On the Street. Santa’s Helper in Blue, Kamppi, Helsinki.

A little time ago I stood in the queue and to spent time I looked around if something interesting happened to hit the horizon. And yes, this older gentleman stood after me in the queue. Majority of people in Helsinki rely dark tone clothes in winter. So this gentleman was like mermaid from Mediterranean Sea against the dark grey street scene.

So I sighed out loud: "Oh man, you have the colors in place. I truly admire your color choices!"
In which he replied with twinkle in the eye: "Oh, these are the only clothes that I have. I am such a Santa’s helper. The season is just underway. Blue is as good as red and besides, I have a somewhat reddish Christmas hat on my head… and a green pullover."

My suspicions have been realized. If you don’t remember check out the previous post. It seems that blue is the new red in Santa’s world. It’s just the case that some prefers indigo and other brighter tones of blue. Blue is the common denominator in both these cases. So what do you like about this my dear reader!

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I wish a relaxed Christmas time to you and your loved ones!

On the Street. Wandering in Darkness, Helsinki.

In Helsinki we wander in darkness. Concretely, I mean. Today sun rises 9am and the sun sets 3:18pm. At the moment our mornings are dark like in this illustration. People walk engrossed in their own thoughts looking on the ground, three meters distance. The darkness comes so close that it seals the feelings for many. All we are waiting is snow that would bring the light.

This older gentleman came across me one morning. So deep in his thoughts I almost could hear his brain gear wheel ticking. I thought that maybe he is actually Santa Claus helper, a tomte (tonttu in Finnish) that doesn’t care too much about red color. He prefers blue instead. As individualist this tomte does what he pleases. He has conjured a lighting lantern to look like white plastic bag not to arouse too much attention. It still glows a gentle light.

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If you want to know more about Scandinavian tomte tradition in Wikipedia just click your way to article.

For Fun. Flash For Zonzon in Instagram.

Hooray. Flash For Zonzon has at long last started in Instagram. You can find your way to these illustrations and more using nickname @sanna_pyykko. I decided to use my own name because that’s going to be display window for all creative stuff what is going on in my life. But Flash For Zonzon is well represented in there, for sure. Welcome to follow.

I’m a late bloomer with Instagram. It really surprised me how easy it was to follow fashion weeks though it. Little film clips give just enough information to be aware about the latest fashion news.

It seems that blogging has partly moved to Instagram. Few years ago on sites like the Sartorialist there was huge amounts of comments after each blog post. Now there is some 10 to 30 comments. In Instagram same photo has 150 comments and over 5000 likes. Speed seems to be the word of the day. Speed liking.

Another thing is that in Instagram illustrators are presented in useful way. All famous and not so famous (me) illustrators seem to be there. It’s handy to do some comparison, like where do they sell their art, do they have own shop or are they in etsy, spoonflower, society6, paom, or what. And what could I learn of all this.

One oddity is that in Instagram there is a lot of tempting to pay to get thousands of followers and likes. I ask, but what’s the point! To get robots love and affection?

Plus, there seems to be multiple hashtags for competitions illustration daily, weekly or monthly. Like #drawadot for fashion illustration. Possibility to speed temporarily fame.

That's all for first impression. If you like to speed consume Flash For Zonzon in Instagram follow @sanna_pyykko

On the Street. Cool Style Guy, Lauttasaari, Helsinki.

I saw this guy in the same Shangri-La event I told you about in last post. Cool guys get all… attention and get drawn to Flash For Zonzon. No long talks this time. The image tells it all.

On the Street. Shangri-La Girls, Lauttasaari, Helsinki.

These girls I met in Studio Shangri-La opening party. I'm sorry, but this will be a little Helsinki-centric post.

I am happy to say that the new players have appeared in my neighbourhood. Just to mention few, yoga studios, culture center Sähinä and at the end of summer Studio Shangri-La opened doors. It is the homeland of Burlesque Culture in Helsinki. There you can take part in their dance classes like Burlesque dance and Shimmy n’Shake. There is weekend Dance Workshops with guest stars like Miss Chrissy Kiss. They also offer Seasonal Yoga, pilates and body care. Nice package indeed.

