Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko recalls writing letters to her parents as a teenager, urging them to subscribe to the big international fashion mastheads so she could “learn different languages”.
And learn languages she did – Tiina now speaks five – but it was that keen interest in the pages of fashion and design that saw her land a dream internship at the iconic Finnish design house Marimekko after studying international business, marketing and finance. She worked her way through the ranks of PR to lead the label’s marketing team and now she is the creative juggernaut’s admirable, and affable, president and CEO.
Marimekko could very well be Finland’s hottest fashion export, born in 1949 after World War II had ravaged much of the country. Its founder Armi Ratia was inspired by the cultural void that existed at the time and felt the desire to re-energise and bring joy to a war-torn country. “One has to dream,” Armi said. “And
