Aalto (Q2490)
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Aalto is a fashion house from a FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Aalto |
Aalto is a fashion house from a FMD. |
Statements
Tuomas Merikoski decided to get a little more personal for Spring, which meant “looking at the inclusive/exclusive-ness of things,” he said. A former competitive swimmer and a beach person at heart (small wonder Aalto is a wave-themed brand), he nonetheless shifted slightly away from the overt, occasionally over-thought expressions of “wave” motifs seen in recent seasons.Instead, he came up with a more conceptual angle based on marine life that might have made Jacques Cousteau smile. A sun hat reprised the shape of a stingray, with twin tails streaming down in the back; a white trench and officer collars were meant to be a feminine spin on the adventuresome Corto Maltese. Merikoski also said he was exploring the notion of movement by extrapolating from a long-standing obsession with the Dutch artist Theo Jansen’s kineticStrandbeest.The overall impression, however, was that this season marks something of a sea change for Aalto. Like many of his peers, Merikoski has had it with street and is focusing on tailoring, to winning effect on that trench, and with mixed results in terms of oversize volumes. Carrot-shaped trousers with a strap system at the ankles looked rather elaborate. Fine knits had a pretty wave-like texture to them. A tartan ensemble done entirely in sequins represented completely new territory for this designer. “Unfinished” prints and twisted fabrics were part of the story too, with T-shirt dresses simply knotted in front. Washed-out denims floated around the legs or reprised the “wave” idea with a swell below the knee, while a new logo squiggled in the manner of rigging. Speaking of which, for Spring, Aalto has also done a capsule with Voilerie Jeandot, which upcycles used sails into handmade bags. The Finnish clog, too, got dressed up with a bow.In the past four years, Aalto has managed to establish an identity; now with new investors onboard, the brand is shaping a fresh strategy. Paring things back felt like a smart way to start a new tack.
29 September 2019
Tuomas Merikoski prefers not to be wedged into a single category. Which is why for Resort, he chose to focus on “beautiful chaos,” aka eclectic uniform dressing that mixes mediums. Various knits fuse on a single cardigan, for example, or classic front-pleat trousers might get the punk treatment.“We’re living in chaotic times,” Merikoski pointed out during a showroom visit, explaining that his idea was to take the bourgeoisie, season it with a little anarchy, and use humble arte povera–type materials and treatments to create “a random glam.”Extrapolating the signature Aalto wave into a stratified lava print was one of the most successful of these statements; it appeared in striking orange, blue, and yellow on one coat, and to more subtle effect in shades of soft yellow on other ensembles. Punk-inflected straps became button-as-you-will lavaliers on shirts. Merikoski even threw a tiger wave print into the mix; it and the logo-like graphic disc symbol appeared somewhat referential but will likely please his base nonetheless.Another key development was the “tie-dye camouflage” treatment that washed over a billowing trench or a front-tie jacket. In a strong shoulder season, Merikoski placed the accent on both gentle slopes, as on an otherwise fitted white denim jacket, and peaks, jutting them out in V-shaped plackets on a black single-breasted number with a technical sheen.The designer seems to feel most at home when he sticks with street-smart dressing: Denims are one of Aalto’s strong suits, and this season they come with contrasting stitches and in a beige and black iteration, either cropped or cut longer.
29 September 2019
The show’s title, Finlaand (reprising the twoa’s in Aalto), and its models hold the key to Tuomas Merikoski’s thinking these days just as much as the clothes.“It’s a whole new chapter for me,” the designer explained backstage before the show. “We’re really breaking rules and breaking free of standards when it comes to people and beauty. I believe you can be whatever you want to be; what inspires me is inner beauty.”Hence a street-cast lineup of friends, friends of friends, and others from Helsinki, and rise to the occasion they did. Adjacent to the show space, the designer also presented his latest artistic collaboration, a video installation by Karim Rahman and Johan Sandberg that questioned beauty-related clichés through a “universal language” of tribal—dare one say superhero?—makeup combinations.For Merikoski, reinvention means diversity, plurality, and a cultural and spiritual collision of all manner of things. But it also implies looking to brave new worlds IRL: An edit of his accessories, such as custom berets by Le Beret Français, launched simultaneously today at Galeries Lafayette.Contrast being the baseline for his Fall collection, Merikoski folded together some of the season’s biggest trends—namely tailoring, bold checks, and spliced-together materials—with notions about “modest wear.” That did not always work: A few models looked like they were being swallowed up by their clothes, and an allover Op Art wave can be a little dizzy-making.But when Merikoski pulled it off—as he did with a black shearling day coat with plaid inserts, well-cut wide-legged pants, a glossy black jacket, a recycled-down puffer, and a handful of organic wool knits by the Gotland-based Swedish company Knitology—he proved that, in these maximalist times, exercising a bit of restraint can go a long way.