In addition they have a performing group The Shangri-La School of Showgirls. Maybe you’d like to hire them to perform in your Pre Christmas party?

What I’m dreaming of is that the studio would be a perfect place to organize live drawing class. Croquis drawing and the models would be the burlesque-people. At least at the opening party the people looked fabulous. Feminine tattooed ladies in high heels. I wanted to draw every second person in the party.

If you feel like your inner cabaret queen has never had place to flourish, this might be your place.

It seems that there are several Shangri-Las around the globe. So I better give a direct link to their Shangri-La Facebook-page. So you can act if you feel like it.

By the way, I have no connection with Shangri-La, I'm just spreading the good news.

On the Street. Yellow Sunshine Coat, Baana, Helsinki.

Wow, is it sunshine approaching towards me, I thought when I was walking along Baana.
In case you don’t know, Baana is a wonderful bicycle path from Ruoholahti to Helsinki City Center and it’s meant only for bicyclists and pedestrians. A luxury in it is that there isn’t a single traffic light to break the journey. But let’s get back to the main subject. The sunshine was on a stylish lady. Beautiful felted woolen coat wrapping like envelope around her. I like.

On the Street. Walk the Australian Silky Terrier, Laru, Helsinki.

We have earlier discussed here at Flash For Zonzon about the similarity that dogs and their owners have. Recently I have spotted new candidates to this dog and his best friend -series. This lady with her Australian Silky Terrier form a lovely pair. The colour harmony is perfect and they are both tiny and – erm – silky.

On the Street. Pleated Skirt, Cable Factory, Helsinki.

Before I visited Design Market in Cable Factory few weeks ago I predicted that there would be a lot of design oriented people to draw afterwards. Sure there was, but the hassle with all the products and masses of people cause such a mess to nerves that it is almost impossible to be able to focus on style hunting.

Nonetheless I succeeded to see this girl. It was her beret that drew attention. The black beret that continues with black hair and jacket. In between is a color burst of primary colors in the form of pleated skirt, which seems to be somewhat hot item at the moment.

Interesting detail is the black ankle socks. Say, fifteen years ago it would be out of question to wear socks in this way. It was either stockings or some other way that sock does not cut off the leg line. In sports it was possible but with skirt? Come on, no way. And now this ankle socks with any style goes fine. Oh times they are changing.

In Helsinki a beret is commonly used by older women. There is a blog post in Flash For Zonzon about the fact in archive with this illustration. Fun is that the look of this young girl is kind of similar to the old lady. I have always gazed the style of older people. With years of experience they can be the most fearless to go on their own way.

On the Street. The Return of Mr X, Lauttasaari Bridge, Helsinki.

Remember our old friend Mr X? I succeeded to spot him on his apparently daily walk to city and back to Lauttasaari -island. Stylish as always. Nowadays, while everybody else goes in most narrow legged pants this master of style relies on his senses and takes flared pants instead and combines them with fitting leather jacket. Who cares about fashion when you can be stylish instead!

If you are keen on previous stories about Mr X click the tag mr-x below or in the Labels-cloud.

On the Street. Monday Blue, Ruoholahti, Helsinki.

Sometimes on Mondays look at people’s faces is fun. Early on the morning while waiting for a bus life may feel a bit overwhelming. In particular, I like this guy style how he is dressed in different tones of blue. Probably red shirt wasn’t an option. The state of mind as he was, color blue is probably giving some consolation on early Monday morning feeling.

Color affects our mind and our mood affects to what color we can bear or what color we absolutely need to wear on that specific mood. It’s not everyday that bright vivid colors feel good. But sometimes it feels the only right way to dress up. Color in clothes is an emotional thing.

On the Street. Twinkle Star Fairy, Cable Factory, Helsinki.

It was a splendid sunny autumn day when – for a while – I thought I saw the Fairy. Someone walked towards me gleaming in sunshine. Blue hair flying around. Coming closer I realized it was big glittery stars on her sweater that reflected the sunshine so effectively. The long hair was dyed halfway to blue colour. That’s my fairy all right.

