Helsinki takes New York: Vain and vitunleija make their NYFW debut

Yesterday at New York Fashion Week, in a very Finnish corner of Manhattan, two Helsinki-based brands are making their mark. Vain and vitunleija, both buzzy emerging designers, presented their latest collections at the Consul General of Finland’s personal residence (with the support of the Finnish Textile and Fashion Association). Vain’s co-founders, designer Jimi Vain and CEO Roope Reinola, and vitunleija designer Bakari Diarra all describe the location as “a normal Finnish house” – a quaint backdrop that provided a contrast to the collections on view, which are anything but traditionally Finnish. In fact, Vain and vitunleija represent the new guard of Finnish design, one that’s youthful, daring and poised to go global.

To mark their New York debuts, Vain, Reinola and Diarra all plan to celebrate the same way: with dollar slice pizza. Delve into the collections below.

Though vitunleija, which translates to 'Fly as f***” has already become a beloved brand among Finnish youth (their raucous events attract hoards of cool kids), this not only marks the brand’s New York debut but also its debut collection. “It’s like, a capsule collection,” clarifies Diarra. “We don’t have that many pieces, honestly. But it’s more than we’ve usually done.” There is one standout sure to resonate with fans of the brand both new and old: the polo, an iconic piece adopted by streetwear culture.

Rendered in black and pink and emblazoned with the phrase “fly shit only”, one can imagine streetwear aficionados from the Nordics to NYC coveting the piece (it’s joined by dad caps, tracksuits and T-shirts). Unlike Vain, vitunleija doesn’t have much of a pre-existing community in New York, but it still feels instantly comfortable. “New York is where streetwear is from,” says Diarra. “So it’s like we’re going home.”

Related: All the best street style from New York Fashion Week SS25

For SS25, Vain mined its own DNA, centring the collection around its iconic heart logo (longtime fans recall that the designer broke through by customising Nike sneakers with the indelible logo for the likes of Playboi Carti). “We want to bring a different aesthetic of love,” says Vain. “When you think about love, you think about pink balloons and stuff like that. But love changes in every relationship and every situation.”

To Vain, this new vision of love – in addition to the ever-present heart – has an undertone of darkness. Think double-breasted black blazers with vast cargo pants, layers and layers of silver chains, second skin leather moto jackets and relaxed leather shorts.

Though this marks Vain and Reinola’s very first visit to New York, they received a warm welcome. “20 to 30 per cent of our Instagram followers are from the states,” says Reinola. “We have so many internet friends there,” adds Vain. “It’s nice to meet them in person.”