Isleande Living: Stunning Linen and Textile Brands at Habitare, Helsin

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Our Story

My journey with Isleande started in 2017, inspired by an unusually hot summer in Helsinki. After struggling to find comfortable and versatile pieces for my little ones, I found myself overwhelmed by the abundance of loud prints and synthetic textures – completely unsuited for sweltering temperatures. With this in mind, I set out to create a children’s brand that celebrates my own Caribbean heritage and also reflects my love for Nordic – especially Finnish – way of life.

A year later Isleande was founded. Starting with our signature styles the Naantali and Nagu, our mission is to create soft yet sustainable children's clothing with a focus on timeless pieces that are inspired by Nordic and Caribbean summers. Each piece is meant to be lived in and passed on – for little ones to explore the joys of recreational living, and for parents who want to pass on their way of life.

Lots of love, Peta

About Isleande

April 18, 2020 2 min read

For me, to have great style you have to be a bit of a risk taker. Really, it’s recognizing that though you may subscribe to a meticulous set of ideals today, moments from now it can all change, and it does. Shaped and enriched by our experiences, age, culture and surroundings, it’s a rite of passage to see things from a different perspective. And it’s welcomed! Looking back at my own preferred aesthetics, it’s nice to see how things have evolved. In the past I’ve entertained – for lack of a better word ‘curious’ trends – but hey, it’s all part of the process right? More recently however, it feels like it’s all coming together with decided confidence.

Along this vein, I’ve embraced Nordic design. Being an island girl, I’ll never give up color, but I have immense appreciation for warm wooden tones and minimalist interiors that dominate the horizons. So you can imagine my delight when I had the opportunity to view some of the finest in one location. Though it’s Finland’s largest furniture, interior and design fair, Habitare is so much more. It validates what you already know and provides inspiration for where you could go. From the start, there was a noticeable focus on sustainable solutions and fair trade production, featuring brands such as Wood Notes, Lapuan Kankurit, and Sera Helsinki that pioneer these practices. A quick peep at the kids section – Habe kids – displayed the design chops of Aino Heikkinen the founder of Skidit festival (a most do for fall).

Far from complete, I’ve shared my visual journal of some of the more beautiful pieces featured at the expo. I know, it’s a lot to take in, but as there were so many stunning options around, why not feast when there’s plenty?