On the Street. Harmonious Family, Lauttasaari, Helsinki.

Oh yes indeed, this little family seemed like being harmonious. Not only in their mutual relations, but also their colour tones suited so nicely with each other. It was a rainy day and these blues and greys reflected the mood perfectly. And still a little bit stripes and dots to cheer up the look.

On the Street. Yellow Pullover Girl, Kaapelitehdas Helsinki.

This yellow pullover girl is perfect symbol for this particular season. Goodbye Summer, welcome Autumn. I saw her near Cable Factory (Kaapelitehdas), which will be the venue for big design sales happening this weekend. Therefore all design oriented people, Design Market is your place to go.

Besides, the participant list is on the website is a good one if you are interested in contemporary Finnish Design. I for sure will visit Design Market. Let’s see if I happen to see some interesting characters to draw afterwards.

My Style. Looking At Mirror And What Did I See.

I haven’t seen anything spectacular lately on the streets so I think why not look at the mirror for a change. In Summer = lot of light = I love to dress up in light tones. Part of the fun is to mix my favorite patterns; stripes, plaid and dots. Mostly two at a time. Colour palette is something like white, sky blue, sand, pale gray. And the mood is good.

There is also another reason to look at the mirror. To be more concrete inside my head. I’m taking part in an online class for illustrators. There I’m supposed to analyze and think various mind blowing questions like What do you want to achieve with your illustrations.

When I was blogging the first year here at Flash For Zonzon I showed this blog to one lady - let’s call her lady Portal - who had started a blog portal for Finnish Fashion Bloggers. I was curious to hear her opinion. She looked at this blog instantly from laptop. At that point I had some ten posts done. After a while she aroused her eyes and asked me with a slight amount of suspicion in her voice: Where are you heading with this?

I was like: Uuuu, I like to draw…

At that point I hadn’t really thought it too much. I started this blog four years ago as a sidekick from my daily job as graphic design and entrepreneur. That is so much computer-related work. So I needed a way to experiment with traditional illustration techniques like watercolor, ink, pastel, color pencils, line drawing, paper cut and mixed media of all of these.

To do illustrations without a need to please anybody else than me is pure joy. Feeling the connection straight from head to hand is utmost relaxing. (By the way, that’s the secret of nowadays popular adults coloring books.) Of course  one important aspect was to get a way to express my ideas related with clothing. I am a cloth designer for first profession, anyway. Relax and have fun. With the idea that if I have fun making it maybe the audience will like it too.

 Lady Portal apparently thought that what’s the point using time and energy for a blog with no ads, no photographs of the outfit-of-the-day, no connections with clothing brands, no shopping tips where to get this and that style, no followers. In other words no nothing that is typical for fashion blogs as we know it.

Okay, but now let’s face it. My secret subconscious plan with this blog has been to become a better illustrator. At least I get an ever growing portfolio of illustrations along blogging. Maybe some day I get commissions through blog to do fashion illustrations to some media, fashion house, clothing brand, magazine, what ever. But with hands full of graphic design customer work and family life I haven’t time to do any marketing for my illustrations. I have thought that by chance the illustration work may come.

But it haven’t.
Truth is that a blog like this is like an ant sailing Ocean with a blade of grass. The possibility to run into ground is pretty minimal.

Another thing is the ping pong in my head. Is my illustration any good? I know that the duo with my stories and illustrations is okay, but illustrations alone? Does anybody need fashion illustration? Do I loose the joy of drawing if I do it on demand? But maybe then I might be able to really concentrate on making pics. Now everything is done pretty fast after 9PM when kids have gone to sleep. What would the quality of my illustrations be if I could use more time making it? And so on.

Well, it’s time to do an action plan. How to find a sensible not time-eating way to promote illustrations or do some profitable things with this blog. The sad truth is that I have so much ideas in my head. Really, is it sad? Ideas for blog posts, for products, for patterns (which I’d love to concentrate on). Should I fill a lottery coupon to pay my bills for a while?

