We found the 5 must-have accessories innovating sustainable fashion at Fashion in Helsinki

Over the past week we’ve seen Helsinki fill up with creativity and innovation, as the annual Fashion in Helsinki program brought together Finland’s fashion frontiers. With a pervious strong focus on genderless ready-to-wear, notable accessories have now grown into a category of their own.

Sustainability comes in many forms, from zero-waste jewellery solutions, to the use of plant-based leather alternatives, yet what combines all these brands is the slow fashion approach that serves both the artisans as well as the future customers. Highlighted are the accessory pioneers from Fashion in Helsinki.

Female-founded handbag brand ASK Scandinavia, known for their sizeable solutions in everyday bags, are launching their signature styles in a breakthrough material MIRUM®. Dubbed ‘Bio Leather’, the plant-based, leather alternative is not only plastic-free, but both recyclable and circular, made from bio-waste and built to be incredibly durable. Followed by sustainability pioneers like Stella McCartney, ASK is the first Scandinavian brand to embrace the next-generation plant- based leather MIRUM®. You can pre-order the signature Willow tote, a card holder as well as a new smaller Clover bag crafted in MIRUM® leather for a late summer delivery.

Newcomer to the fashion week scene, Marea Seize personally creates all her jewellery pieces in her Helsinki studio. Inspired by the organic shapes of nature and unconventional beauty in everyday objects, Marea Seize’s abstract take highlights the wearers unique curves in the form of ear cuffs and ring sets, to name a few. The designer works with a zero-waste policy, as collections are all made from 100% recycled sterling silver, that can be melted and re-used for future use. Marea Seize only produces the very necessary by having a small stock of their products available. Effortlessly mixing silver with gold vermicelli pieces, the clever styling will made you want to purchase more than one piece to mix and match.

Specialising in shearling coats and accessories, founder of ONAR Irene Kostas has become the next-gen frontier of cold-weather wear in Finland. Kostas utilises her heritage of Greek craftsmanship with contemporary cuts and a unique Scandinavian longevity. The collections feature colourful coats and leather garments, as well as a wide range of accessories from fuzzy hats, to multi coloured gloves and hair accessories - many made to be reversible. ONAR only uses vegetable dyes and chrome-free tanning in their production process, with the skins ethically sourced within Europe. The handmade collections that are crafted in Greece and Finland operate on a zero-waste policy, by using only secondary and existing materials.

Designer-of the moment, Ervin Latimmier showed his collections in both Copenhagen as well as Fashion in Helsinki, and continues to break down gender norms with his innovative approach to masculinity. Paired alongside his deconstructed suits, Latimmier collaborated with Mifuko on a selection of hand-woven bags. Founded by two Finnish friends, all Mifuko products are created by a community of female artisans in rural Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana, and sold today world-wide as part of the World Fair Trade Organisation. Latimmiers approach was to rework production waste into a collection of up-cycled, unique bags by adding contrasting wool stitching in his Helsinki studio.

As a musician, Halme struggled to find the right kind of hat, so he set out to create the perfect one himself. A year later in 2019 he opened his first shop in Helsinki and still crafts the felt and straw hats in his atelier that doubles as his recording studio. Using ethically sourced materials, Halme creates seasonless hats with contemporary elements, that are made to last a lifetime. Offering both ready-to-wear models and unique custom pieces designed specifically for the wearer, the elegant use of colours and illustrated details sets Halme apart from other hat makers in the industry.