharakka

But for you who know me well, you can guess which figure caught my eye. Sometimes, if I'm lucky enough, I eye through all the tables to find a dragonfly. Today, I was definately lucky! I got the last of the stunning brass dragonfly earrings!


It was sold by the design shop called Naked. Apparently it has only been open for a month or so, so I was fortunate to notice it. And the seller only had one earring left when I found it at her table. The idea is to only wear one dragonfly earring. Ingenious! It really is a beauty! What do you think?

I'm happy dragonflies don't appear too often. The problem with a specific figure becoming more common is that there is always the fear of it becoming too common and then its attractiveness fades away.

I also liked the jewellery of AnniElina korut. Especially this hand drawn moth necklace. The designers introduced many new figures: scissors, frogs, spoons, roses. I welcome them!

Source: AnniElinakorut

Well set design wise, we (me and my sister) decided to hit a second hand shop located close by to Korjaamo. There I found another bargain!

For some time now, I have been looking for some shoes that would go with the latest mannish fashion trend and today I finally found them! Now I only have to wait for the new military styled jacket I've bought and my spring style will be completed! Isn't spring simply the best time for going treasure hunting? What have you found so far?

What's your opinion?

@elisabeth.rundlof