By taking part of the previously mentioned online illustration class I have promised myself that I try to move on with my ideas with Flash For Zonzon. First step is to do a online portfolio of the créme de la créme illustrations. Then I’m working on at least to get some products alive sooner or later. Like postcards or T-shirt prints for example. Small steps, little by little. Can you hear my war cry in your ears yet?

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Thanks for reading my whole outburst. I promise this will not happen too often.

PS. The canvas shoes are still alive that perform in the third picture. Four summers and still kicking.

On the Street. Comfortable Travel Outfit, Esplanadi, Helsinki.

I’m back in hometown Helsinki again after refreshing month in the woods. I visited the center and realised that Helsinki is full of tourists. There is certain hallmarks of which a tourist stands out from city habitants. Sun hat, map in hand, eager look in eyes ready to spot something peculiar.

While travelling it’s wise to pack tricot clothes in order to avoid ironing or end up looking like wrinkled along the journey. This lady had realised this idea profoundly. Layering black tricot all the way and in addition interesting fluttering shape.

On the Street. Captain Cap Makes the Style, Skåldö.

After one month stay in the countryside there is not much to tell about street style. The only one that has turned my head is this older gentleman. I have seen him three times during a visit to a local store in boat harbor. He takes care of the vegetables and strawberries sale and has had exactly same look every time. Light-colored shirt, red scarf tied to the neck, blue captain cap and big grey mustache. Apparently he dresses like this every single day in his life.

Really it is very useful when you come up with some particular style. Then it’s wise to keep it and never again have any doubts what to wear. If the corner stones of the style have some character you end up giving more interesting impression than average. Like this chap here.

Another thing is this posture. I have noticed the habit of older men walking with their hands behind their back. You know, the walking style with hands crossed to back, upper body bent forward, staring expression in the eyes, field of view up to five meters ahead. I wonder what exactly is the age when this hand tied behind back -habit strikes a man, because it seems that this manner is never seen with men under fifty years. What is the secret behind it that all the men seem to realize?

Sphinx Pinastri And Yohji Yamamoto FW 2015

Here we go with another nature summer story. On first few days at summer cottage I picked up a doormat before the external stairs to shake all the needles and other debris away. When I lifted the doormat I noticed a butterfly pupa below it. The insect larva had found a safe place to spend undisturbed winter time.

Pupa is extremely interesting to watch. The form is pure beauty. So we placed this Sphinx pinastri pupa (Pine hawk-moth) to veranda in an open box in hopes to see the transform to a butterfly. It took only few days when I realised that a pine hawk-moth was crawling it’s way out from the wintertime shelter. In this point the wings of a butterfly are only tiny piles of crinkle. We helped our guest pine hawk-moth to hang on to nearby geranium. There it started pumping the wings open ready to fly on.

When it was ready we took it outside hanging to pine trunk and start the living in a new beautiful form.

On last post I told you how one outfit from Yohji Yamamoto’s FW 2015 collection paired well together with one nature impression. Again I find Sphinx pinastri pupa feeling in this outfit. The model feels like pine hawk-moth when it cracks the way out from the pupa. Ready to take a new form.

Bat in Daylight And Yohji Yamamoto, FW 2015

Let me tell you a little story. This year I’m spending my summer holiday just like the Finnish cottage-life was described in last but one blogpost. That is close to the nature cottage life. Close to the nature means – besides woods, sea, plants and flowers – also seeing animals that don’t hang around Helsinki City streets.

The whole June in Finland was cold and rainy. When we started our holiday the situation was still like that until July started and the sun came along. On the first sunny day I encountered a surprising view above my head.

A small bat flew around, round and round on sunny blue sky above open courtyard. Bats usually start their flying and insect hunt when night falls. Apparently the cold beginning of the summer had been very meager food and sudden heat had increased the number of insects dramatically. The little bat had thought like ”Oh what the heck, day or night, I’m HUNGRY!” And started the hunting in pure daylight.

So I went to lie down on the courtyard staring the little bat flying skillful curves in the air in front of my eyes. Rare and beautiful sight.

