With each of them wielding over twenty years of experience in both the textile and apparel industries, Antti Laitinen and Jarkko Kallio know a thing or two about fashion and the fashion industry. Based in Helsinki, the two creative professionals successfully launched menswear brand FRENN in 2013, offering garments that have a classic silhouette yet a distinctly contemporary look and feel. The duo’s modern approach to fashion is also captured by their focus on durability and the exclusive use of sustainable fabrics sourced from across Europe. Not surprisingly, the garments resonate with a global clientele with similar sensibilities, resulting in the brand’s collections not only being stocked by leading stores across the homeland, but also in Tokyo, Paris and Munich. And now, Laitinen and Kallio have taken their operations to the next level by opening FRENN‘s very first standalone store in the heart of the Finnish capital.
Situated on the ground floor of an early 20th century residential complex on Fredrikinkatu, a buzzing thoroughfare in the Kamppi district, the store features an interior design by Pentagon Design, one of the Nordic countries’ leading design agencies. The aesthetic bears all the hallmarks of Scandinavian design, but is also infused with materials and colours that lend it a cosmopolitan edge. The indigo blue wall ties in with the brand’s new graphic design that also bears the signature of the aforementionsed agency. Furnishings are sparse, comprising merely of shelving, a display, a sales counter, and all seamlessly blend into the understated setting. Next to carrying the full range of FENN‘s apparel pieces and accessories, a selection of products by other brands are available, including Kasperi bags, gloves by Kämmen, and shades by Kaibosh. For the most discerning of gents, a made-to-measure service is also available.
FRENN
Fredrikinkatu 24 (Kamppi)
001120 Helsinki
Telephone: +358 40 7771943
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