27 February 2019
Tuomas Merikoski is always looking at the potential crossover of Finnish youth and French refinement. He likes to aim for the sweet spot where sophistication cohabitates with nonconformity. It hasn’t always worked seamlessly in the past, but for the last two seasons, the designer seems to be moving in the right direction.“Or make that a wave,” is the English translation of the young brand’s name. A wave can mean many things: it might be a contrasting panel cascading from this season’s floral print. It might be a cresting blue collar on a trench, or fringe spilling out of a sweater or a swell of an oversize scarf.Merikoski excels when, rather than overthink things, he just rolls with it. A few of his tailored jackets with switch-back panels—in orange plaid for the daring or slate blue—looked of the moment, yet could probably ride out several seasons to come. A few commercially minded pieces will probably sail through at retail, too.During a showroom tour, the designer noted that his fashion was highly intuitive. “I like seeing what comes out of the blend,” he said. It will be interesting to see what his next wave brings.
1 February 2019
Tuomas Merikoski seems to have graduated from art-school quirky to a more womanly allure. It suits him. “I guess we have matured a little,” the designer said backstage, by way of explanation. “I wanted to bring something a little easier and smoother, with a touch of elegance.” His model lineup also reflected that attitude: Like several other shows this week, Aalto’s was entirely street-cast.Since the Finnish wordaaltomeanswave, Merikoski set about reinterpreting that idea in various ways, such as intarsias, appliqué draping, bias cuts, and prints. Some renderings, like the necklines on a white shift dress or suiting, were literal (and most of them worked). But the subtler transpositions were stronger, like the unfinished streamer cascading down the front of a relaxed white linen suit that the designer dubbed “organic freedom tailoring”—an idea he reiterated frequently, on a shiny black miniskirt; a caramel suede vest; and a long, sleeveless gilet in robin’s-egg blue. Speaking of color, two of the season’s majors, royal blue and security-jacket orange, got deft treatment on jackets and pants. The high-waisted washed-out jeans looked cool, too. And a couple of iridescent blouses looked subtler in natural light than they ever could under the glare of a flashbulb. The Aalto woman will get a lot of mileage out of those pieces.Merikoski also spent a lot some time mulling over womanhood and power, and he decided to push boundaries in more way than one. Power walking—the busy woman’s default mode—would work with the sport shorts shown here. The tipping point came in the final two looks. Swedish artist Joakim Ojanen collaborated with Merikoski on the entire collection, and his screen print motifs expressed what Merikoski called “the essence of power and femininity.” Perhaps the most fearless militants among us will flaunt it for the world to see. But you can get the power point across perfectly well without actually goingthere.
