Fashion in Helsinki

What Fashion in Helsinki does

Fashion in Helsinki is an annual fashion event platform based in Helsinki, Finland, founded in 2019 and operated by Juni Communication & Production. Its flagship activity is a multi-day May event that showcases approximately 50 emerging Finnish designers from the Fashion Community Helsinki network, alongside programming aimed at buyers, media, students, and industry professionals. The platform has progressively expanded its sub-brands, launching the Fashion Seminar in 2019, the Transformation Conference in 2022 to address sustainability, AI, and sector change, and the Finnish Fashion Awards in 2024, with a Vuokko Nurmesniemi Lifetime Achievement Award introduced for 2026.

The business model is event-driven and sponsorship-funded rather than transactional. Revenue is generated primarily through corporate sponsorship from a small roster of named brands — including Zalando, Miele, Make Up Store, 1664 Blanc, Flow Festival, Hotel St. George, and LAB Institute — alongside ticket sales for select programming and in-kind venue and production partnerships. Public-sector support is structurally important: the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs act as institutional partners, and Helsinki Partners provides city-level backing. There is no proprietary technology product, no digital marketplace, and no disclosed software platform; the offering is fundamentally a curated physical event plus associated conferences and awards.

The organization operates with a small core team (1-10 employees per available firmographic data) and pursues partnerships with educational institutions such as Aalto University and LAB Institute of Design to sustain a designer pipeline. Recent activity has broadened the international footprint through partnerships with Hanaholmen, Scandinavian MIND, and ALPHA Nordic, and has diversified the commercial base by onboarding larger international sponsors such as Zalando and EU Cotton. The platform functions more as a public-private cultural showcase than as a venture-scalable software business, and no funding rounds, acquisitions, or AI capability development have been disclosed.

Name

Fashion in Helsinki

Legal name

Fashion in Helsinki

Website

https://fashioninhelsinki.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fashion in Helsinki is an annual May fashion showcase and conference platform, founded in 2019 and organized by Juni Communication & Production, that promotes approximately 50 emerging Finnish designers to media, buyers, and industry through runway events, the Transformation Conference, and the Finnish Fashion Awards, with backing from Finnish government ministries and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fashion Events & Industry Platform

akta.pro primary industry

Fashion & Accessories Marketplaces (CRAFABAA)

Keywords

• Fashion event platform
• Finnish fashion showcases
• Runway fashion presentations
• Fashion awards ceremony
• Emerging designer exhibitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Event Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors provide financial and in-kind support for annual Fashion in Helsinki events and Finnish Fashion Awards. Partners include Zalando, Miele, Make Up Store, 1664 Blanc, Flow Festival, Hotel St. George, and LAB Institute.
2. Ticket Sales: Some events charge admission fees, such as Fashion in Helsinki Talks (12€ tickets), documentary screenings (5-20€), and afterparty events (6-15€). Many core events are free admission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fashion in Helsinki operates an annual fashion event platform that showcases emerging Finnish fashion talents through runway shows, exhibitions, designer presentations, and the Finnish Fashion Awards. Organized by Juni Communication & Production, the platform hosts a multi-day event week each May across premier Helsinki venues, complemented by the annual Finnish Fashion Awards, the Transformation Conference (Nordic industry conference on innovation and sustainability), and the Fashion Seminar series.

Product overview

Fashion in Helsinki is a platform for emerging talents in Finnish fashion that showcases Finnish creativity, artistic practice and unique craftsmanship through fashion shows, presentations, exhibitions and talks. The company's product portfolio centers on the annual Fashion in Helsinki Event (held annually in May), the Finnish Fashion Awards (annual awards ceremony), Transformation Conference (Nordic industry conference), Fashion Seminar (industry discussions), and graduate fashion shows including KOE (LAB University) and Näytös (Aalto University). The platform also maintains an Archive of past events and a Gallery of visual content. Events bring together designers, media, buyers and professionals from Finland and abroad to explore boundaries of fashion, art, technology and creativity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Finnish Fashion Awards: Annual celebration of Finnish fashion, creativity, craft and people in the industry, recognizing excellence across categories including New Talent, Beauty, Branding, Style Icon of the Year, Sustainability, and more.
• Transformation Conference
• Fashion Seminar

