Meaningful accessories

Finland is celebrated for its design philosophy that beautifully marries functionality with aesthetics. Local companies and brands excel in creating products that are not only practical but also carry a deeper significance, embodying sustainability, social impact and personal wellbeing.

Below are five examples of how Finns have applied the approach to accessories.

HEALTH MONITORING WITH STYLE: OURA

Mixing design and technology, Oura Ring is both a stylish accessory and a powerful tool for health monitoring. The smart ring guides its user towards better sleep, recovery and performance, and was previously listed by the TIME magazine among the best inventions.

The core functionality of Oura Ring lies in its ability to track a variety of biometrics such as heart rate, body temperature, activity levels and sleep patterns. The ring uses advanced sensors to collect data, which is then processed to provide insights into the wearer’s sleep quality, overall health, wellness and readiness for physical activity.

2023 marked the 10th anniversary for Oura. Throughout this period, Oura has expanded its reach and influence, empowering individuals around the globe to take charge of their health.

“Oura is becoming an iconic, global brand that is changing the way we think about long-term health and health span,” CEO Tom Hale summed up. “With 10 billion hours of wear, 10 years of data tracked and surpassing our millionth Oura Ring sold, we’re just getting started.”

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY: SAFETY REFLECTOR FINLAND

Invented in the 1960s in Finland, personal safety reflectors are a practical tool to improve pedestrian visibility at night and in poor weather conditions. Their integration into people’s daily lives has sparked a creative evolution. Safety Reflector Finland has taken a more fashionable approach to traditional safety reflectors by incorporating vibrant colours, varied shapes and playful designs.

“The snowflake, heart shapes and animals are popular designs,” said managing director Jutta Vainio. “People love cats! We have also had branded reflectors with characters like Angry Birds, Hello Kitty and the Moomins. We want the reflectors to be fun and attractive so people are happy to wear them.”

Produced in the southwestern Finnish town of Laitila using solar energy, these reflectors have gained recognition both domestically and abroad, with Germany, Austria and Switzerland as important markets and with business negotiations ongoing in the US.

JEWELLERY WITH A SOCIAL MISSION: AIDA IMPACT

Founded out of a desire to better the world, this Helsinki-based jewellery company places equal importance on creating beautiful jewellery designs and helping immigrant women to enter the Finnish labour market.

AIDA impact produces handmade jewellery using the finest natural materials while employing mainly refugee women who have encountered difficulties in the job market. The company’s charitable intentions go hand in hand with an ambitious plan to become an internationally recognised fashion brand.

“Many of our customers don’t even know about our backstory when they buy the earrings,” said founder and CEO Elina Siira. “We want to make stylish, classy and high-quality products, and it’s great that we can simultaneously contribute to social inclusion.”

HORSEHAIR JEWELLERY: NANNASALMI

Textile designer Nanna Salmi started her custom-made jewellery business quite by chance. Since then, orders have come in from around the world. What makes this jewellery so peculiar and unique is the key material used – horsehair.

A hobby rider herself, Salmi knows first-hand about the deep emotional bonds between humans and their horses. With her horsehair jewellery, the designer transforms this close owner-pet relationship into something concrete and sophisticated.

All nannasalmi design pieces are handmade according to customers’ individual wishes and, as a rule, using the horsehair they provide.

“One product can involve weeks of correspondence to ensure the end result is exactly as the customer imagines it,” Salmi told us a few years ago. “I understand this, as the item is of such emotional importance to its bearer. Often clients tell me stories about the horse, too.”

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN BAGS: LOVIA

Founded on the principles of redefining beauty and value, Lovia creates bags using recycled and surplus materials, including cutting waste from the Finnish furniture industry, salmon leather generated as a by-product of food production and elk hides derived from government-regulated population-control hunting.

“In the furniture industry, tons of surplus leather goes to hazardous waste,” explained founder, creative designer and CEO Outi Korpilaakso. “On the other hand, only one per cent of salmon skin is currently used.”

Lovia’s unique approach involves transparency in the production process, where each item comes with a “DNA” code that details its materials and origins, allowing customers to trace the lifecycle of their purchase. Moreover, the company reveals the pricing behind each step of the way.

“A single bag won’t change the world yet, but it could already help if more people would ask when buying a product where it comes from or who made it,” Korpilaakso added.