Kärsämäki, with its approx. 2500 inha­bi­tants, is a typical Finnish town located on the Pan-European Route E-75. Basi­cally it consists of three round­abouts where life takes place around them. A petrol station called Juustaportti serves as the main meeting point for people. When I arrived nature was covered in snow with freezing tem­pera­tures down to -30°C and with just a few hours of daylight. Well, the perfect conditions for the opening of an arty fashion store! People say the Finns are intro­verted and shy. Well, it’s true. But you can’t say that about the people’s winter clothing. Most wear bright neon yellow winter-proof work clothing with light reflectors. I guess it’s practical! You have to be clearly recog­nizable, in a snowy land­scape during the day or in total dark­ness at night.

This funny con­­trast gave me the idea to design and pro­duce a spe­cially created collec­­tion for the people in Kärsä­mäki, based on their taste – bright neon colors.

I got in touch with Toimin­takes­kus Ranta­pääsky, the social center in Kärsämäki, which had well-equipped work­shops. I spent weeks sewing bags, curtains, pants and sweat-shirts. After looking around a bit, I found an empty retail store that was perfectly located right at one of the roundabouts. The store’s interior had to be covered in sheer neon so that you wouldn’t miss it. Also, the mood in the store was supposed to mimic sophis­ti­cated stores in metro­po­lises around the world. As if you suddenly entered a fancy store in Paris or Barcelona.

On the great opening on February 21st, 2019, the people of Kärsämäki were con­fused – although everyone was talking about the store, people didn’t dare to go in. Some people entered, froze for a few seconds and left the shop speechless. But after a few days, the ice broke and people’s curiosity was stronger than their shyness. People even got a bit excited (the Finish way tho)! The local press published a story on my work and the vice mayor showed inte­res­t in some items. Entire school classes came to visit. I even got a job request for a sales assis­tant in the store. And thus I had brought a bit of the shrill, some­what in­sane and over­­whel­­ming life­style of the big cities to sleepy Kärsä­mäki, and gave the pro­vin­­cial back­­waters of Scan­di­navia some design glam to brighten their winter. 

I drove by car from Bosnia & Her­ze­­govina to Kärsä­mäki, a sleepy little town in cen­­tral Finland, to open my own fashion store and sell clothes to no one.

This funny con­­trast gave me the idea to design and pro­duce a spe­cially created collec­­tion for the people in Kärsä­mäki, based on their taste – bright neon colors.

Finally I was wor­king in the gli­tzy fashion indUs­­try! And Let me put it this way: The con­cept store hit like a bomb (the Finish way tho)!