Lately I browsed through Vogue Collections FW 2015 -magazine in grocery store. By the way, the layout had been changed more magazine-like instead of old catalog-style. I wasn’t too happy about the change so as a silent protest I didn’t buy the Vogue. Anyway in my retina was left a photo of Yohji Yamamoto’s FW 2015 collection.

Afterward I headed my way to Style.com and Yohji Yamamoto’s FW 2015 collection and – tadaa – there it was, a perfect match for the little bat in the air. The hemline feels like opened bat wings. Hands gathered as hanging bat does while sleeping. Rare and beautiful this one too.

On The Street. Modern Snufkin, Kamppi Helsinki.

I was having a lunch in Kamppi while this fellow walked by. It was a glimpse of two seconds and the feeling about the sight is in the illustration above. Black interesting silhouette. I have understood that in Japan platform shoes like this are common (watch the Tokyo Fashion video), but this pair was the first one I have seen in Helsinki.

Recently, the Internet has had a few articles about Culottes: How To Wear This Season’s It Pants. Example here on Vogue about culottes. Well, here is one option more, with platform shoes.

Somehow this guy reminds me of Snufkin (Nuuskamuikkunen in Finnish). You know the character from Tove Jansson’s Moomin-books. Forest green look has changed to black, all the essentials packed in the tote bag, hat tilted and whistling on the go.

Finnhits. Sauna, Marimekko And Hai Rubber Boots.

Healing Holiday
For many Finns after Midsummer begins finally summer holiday time.  A typical Finnish spend their holidays at the cottage by the lake in the middle of nowhere. A cottage is a place where you can breathe a sigh and leave stress and hassle. The daily dose of healing green woods energy starts to affect right away when you step outside the cottage. Sauna belongs to Finnish cottage life all right. It’s best if you can take a dip into the lake from the heat of sauna.

What to do at the cottage
What else besides going to sauna people do in summer cottages? Simple things that are rare to do in city, like angling from the pier, rowing a boat, picking blueberries and mushroom, chopping wood, carrying water from the well, wash dishes by hand, making food with grill and eat outdoors (literally), throw darts, reading books under the tree, stare the life of ants, walk on wooden legs, read old magazines on the attic, carve wooden boats, laze on the dock watching the clouds passing by.

Favorite things
Marimekko is the clothing brand that has a strong pond to Finnish emotion. Like sauna is Finnish so is Marimekko. Therefor I decided to take something from Marimekko SS 2015 -collection to this illustration. This simple shirt dress made of linen would be my favorite summer dress. The beginning of this summer has been filled with rain showers so yellow HAI rubber boots completes the outfit. The umbrella I borrowed from Totoro, the anime charcter of my favorite animated movie.

Visit the Sauna in Helsinki
Frankly it’s not everybody running exited countryside when holidays dawn. Alone the idea of stinging bugs is too much for some. In that case in Helsinki it is possible to enjoy the pleasure of urban sauna in the city. Some with the possibility to swim on the sea. Website Visit Helsinki offers a good list of all the possibilities.

Personally I would like to try Kulttuurisauna. (Culturesauna) The website is a bit rough but I’m sure Kulttuurisauna is worth a visit.

Seasons. Helsinki Samba Carnaval 2015.

The day was a bit rainy and temperature +13 or so, but still there was a blast of Helsinki Samba Carnaval 2015. People stood tightly packed along the streets witnessing the wonders that samba schools had prepared to show. For my part I absolutely love this happening. Samba is such a great antidote to everyday life.

In Finland there is not too many occasions to fool around with dress code. In samba carnaval the participants show shamelessly their bellies proudly presenting what they are and dancing their way through Helsinki Esplanade. What a joyful sight!

Lately at Finland media has aroused a discussion about the right to be what you want to be, without anybody to need to rise the eyebrows saying bitter insulting comments. It all started from a concerned mother FaceBook status. She opened up herself of being tired of hearing her four-year boy nominated girl just because he sometimes like to wear pink dress and his hobby is figure skating instead of playing ice hockey. And the commentators are adults. Sad.