27 September 2018
Aalto’s Resort collection will go down as the fastest catwalk show ever. It lasted 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Creative director Tuomas Merikoski enlisted a crew of young and beautiful athletes to perform in the show; instead of walking, they actually race-walked, as if in a real competition.Merikoski tapped into the current taste for sportswear by celebrating the strength of womanhood. “I looked at those tough sports which are seemingly not feminine,” he explained. He found a book calledStrong Is the New Pretty, by American photographer Kate T. Parker, with pictures of girls being athletic and playing traditionally masculine and competitive sports. “It was amazing how they actually retain and live their femininity in such a self-confident, beautiful way while confronting such challenging physical efforts,” he enthused. He tried to convey the same sense of assured élan and dynamic sensuality in the collection, which was called 999. “It’s the number of angels and of positive luck and protective energy, as opposed to the haunting, evil 666,” he explained. “I think of it as the ultimate race number for the ultimate woman.” He had it patched on asymmetrical short shirts in wrinkled cotton and on uniform-inspired boxy jackets paired with performance stretch shorts.From what one could see of the collection, given the fast pace of the model-athletes, it looked fresh, upbeat, and interestingly uncomplicated, with short draped dresses and geometrically cropped tops, and trapeze slip dresses worn over lightweight tees. A funny decorative note was provided via cartoonish patterns by the Swedish artist Joakim Ojanen printed on stretchy leggings paired with crisp masculine shirts.As Merikoski pointed out, Aalto is about contrasts, so natural cottons with a wrinkly texture inspired by the Finnish traditional costumes from Karelia played against techno and performance fabrications. The blend of sport and reworked folklore gave the collection a “naive flavor,” as the designer described it; despite the dynamic, active vibe, the approach was delicate. It certainly had speed in spades.
18 June 2018
For Fall, Tuomas Merikoski continued to explore his Finnish origins and the intersection between his roots and the world stage—he is, after all, the only Finnish luxury designer on the international scene.“I’m scared about what’s happening [in the world], but at the same time, I think my identity is in line with all the contrasts that are out there,” Merikoski observed before his show. “I’m trying to explore the law of the positive,” he offered. If that’s the goal, then Love Records sounds like a good enough place to start.Love Records is a real-life alternative record label from the late 1960s, and Aalto made use of the original logo artwork (those saucy hearts cropped up on a few tops). But he also wanted to bring in what he called the “crazy Finnish secret side,” which means a love steeped in mystery and oddity that’s intrinsic to Merikoski’s pagan roots, as he put it. Closer to our times, the designer has lately become taken with genre-busting works in the fantastical literary current known as Finnish Weird. “They mix fantasy and reality. There’s movement in that,” he said. “It reflects the world as I see it: It’s super anchored in reality, but the part you can’t control has to be there.” (Anyone looking for a crash course in the subject should add Johanna Sinisalo’sTroll: A Love Storyto their reading list, he noted.)Fashion-wise, that translated into a plaid coat with one exaggerated sleeve in mohair, or maybe a suit made of different kinds of plaid, and, in any case, lots of asymmetrical hemlines. That opening look was followed by a number of iterations of quilted, padded parka fabric, rethought as a sleeveless dress, for example. Merikoski considers femininity, and therefore color, a major upside in these fraught times, so he incorporated orange and lavender prints as inserts on a checkered dress. Splicing discordant materials together seems to be a trend this season, and it worked here. More straightforward were the lavender dress with shirring up one side, the dove gray satin windbreaker, and the cable-knits in blush, black, or fire-engine red.Aalto has bigger plans in the works. He’s not ready to get into details, but Finnish Weird and Love Records are in the mix, maybe a little contemporary photography. It could prove a strange trip.
28 February 2018
For this collection, designer Tuomas Merikoski partnered with RePack, a Finnish packaging company whose industrial yellow sleeves are made from recycled material. Going forward, if you order something from Aalto’s site, RePack will deliver your purchase and, ideally, you’ll send back the package (free of charge) so that it can be cleaned and reused. Merikoski, meanwhile, repurposed the durable sleeves as statement carryalls by adding properly crafted handles and straps, and then decorated them with stickers that loosely interpreted globally recognized logos. In a way, it called to mind Douglas Coupland’s corporate security blanket from a decade ago; only here, the intention was more consumer conscious, the undertone less ironic (7-Eleven morphed into Grl Powa 4 Ever; the Windows logo became a rainbow flag).So then, what to order? Definitely one of the coats, whether the breezier trench in semi-sheer nylon or the more solid denim-effect suede. This is typically a strong suit for the brand, but these latest versions were revisited as well-developed, softer silhouettes. Even when pieces appeared more stiffly constructed—peaked sleeves on a silk and linen jacket, slightly exaggerated hips, or puffed sleeves—the forms were round, which will be a welcome change for anyone who has felt Merikoski’s masculine-inspired looks are cut too boxy. The gray-washed jersey dress seems an obvious add; how often do you find a feminine piece so undemanding? Let’s not forget a new pair of the brand’s signature pleated pants—especially now that they look noticeably lighter—and the ones with the pouch that snapped onto the back waistline (although in the interest of security, it might be better positioned closer to the front). Of the recurring ruching and gathering, the poplin blouses would get the most wear. A loose-fitting glossy Perfecto—styled with or without the yellow bralette—was seductive in a way we don’t usually associate with the label.Off the runway, these pieces aren’t tethered to the “after nature” message that Merikoski first introduced in his Resort collection and explored again here through TVs with glitchy typography (see also: the New Balance logo, which, like the others, was designed by Finnish graphic design firm GRMMXI). Come what may in this crazy world, he erred against any dark expression; his was a bright proposition that presented its clashes positively.
