© Filippa K

Little over a decade ago, Filippa K first arrived in Helsinki as part of a major retail expansion abroad. The Swedish fashion brand set up shop on the ground floor at Kämp Galleria, an upscale shopping centre in the heart of the Finnish capital. The store can still be found there today, but as of late, with an entirely revamped interior. Situated on Mikonkatu, a bustling pedestrian street, the façade is now adorned by Filippa K‘s newly designed logo which was revealed earlier this month, and also marks a shift in the brand’s creative direction under Liisa Kessler. The newly appointed creative honcho and the in-house design team collaborated with Disa Braunerhielm, Maximilian Olsson and Anton Bogårdh of Stockholm-based architecture practice Profan. The retail space, spread across two floors of an ornate, late 19th-century building, was once home to Salon Strindberg, a renowned showcase known for its exhibitions of Finnish and international visual art, and was later transformed into a café and restaurant connected by a grand staircase. Inspired by the Nordic skies, the ceilings mimic natural sunlight with a sustainable LED light concept which allows programmable hues to dissipate through a canvas filter and bounce off the pristine white walls.

The settings are grounded, and quite literally so, by vibrant red-orange flooring throughout the premises. A sculptural staircase which connects both floors is a focal point of the design and is paired with custom pieces from artists, such as a sales counter constructed from recycled aluminum and poured into sand casts by Berlin-based artist Lukas Wegwerth, that align with the house’s values, in addition to a curated selection of vintage furniture, including a 1980s German postmodern sofa, originally designed by Burkhard Vogtherr, upholstered with Swedish sheepskin, a by-product of the Swedish food industry, and a sculptural garden chair s crafted by an anonymous sculptor in 1970s France who was known for his unique objects. The fitting rooms feature door handles and garment hangers with an organic shape similar to the appearance of tree branches. Inside, each room features brushed steel plates across the back wall and floor. The revamped Filippa K store carries the full range of men’s, women’s and Soft Sport collections. The retail space in the Finnish capital is the very first to be redesigned and others are to follow soon.

Filippa K
Mikonkatu 1
00100 Helsinki
Telephone: +358 40 7557616
Mon-Fri 11am-7pm
Sat 11am-5pm
Sun 12pm-4pm

© Filippa K