It all ended up to #mekkohaaste in Finland. Guys posting pics in dress for support.

Therefore I was happy to spot at least two men dancing in skirts. One in reed skirt and another in kilt. How good they looked! And what is skirt anyway? It’s a shorts with only one leg. In samba parade even a cow skull can have a feather wig.

Samba carnival is proud happy performance. The dancers enjoy showing itself and we the audience get a thrilling experience. So wonderful that it is nice to capture it in photos. Nowadays many times  there is this paradox that something wonderful is on the tray in front of us but we stare the wonders preshrunk through the camera lens.

Fact is that Helsinki Samba Carnaval Parade had only a few male dancing. Quickly estimated only 10% of the dancers are men. In Finland, there is a saying that the Finnish man doesn’t speak nor kiss. Sad to say but this reflects also to attitudes towards men and dance. I suppose that in Rio Samba Carnaval this matter doesn’t exist.

The themes of the carnival schools other reflect some topical issue at the moment. A punk band PKN (Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät) was Finnish representative of the Eurovision Song Contest this spring. Punk is on the air so Helsinki Samba School Imperio do Papagaio had punk as a theme this year. Innovative costumes like iroquois made of colorful plastic straws. We saw biker jacket theme in drum batteria collars and single dancers too.

One of the themes was birds. These shy young birds had just hatched in the nest.

The neon color trend was seen in many cases in decoration and costumes. Perhaps this bird of paradise was the most neon creature in the parade.

Many kids on the audience had earmuffs to endure the loud music that comes with the samba parade. Despite the loud clack, drumming, playing and singing this sweetie couldn’t resist the invite to fall sleep.

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Thank you all Samba Schools for a wonderful show and inspiration! This was 4th time in a row in Flash For Zonzon to make illustrations of happening. If you like to check it all you can click the tag samba.

One Day. Oystercatcher On the Lawn, Lauttasaari, Helsinki.

One day when I was on my way home I walked past a green grass lawn where bright yellow dandelions blossomed. There was one single oystercatcher searching for worms. Such a beautiful graphic sight. I love these birds, handsome and humorous, always busy in finding daily meal. Oystercatcher usually like to hang around seaside but maybe this bird preferred a more colorful environment for a change.

May this be a beginning of a summer season. Kids are out of school for ten weeks holiday. Nature blossoms and the warmth will come for sure (some day). Let’s all enjoy this season with all good that will come. It’s time to move on to the sunny side.

Just one reminder. Next weekend it’s already time to celebrate Helsinki Samba Carnival. I am pretty sure that I will do a report about the happening also this year.

On the Street. Rebellious Biker Jacket, Kamppi, Helsinki.

Biker Jacket is such a classic that keep one’s ground from decade after decade. The first milestone was probably marked by Marlon Brando, who performed a motorcycle gang leader in film The Wild One 1953. After that a biker jacket made of black leather has been synonym to restless rebel -attitude.

Punk is not too common style in Helsinki everyday street scene. So this young lady was a nice exception with her extra carefully drawn eye makeup. A biker jacket, symbol of rebellious mind is well suited to the picture.

I did a tour on kids clothing stores past weekend. In one shop there was biker jackets for kids. Later on I saw approximately four year old girl who wore that particular biker jacket. Well, kid are rebels, they have rebellious mind. With kids at some points it is time to oppose most anything that parents propose.

Another spotting of biker jacket was in Finnish magazine cover Apu (”Help” in English). A Finnish singer Jari Sillanpää posed on cover dressed in biker jacket. The headline was like ”Festival Year of Music Agitator Jari Sillanpää in Fifties”. So the biker jacket works as symbol of live spirit in middle-age.

Conclusion. From childhood  to teenage and middle age, classic biker jacket fits any person who wants to express some rebellious vibes with clothing.

On the Street. Two Pony Tails, Kamppi, Helsinki.

This lady rushed towards me on Narinkka Marketplace. Apparently hurrying to get in bus in time. The long fluffy pony tails flied wild on the sides of her head. A braided owl-pattern on her tote bag complements the style perfectly.