27 September 2017
According to Tuomas Merikoski, Aalto’s creative director, the Finnish sense of cool is quite peculiar, tinged by a mix of reserve and excess that seems to embody the national character. “We’re not keen on small talk. We keep our emotions locked inside, with occasional outbursts. It’s difficult for us even to say ‘I love you,’” Merikoski explained when asked to expand on Aalto’s style roots. This reviewer being Italian, it sounded quite amusing; the Finnish attitude couldn’t be more different from a Mediterranean culture that wears its heart on its sleeve.That said, for Pre-Fall, Merikoski tinged Aalto’s Finnish restraint with a Parisianl’air du temps,softening the rigor of Nordic minimalism with imaginative notes. He also tapped into a hippie, slightly vintage-y vibe, loosely referencing the alternative music label Love Records, which was big in Finland in the ’70s. He used its original, slightly erotic graphics on patches decorating T-shirts and high-waisted pleated denim pants; read in reverse, the wordlovebecameevol. Introverted as they might be, the Finnish can be quite naughty, too. And under the surface, sentimentality also runs high; apparently, there’s a big tango community in Finland.And so, a feminine feel could be perceived throughout the collection, which nicely complemented the more masculine, utilitarian, and techy elements that are typical of the brand. Take, for instance, the softness of the mohair on an oversize trench worn with mega-flared palazzo pants, or the drawstring ruching and highlighted waistline on a tailored pantsuit. The same feel was expressed by gentle smock details on a little red frock and by the black tulle appliqués replicating a slip-dress shape on a pristine white tunic. A touch of lilac pink graced the surface of an ample, cozy duvet coat filled with recycled natural down material, its checkered gray lining complementing the A-line midi dress worn underneath. It all made for a modern lineup with a cool visual appeal. Helsinki to Paris with a detour in Buenos Aires seems like a pretty interesting itinerary.
24 January 2018
An image ofNo Logo—Naomi Klein’s treatise on the blight of global branding (and this was back in 1999)—blasted out from Tuomas Merikoski’s mood board. That the cover has assumed its own logo status was not lost on the designer, who tricked out his Aalto collection with random patches and tags, created by a Finnish art collective, which were notably positive in tone. Merikoski was applying these sorts of graphics to his clothes before other brands began experimenting with appropriation, so this wasn’t a case of jumping on the bandwagon as much as setting up a parallel reality where all identities are accepted. The collection’s title, “After Nature,” which was rendered as a New Balance homage, seemed to be open to interpretation, yet hinted that Merikoski might be leaning more towards sportswear than the thrust on suiting in previous seasons.He attributed some the revisited ’90s references—those slip dresses and slouchy knits—to the “brutalism” movement in web design. This also explains why certain looks—a bold, irregular dress splicing a hazy plaid T-shirt top, for instance—appear like a spontaneous grunge throwback; while others, often featuring Merikoski’s now-signature ample, over-pleated jeans, were identifiable as present-day. As represented in the lookbook, the collection comes across more subversive than it is. There, the cropped cache-coeur sweaters and embroidered boleros with their angsty, post-adolescent midriffs stand out strongest. But in the showroom, a leather blouson with a lowered back, blouses hybridized like sports jerseys, and shirts with collars that buttoned up and over gave all the attitude and none of the age anxiety. A boxy denim jacket with an uneven, scalloped hem was great for all ages and encapsulated Merikoski’s objective of feminine normcore (see also, his new footwear: tough toes, dainty heels). Lastly, and for whatever reason, he decided that many of the tailored jackets should be packable—as in, an internal zipper or pouch that allows them to fold into themselves. Extraneous or ingenious? According to the laws of Aalto nature, that’s for you to decide.