Products and services

• Fashion in Helsinki Event Annual flagship multi-day fashion event showcasing emerging Finnish fashion talents through runway shows, presentations, exhibitions, and industry talks across multiple venues in Helsinki. Targeted at designers, media, buyers, and the general public.
• Finnish Fashion Awards Annual awards ceremony celebrating Finnish fashion, creativity, craft, and industry professionals across multiple categories including Internationalization, New Talent, Beauty, Branding, Style Icon of the Year, Sustainability Act, Retail, Photography, Designer, and Community Award. Targeted at Finnish fashion industry professionals.
• Transformation Conference Annual Nordic industry conference exploring technological breakthroughs and sustainability in fashion. Twin events in Helsinki and Stockholm connecting innovation companies, creative talent, and investors. Targeted at fashion executives, tech innovators, designers, and investors.
• Fashion Seminar Industry seminar featuring panel discussions and interviews with fashion professionals on topics including creative direction, inclusivity, subcultures, conservation, sustainability, and fashion theory. Targeted at fashion industry professionals and design students.
• KOE Fashion Show Annual graduate fashion show by LAB University of Applied Sciences Muotoiluinstituutti (Institute of Design and Fine Arts), showcasing 10-13 upcoming fashion designers from the Lahti campus. Targeted at fashion industry, media, and buyers.
• Näytös (Aalto University Fashion Show) Annual graduate fashion show and exhibition featuring BA and MA Fashion and Textile Design students from Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture (ranked 4th best fashion program globally per 2021 CEO World Magazine). Targeted at fashion industry, media, and buyers.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Juni CommunicationcoreOthers · 1 January 2019Juni Communication & Production is the organizing company behind Fashion in Helsinki. They handle event production, coordination, partnerships, and press inquiries. Key contacts include Miia Koski (CEO and Founder of Fashion in Helsinki) for partnerships.
• Helsinki PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial supporter of Fashion in Helsinki, providing organizational and promotional support for the annual event.
• Ministry of Education and Culture FinlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry providing support for Fashion in Helsinki as part of cultural promotion initiatives.
• Ministry for Foreign Affairs FinlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry supporting Fashion in Helsinki to promote Finnish fashion internationally.
• ZalandomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Finnish Fashion Awards Internationalization category. European online fashion retailer supporting Finnish designers' international expansion.
• MielemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Finnish Fashion Awards New Talent category. German appliance manufacturer supporting emerging fashion talent.
• 1664 BlancmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Finnish Fashion Awards Branding category and official afterparty sponsor. Premium beer brand associated with French lifestyle.
• Flow FestivalmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Finnish Fashion Awards Style Icon of the Year category. Helsinki-based urban music and arts festival.
• LAB Institute of Design and Fine ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Finnish Fashion Awards Sustainability Act category and KOE graduate fashion show organizer. LAB University of Applied Sciences in Lahti celebrates sustainability and circular economy.
• Hotel St. GeorgemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Finnish Fashion Awards and venue provider for Transformation Conference discussions and Finnish Fashion Awards.
• Make Up StoremajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Finnish Fashion Awards Beauty category. Swedish makeup brand supporting beauty excellence in fashion.
• Scandinavian MINDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Transformation Conference/Talks with Fashion in Helsinki. Nordic fashion and lifestyle media platform providing editorial expertise and speaker networks.
• Amos RexmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for fashion shows (SS25, Generation 2026 exhibition) and Transformation Talks. Helsinki contemporary art museum with iconic architectural mounds.
• Helsinki ShipyardmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner for Fashion in Helsinki runway show 2024 at Laivakatu 1, Helsinki.
• Aalto University School of Arts, Design and ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for annual Näytös graduate fashion show. Ranked 4th best fashion program globally (2021 CEO World Magazine). Students showcased at Fashion in Helsinki events.
• National Museum of FinlandmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue for Transformation Conference 2023 and Finnish Fashion Awards 2025.
• Fashion Community HelsinkicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrowing network of approximately 50 Finnish designers collaborating with Fashion in Helsinki for events, exhibitions, and community building.
• ALPHAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic fashion organization supporting emerging designers through international collaborations, awards, and exhibitions. Co-presented Social Fabric exhibition at EMMA museum.
• Helsinki PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial supporter providing organizational and promotional support for the annual Fashion in Helsinki event.
• Museum of Finnish Architecture and Design MuseummajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue for FIX: Care and Repair exhibition and Juha Vehmaanperä Craft Punk exhibition at Architecture & Design Museum.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Milan Fashion Week: Milan Fashion Week, organized by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, is a major global fashion event showcasing luxury and designer brands. It shares the runway-showcase format with Fashion in Helsinki but operates at vastly larger international scale focused on established luxury brands rather than emerging designers.
• Paris Fashion Week: Paris Fashion Week, organized by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, is the premier global fashion event featuring luxury and haute couture houses. It shares the runway-showcase business model with Fashion in Helsinki but operates at the apex of the global fashion calendar with established prestige brands.
• London Fashion Week: London Fashion Week, organized by the British Fashion Council, is one of the Big Four global fashion weeks featuring runway shows, presentations, and emerging designer showcases. It shares the runway-showcase business model with Fashion in Helsinki but operates at significantly larger scale with established designer talent and global reach.

Direct peers

• Berlin Fashion Week: Berlin Fashion Week is a German fashion event platform featuring runway shows, trade shows, and exhibitions highlighting emerging German and European designers. It is comparable to Fashion in Helsinki as a regional European fashion showcase with a similar format targeting new designer visibility.
• Amsterdam Fashion Week: Amsterdam Fashion Week is a Dutch fashion event platform showcasing emerging Dutch and European designers through runway shows and presentations. It is directly comparable to Fashion in Helsinki as a regional European fashion showcase with similar focus on emerging designer visibility at a comparable scale.
• Pitti Immagine: Pitti Immagine organizes Pitti Uomo, Pitti Filati, and Pitti Bimbo in Florence, focusing on emerging menswear, womenswear, and accessories designers with international buyer and media access. It parallels Fashion in Helsinki's emerging-designer showcase mission at a larger and longer-established European scale.
• Oslo Runway: Oslo Runway is Norway's leading fashion week, showcasing emerging Norwegian and Nordic designers through runway presentations and industry events. It is directly comparable to Fashion in Helsinki as a small Nordic regional fashion showcase with similar event-driven format and emerging-designer focus.
• Copenhagen Fashion Week: Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) is the leading Nordic fashion week, held biannually in Copenhagen, showcasing emerging and established Nordic designers through runway shows and sustainability programming. It is the closest direct peer to Fashion in Helsinki, sharing format, regional focus on emerging talent, and similar scale.
• Stockholm Fashion Week: Stockholm Fashion Week (currently organized in various formats) showcases Scandinavian fashion design talent through runway presentations and industry events. It is a directly comparable Nordic regional peer to Fashion in Helsinki with overlapping emerging-designer target audience and institutional backing.

Regional players

• Tokyo Fashion Week: Tokyo Fashion Week (Japan Fashion Week) is a Japanese fashion event platform showcasing emerging Japanese designers to international buyers and media. While operating in a different geography, it is comparable to Fashion in Helsinki as an Asian regional fashion showcase for emerging talent with similar international media ambitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/fashioninhelsinki

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fashion in Helsinki