Tuomas Merikoski’s Aalto collections always draw inspiration from youth culture in his native Finland and this time the designer looked to the remote Lapland tribe and how modern urban life has impacted the younger generation. This concern was transmitted via symbolic graffiti signs adorning leather jackets and fleece tops, something between a nomad tent and an anarchy symbol. Apart from those, the lineup was an evolution of what the designer has produced in the past for the contemporary brand, experimenting with shapes, volumes and colors.
The dropped waists, voluminous belted coats and dresses, elongated sleeves on knitwear with panels floating at the cuffs and double layered pants with different hem lengths were sometimes tricky. But the color palette emerging from the dark mood was intriguing, hitting on a singular Seventies and folkloric vibe and ranging from mustard yellow Alcantara suede and deep dark burgundy tartan used for tailoring to bubblegum pink for knit dresses and large pants and a bright blue inspired by Sami traditional costume.
Merikoski also used a pleated fabric for black tuxedo pants and tunic dresses, giving a trompe l’oeil effect when worn with ribbed knit sweaters. The collection’s title, “Hellsinki,” a play on the city name, was used as a crest on the sleeves of tailored jackets.