21 June 2017
In some respects, this latest Aalto collection picked up where Pre-Fall, with its Paradise Lost narrative, left off. Tuomas Merikoski modified his elongated, layered suiting with patchwork stripes veering this way and that. He also revisited the integrated and removable panels of fluffy tinted fur, furthering his collaboration with Saga Furs; introduced new versions of his openwork knits; and reworked the airbrush print of bohemian maidens in a fantastical Lapland landscape by Sami Saramäki.But that was just part of the story, as the Paris-based, Finnish designer is never just depicting a mass-market paperback protagonist. This season, his composite of adventurous spirits seemed even more assertive and mature than in the past, thanks to what he described as a futuristic, “punk energy,” which was used to offset his inclination toward classic tailoring. This produced no shortage of office-appropriate looks for young professionals who want to, you know,dress like womenin a nonconformist, forward-leaning way. The spliced shirtdresses, trousers with belted leg detailing, and mohair coats could all be easily integrated into an existing work wardrobe. Less so the emerald ensemble, meant to project “hope and ecological thinking”; such good intentions were better represented by the jacquard sweater set.The final two looks, convertible outfits created from certified, post-consumer recycled down and fabricated by Italian brand Duvetica, reiterated Merikoski’s openness to conscious design and collaboration in a way that felt especially innovative, cool, and reflective of all his references. “A puzzle of good things that makes for a democratic view,” was how he summed up his effort. And indeed, nearly everything fell nicely into place.
28 February 2017
AssessingAaltocollections strictly by their titles, this season’s Paradise Lost doesn’t match the dark humor of Fall 2016’s Hellsinki. Removing the references—Milton, obviously, the goth metal band, less so—the name Paradise Lost conjures up something grave and despairing. Tuomas Merikoski didn’t take the clothes to such depths, but he did delve into a formal register, and in so doing, turned out a stronger statement. Chalk it up to a greater emphasis on reworked tailoring. A coatdress patched from shirting and a relaxed, double-breasted suit hit the midpoint between established and edge. His natural inclination toward Scandinavian elements played out as a smart, silk waterproof parka with removable fur panels and a shearling teddy, with tinted fur poufs at the pockets (Aalto has begun working with Saga Furs, a fellow Finnish brand).Knitwear has become a key area of experimentation for Merikoski. The Coogi sweaters in polypropylene and wood were bouncy and brash, less so were the fine-gauge knits boasting windowpane panels of the season’s print, an airbrush-style portrait of three divas in the desert by Sami Saramäki. Merikoski asked the artist to add some Freemasonry symbols; those willing to sport the image in full can make a party game out of finding them. Two flourishes enhanced his shirts: contrast color bands and high-buttoned collars—permanently popped, if you will. Wear one with a pair of jeans and your colleagues may declare work-wardrobe envy—more still if you add the hybrid slipper-sock booties in velvet. Merikoski named the two versions Prince and Michael, proving he hasn’t abandoned the dark humor, after all.
