The a20 fashion show of upcoming new designers celebrates new fashion on the 20th anniversary of Helsinki Design Week
The a20 fashion show, organised by Fashion Community Helsinki, is an intimate, salon-style show bringing together 20 emerging designers at Suomitalo, the main venue of the 20th anniversary Helsinki Design Week design festival, on 10 September at 5 pm.
The theme of the show and the festival is Celebration: the significance of attire as a symbol of life’s milestones, and the courage, joy, and sense of community in fashion design. The aim is to share the delight of self-expression through fashion with as many people as possible – this show is not for the select few, but it is an invitation for everyone to join the celebrations at Suomitalo.
The fashion show will take place on the 5th floor of Suomitalo on Wednesday, 10 September 2025 at 5 pm. The models will move among the audience from room to room, adding a visual and auditory experience to the fashion show. Taking part are eighteen Finnish designers as well as two Nordic guest stars: Stina Randestad from Sweden and Tilde Herold Winther from Denmark. The Finnish designers include Satu Rauhamäki, Juha Vehmaanperä, Henna Lampinen, Linda Kokkonen, and Sini Saavala, among others.
The show will feature the designers’ own interpretations of festive wear: outfits that move between artistic, experimental fashion and clothing that highlights the wearer’s individuality. The pieces are not for sale during the event, but designers can be contacted directly; many of them create bespoke works and unique pieces.
“For the a20 salon show at Suomitalo, I am drawing inspiration from art nouveau, early 20th century couture and headwear, and combining them with my own raw expression, where the process itself often remains visible through hand-sewn surfaces and loose threads,” says fashion designer and artist Satu Rauhamäki.
The a20 salon show and the a20 showroom give designers free rein to interpret the theme of celebration, highlighting creativity, sustainability, craftsmanship, and local production.
“The a20 salon show is storytelling that can be thought of as a cinematic whole. In the show, atmosphere, soundscape, and location are in symbiosis with the visual elements. The a20 showroom gives designers the opportunity to continue telling their story in their own way,” says the project’s artistic director Alex Luonto.
Fashion Community Helsinki: multidisciplinary collaboration
The a20 salon show is the result of creative professional collaboration that highlights contributions from the whole community. A group of passionate hair artists, make-up artists, photographers, videographers, musicians, and graphic designers will work alongside the designers to create a unique experience.
“The goal of Fashion Community Helsinki is to highlight emerging Finnish fashion designers and make fashion expertise a more visible part of the Finnish cultural and artistic landscape. For us, fashion is an important form of artistic expression, which is why we want to create a community where designers can find support, grow, and shape a new kind of fashion scene together,” say FCH’s founders Ellen Rajala, Sini Saavala, and Sofia Stenfors.
“We are immensely proud to welcome the guests of Fashion Community Helsinki to Suomitalo. From the very beginning, Helsinki Design Week has been a multidisciplinary design festival, and we are delighted to showcase the perspectives of a new generation of fashion designers on the future of dressing up,” says HDW programme director Anni Korkman.
Tickets for the Suomitalo show
Fashion show on 10 September 2025 at 5 pm, Suomi Hall (5th floor), Lönnrotinkatu 5. Entry with an exhibition ticket. Tickets for the main venue are available via Tiketti.fi (€15/7.50). A day ticket grants access to all main venue events on the same day. A Helsinki Design Week Festival Pass (€35) is also available, offering unlimited access throughout the festival week. Before the show, a Weekly Talks discussion event will take place on the 4th floor stage, featuring interviews with designers. The venue is accessible. More details can be found here.
The a20 salon show is organised as part of Helsinki Design Week in collaboration with Nordic Culture Point (Nordisk Kulturkontakt). The partnership highlights Nordic fashion expertise and builds bridges between designers, audiences, and the media.