FOR THE HEADING "WARDROBE" we photograph beautifully, distinctively or oddly dressed people in their favorite things and ask them to tell stories related to them. Today our heroine Jenni Alava, a fashion designer from Helsinki and creator of the Jenni Alava brand, spoke about the finds in the collections of Finnish designers, her love for glitter and things with leopard prints.
I buy each item individually, separate from my wardrobe. I never think in advance with what and how the thing will look. Moreover, I like to combine incongruous things in advance - this is such a challenge to my own eyes. In addition, in the end, all things always merge with each other into something whole. I rarely repeat myself and wear the same look twice - I always add or replace some detail. It seems to me that I do not work for food, but for shoes - almost all the money I earn I spend on replenishing my collection of shoes and bags.
COS jacket, Jenni Alava shirt, Monki jeans, Minna Parikka sneakers
I like animals and prints on clothes. So these doggy jeans and sneakers with bunny ears got into my wardrobe. I wear this cotton COS blazer all the time - it makes my spring look a little over the top. This shirt is from my SS12 collection. She is sleeveless, with a contrasting collar and almost all of the buttons are hidden. Those buttons that are visible adorn the anchors (when I did it, I thought about coastal lighthouses). I think this shirt is extremely successful.
Acne dress, vintage t-shirt, Tiia Vanhatapio leggings, Minna Parikka shoes
This look is one of my favorites. I found the T-shirt at a flea market in Helsinki. The denim dress is very comfortable and I feel comfortable in it. I also like it when children look at my things and find them amusing and amusing.
ASOS Jacket, Daniel Palillo T-shirt, Minna Parikka Skirt, Minna Parikka Shoes
I purchased this floral ASOS blazer from a colleague for two dinners. The shoes and skirt are by Finnish designer Minna Parikka, worn by Paloma Faith and Beth Ditto. I worked as a freelancer for Minna Parikka for two years, and it was then that I became infected with the love for her things. I like this pair of boots for the platform, which is made of wood and transparent acrylic. I gave myself a funny Daniel Palillo T-shirt when I got the dog Pico. The piku fits easily into a zippered front pocket that looks like a huge mouth. In general, most of the things in my wardrobe are somehow related to events in my life.
Handmade T-shirt, handmade skirt, unnamed headband, Minna Parikka shoes
This outfit is made for vacation parties. I made the T-shirt myself from my dad's old T-shirt, O'boy was my favorite drink as a child. I also made the skirt myself ten minutes before going to the party. The headband is a gift from a friend of mine that he found in the Canary Islands. These fuchsia shoes are the first to be made by designer Minna Parikka. I love how the acid colors are combined here. Fuchsia and red is a harsh mix.
Handmade dress, Minna Parikka shoes
This is the outfit in which I celebrated my 30th birthday. I sewed the dress myself, and found silver shoes at Minna Parikka. That day I wanted to feel like a superwoman. And I did it!
Weekday sweatshirt, Weekday skirt, Minna Parikka bag, Minna Parikka shoes
This tropical outfit is another kindergarten hello. It is also an example of comfortable clothing that I am constantly looking for. I would like to always walk my dog in the forest as if I had stepped off the podium.
Handmade T-shirt, Levi's 501 jeans, Acne bag, Minna Parikka shoes
For the New Year's party, I made myself a festive T-shirt with a pike from an ordinary men's T-shirt, having sewn pearls on it. Jeans are a classic Levi’s 501. I practically do not wear jewelry - accessories bother me and it’s uncomfortable with them. Instead, I like the details on the clothes. The umbrella is my nightmare.
Versace jacket for H&M, Nicole Farhi shirt, Zara skirt, Minna Parikka pumps
Sometimes I feel like playing super feminine. A friend found this jacket for me at a flea market in Helsinki.
Tiia Vanhatapio dress, Minna Parikka shoes
Another image from my birthday, this time from my 29th birthday. This silk dress is sheer, so I wear it with denim shorts. I wear Kitten Hills made of blue suede when I want to feel like an adult. They have a low heel, only 6 cm, and usually I wear a heel of either 1 cm or 12 cm.
Acne jacket, Marjan Pejoski dress, vintage skirt, nameless tights, adidas sneakers, Pendleton for Urbanears headphones
The Acne jacket in white denim reminds me of the 90s. A colleague from Hong Kong brought tights with gnomes as a gift. I like to wear a little black dress with sneakers, in this case the adidas leopard print.
Gitman Vintage shirt, Cheap Monday jeans, Ginger heart bag, Minna Parikka shoes
I love shirts and this one with a blue pin-up girl print is my absolute favorite! I found it in the men's section of the My o My concept store in Helsinki. I love these Minna Parikka shoes: glitter, sequins, sequins, and everything shiny is great. A heart-shaped bag is very difficult to match, it doesn't go well with anything. But the paradox: when I put it on, it looks great.
Handmade top, Jenni Alava skirt, Minna Parikka clutch, Minna Parikka shoes
This goose foot crop top glows in the dark, and again, I sewed it myself. The high-waisted pencil skirt is from my first graduation collection, which featured blonde icons. On shoes and a bag, the "goose foot" is repeated. It remains to add that the classic Scottish houndstooth pattern works great in acid colors.
Jenni Alava Backpack, Pendleton for Urbanears headphones
A backpack from my SS12 collection, which was called Nordkapp, after the place where I would like to be and wear this backpack now. This is a promontory on the island of Magerø in northern Norway. Collaboration with Urbanears Pendelton headphones are perfect.
Minna Parikka bag, Acne bag
Another Minna Parikka thing with glitter in my wardrobe, it only holds a credit card and keys, and nothing else is needed! The Acne leather bag is absolutely perfect, but too bulky for me. I'm thinking of selling it to a photographer.
Decoration You Complete Me
This necklace is a spontaneous purchase. The best place I wore it to was a rap party.
Minna Parikka boats, Ginger heart bag
Everything looks perfect together. I usually wear these things with neon coral lipstick.
Adidas sneakers, Minna Parikka shoes
I wear sequined shoes with hare ears all the time: both to work and to parties.
Alain Mikli glasses, Minna Parikka clutch, nameless heart earring
Alain Mikli glasses from the 70s. I found them at Optiikkahuone in Helsinki. At first, the black and white clutch seemed awful to me, but the “goose foot” pattern won me over - this is a classic, and it will always be appropriate. So the clutch always fits well with my looks. The earring was given to me by a friend in London when I was studying there. He cut it out with a laser himself.