13 January 2017
Many a fashion mood board has boasted pictures of Kurt Cobain wearing a dress. Far, far fewer show him next to a Moomin, a Finnish cartoon character that looks like an amorphous manatee. ForAalto’s Spring collection, Tuomas Merikoski created an artisanal capsule inspired by Tove Jansson’s beloved comic series—particularly her 1977 bookThe Dangerous Journey.“I’ve been reading them a lot to my kids, and that story feels particularly relevant,” Merikoski said backstage. For the uninitiated, the tale follows Susanna, a young girl who is bored by her coddled and predictable existence and dreams herself into a less safe but ultimately more interesting life filled with the unknown.Merikoski said the story’s moral is still instructive: “We need to welcome the new, to hope for the better, to allow young people to dream and to fantasize.” The capsule items kept that youthful free spirit in mind, and Merikoski explained that the pieces were meant to look like they might have been loved and modified by a teenager—provided that teenager had access to thousands of Swarovski crystals and an artist who was capable of hand-painting Jansson’s illustrations.The Moomin-less portion of the proceedings gave way to a clean simplicity that Merikoski called a celebration of diversity and freedom. The best looks here were the loose-neck tea dresses in creamy ivory or burgundy velvet that sloped delicately over the clavicle. Practicality (technical waterproof silk-nylon jackets) met the more whimsical (bucket hats in cream-color leather and velvet, with pearls dangling from the brim). It was all about celebrating our differences. “We need that now more than ever,” Merikoski said. An important message—even for those loath to wear a cartoon character on their clothes.
27 September 2016
Aaltois one of two brands that made this year’s shortlists for both the LVMH Prize and the ANDAM Award (Koché is the other), and a visit to the Marais showroom fell a few days after the first and 10 days before the latter. Like any good sport, Tuomas Merikoski took the LVMH loss in stride, noting the valuable upsides of meeting industry experts and gaining significant visibility. His latest collection, titled Uusi Fantasia (roughly, “New Fantasy”), validates the recognition. Like other emerging designers today, Merikoski is tapping into youth culture and gender fluidity, both rooted in grunge (for maximum authenticity, the male and female models were street-casted); his variety just so happens to be Finnish. How can one tell? Most obviously, the plump Moomin animated characters stationed on a T-shirt spliced with a draped dress, and hand-embroidered on the back of an oversize denim jacket. The designer likened the official collaboration to featuring the Scandinavian Mickey Mouse; nostalgic coup notwithstanding, it gave the collection a quirky spin.Beyond that, the regional cues were nuanced, although cropped polos in two-tone velvet ringed with metal eyelets, raw edges on gauzy viscose knits, and an offbeat color scheme evoking a sunset in the countryside amounted to an alternative vibe without exaggeration. Merikoski described his brand as “a framework of extremes,” and it’s true that the leather biker jacket (extra-long in the back and vented with side zippers), and crisp light wool check suiting swung the pendulum toward urbane. But he also worked a polyester lining fabric into an attractive plissé, and developed a retail-friendly rain shell from 100 percent silk that can be folded into its own pouch. The trompe l’oeil check sweatshirts and straight-bias combo skirts further confirmed Aalto’s sweet spot between subculture fantasy and inclusive reality.
21 June 2016
People were not supposed to sit at the Aalto show, but the whitewashed crates encircling the otherwise empty space proved to be too much temptation for attendees, who immediately filled them as if on autopilot. Not such a big deal, of course, but fascinating when brought into a larger context through the lens of Tuomas Merikoski’s reigning concept, which had to do with habits and behaviors and the human desire, above all else, to maintain some sort of basic homeostasis and sense of normalcy and routine. How does that work when everything you know has been taken away from you? It’s an especially interesting idea coming from the fashion industry, which has long proposed that what you own and how you display it is one of the best ways to define yourself. And that’s all without directly referencing the Syrian refugee crisis currently under way in the EU.Merikoski, the Finnish designer behind Aalto and recently dubbed an LVMH Prize semifinalist, didn’t mention Syria backstage at his show, but he said with this latest collection he was thinking a lot about assimilation, tradition, and identity. He mentioned the Sami people, who are indigenous to the north of Finland, Sweden, and Norway, and from whom he got the dropped waists and voluminous belted coats and dresses that he showed in shades of mustard, royal blue, and bubblegum pink. He called it “Hellsinki,” in a play on that city’s name, which appeared in Vetements-reminiscent patches on the cuffs of jacket sleeves. The best in show included examples of the same silhouette: a cropped black-and-white knit worn over a tri-paneled knee-length black skirt, and the same in a menswear black-and-white check, the top here a shrunken bomber jacket. “It’s about the challenge of holding onto your values while adapting to urban life and creating another identity without losing the one you have,” Merikoski explained. This, by the way, is advice that his fellow LVMH Prize semifinalists would do well to heed, too.
4 March 2016