Journal
RAKAS
Rolf Ekroth x Kalevala
RAKAS Rolf Ekroth x Kalevala At Copenhagen Fashion Week on August 5, 2024
Rolf Ekroth brought ”lavatanssit” a term loosely translating to open-air dance and deep Finnish spirit to Copenhagen Fashion Week. Together we launched the RAKAS Rolf Ekroth x Kalevala collaboration, which includes a versatile piece of jewelry and scarves.
The jewelry is made from recycled silver, handcrafted at Kalevala Koru’s factory in Helsinki, Finland. The RAKAS (Finnish for Loved one) jewelry functions as an earring, scarf jewelry and versatile accessory limited only by imagination. The RAKAS Rolf Ekroth x Kalevala collection will be available for purchase in early 2025.
”The goal is to spotlight the more exotic, peculiar,
and beautiful aspects of Finland and the Nordic countries."
– Rolf Ekroth
”The goal is to spotlight the more exotic, peculiar, and beautiful aspects of Finland and the Nordic countries. The entire collection’s concept, as well as the show, is based on themes from Finland that interest me. Sustainability is crucial both to me and to Kalevala Koru. In addition to using recycled materials, we jointly promote the idea of versatile jewelry and clothing, emphasizing comfort and gender-neutral fashion,” explains Fashion Designer Rolf Ekroth.
”The product development team at Kalevala Koru has been closely involved in realizing my visions. The collaboration with the Kalevala team is seamless, and their expertise in crafting jewelry with Finnish craftsmanship is something that few companies still have in Finland on this scale. Besides responsible production and materials, Kalevala Koru’s commitment to doing good is significant internationally and a clear differentiator,” continues Ekroth.
"The RAKAS Rolf Ekroth x Kalevala collaboration, which was showcased in Copenhagen, highlights Finnish design and craftsmanship. The new collection continues the successful partnership with Rolf Ekroth that began at Copenhagen Fashion Week last summer. This is a good example of how companies can support emerging designers. For us, the collaboration represents a bold culture of co-creation and international boundary-pushing in fashion and design”, says Kalevala Koru’s Creative Director, Aino Ahlnäs.
"The Clouds Are Drifting Far Away, and So Am I."
Rolf Ekroth participated in Copenhagen Fashion Week with his own collection as part of the New Talent program.
The show, held in an empty factory hall in the middle of a forest by a lake, featured some of the most iconic songs from Finnish open-air dances. It included, among others, one of the most touching Finnish love songs, Kaj Chydenius' You, You Do I Love (Sinua, sinua rakastan). The show ended with Rauli Badding Somerjoki's wistful song The Clouds Are Drifting Far Away, and So Am I (Pois kauas pilvet karkaavat, niin minäkin)."
Copenhagen Fashion Week has quickly grown into one of Europe's most important responsible fashion events, in which the mission is to strengthen the ever more ambitious sustainable development of the European fashion industry. Brands participating in Copenhagen Fashion Week must meet the strict responsibility requirements defined in the event's three-year responsibility plan, which emphasizes, among other things, the circular economy and sustainable materials.
After Copenhagen, the RAKAS Rolf Ekroth x Kalevala collection will continue its journey to other international fashion weeks and showrooms.
The RAKAS Rolf Ekroth x Kalevala collaboration includes a versatile piece of jewelry and scarves. The rose motif, characteristic of Rolf Ekroth, symbolizes nostalgia and longing for the past. In the RAKAS collection, the rose motif has been reinterpreted as a 3D piece of jewelry. The jewelry is made from recycled silver, handcrafted at Kalevala Koru’s factory in Helsinki, Finland. The RAKAS piece functions as an earring, scarf jewelry and versatile accessory limited only by imagination. The RAKAS Rolf Ekroth x Kalevala collection will be available for purchase in early 2025.
Explore our previous collaboration with Rolf Ekroth at Copenhagen Fashion Week in 2023 Rolf Ekroth Linked by Kalevala.