On the Street. Graphic Style, Kaapelifactory, Helsinki.

Minimalist black and white outfit to which is added graphic patterns on like shawl, tote bag and skirt. Calm and eye pleasing sight. And still a hint of yellow peeking under the black coat. Refreshing like spring itself. And a matching grey tone comes from asphalt of the streets.

Finnhits. gTIE Attitude Neckwear.

Jenni Ahtiainen, the designer of gTIE is out of the box -thinker. Now it’s time to introduce her brand gTIE in the series of pearls of Finnish Design brand aka Finnhits.

gTIE offers an alternative to people who feel the traditional tie is so seen and boring. It is a brand for people who prefer to be a bit original. gTIE offers innovative neckwear and accessories for men and women. Materials are silk, leather and silver. The attitude is slightly rock and definitely alternative.

She’s won many friends for her design among the celebrities. Her designs have been at the Golden Globes, Oscars, American Music Awards and Eurovision Song Contest.

The products are manufactured in Finland homeland territory. The materials are used effectively to the last scrap. Craftsmanship is close to Jenni’s heart despite the design nature of her brand. She is definitely the one that is not contented just thinking of doing. I her own words: I will go down in history as the woman who revolutionized neckwear.

I visited the gTIE shop. It is decorated with all kinds of antique lamps, mirrors, chairs, clocks. Craftsmanship is important part of the space itself. I was told that the origin of the stuff was her mothers antique shop. And really, when I think of gTIE products it has kind of historical aspect although it same time feels modern. If the surroundings in the childhood has been filled with antique furniture, it must have had some influence to the esthetics Jenni is after in these days.

The lady in the first illustration is actually street style. I met her in Old Students House in Helsinki and was absolutely thrilled about the style she had drawn her eyebrows high on the forehead. White and pale as valkyrie and dressed in black. And truly, she had the gTIE Jack the Noble Pirate around her neck.

Here we come to the end of this fan post.
Now if you'd like to find out more about gTIE click your way to gTIE website and webshop .
gTIE store in Helsinki you can find at Unioninkatu 27.

On the Street. Neon Sneakers, Sello, Espoo.

Neon colors seem to be hip and pop in sportswear right now. Yesterday while walking around town I did a test. And really it is not only in sports stuff, but once in a while there was some neon color in sight. Shoelaces, handbags, a zipper in a hoodie, purse, headphones, a neon print on a tote bag.

This fellow I saw in Sello shopping center. Otherwise dressed in dark colors, so the neon pink sneakers popped up like last ray of sunshine before night falls. Another interesting thing was the long hem shirt. Let’s see if that is the next cool thing on summer.

Seasons. Happy First of May Carnival.

First of May (Vappu in Finnish) is the only day in a year that has something to do with carnival spirit in Finland. The fun begins already tonight. In addition to first of May, whimsy costumes usually belong to bachelor party or some student happenings. Otherwise the living in this corner of world is quite lame if we talk about having fun with clothes. It’s a bit sad. Dressing up to something else than usual could be refreshing. We have a lot to learn from Japanese harajuku- and cosplay-culture.

A week ago I saw a quick glimpse of three giant wigs. Yellow, pink and green. Apparently this sight belonged to the category student happening. Okay, the wigs I have really seen and the rest is product of imagination. Towards summer we go. Have fun all of you!

On the Street. Dog Walking Vest, Ruoholahti, Helsinki.

I love plaid fabrics. From the bus window I spotted an interesting sight. Long cloak-like garment in plaid on the girl who was walking the dog. It looked like a plaid blanket in the form of long vest. But instead of being a blanket, there were handy zipper pockets for all the essentials needed on the dog walk. Like the dog treats, dog poop bag, telephone for selfies…

I’m not a dog owner and haven’t had a dog neither. But an outer clothing like this could be really handy. Convenient enough pull it on over everyday jacket. Like leather jacket in this case. Street credible nice form and function. Ready to serve a dog owner’s new adventures.