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Viivi Laakkonen - about

Aesthetics lover with a strong ardour to fashion, illustration and sustainability

I was born and raised in Kotka, city by the sea in southern Finland. During a couple of swings to inner Finland and Europe before moving to Stockholm, Sweden, I realized how much sea and the Nordics mean to me. “Clear lines with a twist” is maybe the best description for my work that is mostly inspired by the Nordic lifestyle and Finnish archipelago. I love nordic design philosophy, how a piece of garment, interior, jewellery or art can be so simple but interesting at the same time. Furthermore, I always try to design something that last and that can be styled to different outfits and occasions and therefore worn many times. Sustainability is one of my strongest interests, especially what it comes to fashion. You can find out more from my blog.

I have always loved aesthetics, visuals, beautiful things in order or in an interesting disorder. My interest in fashion design started already when I was a kid and sewed dresses for my Barbies with my mom’s sewing machine. Since, my interest and knowledge in fashion have expanded from clothing and design to sustainability issues within the field, to fashion as an industry and as a phenomenon by discovering by myself and studying. But even though I have gained a quite wide view over fashion and clothing during my studies: technical knowledge of clothing production and materials, fashion and textile design and theoretical knowledge of fashion, I’m excited to find out more and always ready for new challenges and adventures. Lately, I have found drawing and painting and really enjoy using my creativity that way.

But if we forget fashion and illustration for a sec, sports and travelling are close to my heart. In addition, I love singing home alone, listening to music and making choreographies in my head, dancing and taking it easy with a cup of tea and Netflix in a corner of the sofa.

VIIVI

ON PAPER

2018 Master of Arts in Fashion Studies / Stockholm University,
Stockholm, Sweden
Master’s thesis: Finland’s Biggest Dress Party – A Study of the Role of Women’s Appearances at the Independence Day Reception (in English)

2015 BA Materials engineering in Textile and Clothing technology / Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Lahti Finland
Bachelor’s thesis: The significance of marketing and e-commerce for small and medium-sized enterprises of the clothing trade (in Finnish)

2014 Erasmus exchange: Fashion and textile design / Faculty of Design, Associated Member of University of Primorska, Trzin Slovenia

 

ACHIEVEMENTS

2018 Shared second place at the International Zero Waste Fashion Design Competition announced by the Faculty of Design, Associated Member of University of Primorska, Slovenia. See the collection here.