Here are the rising stars of design

Habitare’s new design area The Block is dedicated to young designers. The area features the Talentshop presenting the most interesting and up-coming designers, the Protoshop presenting new product ideas and sections for students and freelancers. A visit to The Block offers a look at what new design will look like now and in the future. 

”Protoshop and Talentshop are an important springboard for young designers on their way to becoming independent designers. Over the years, these special exhibitions and the entire The Block area have grown into a recognizable part of Habitare, where the public knows that it can see new creators and ideas. “This synergy between The Block and Habitare is a fertile breeding ground for new Finnish design,” says Elina Aalto of Imu Design, responsible for curating Protoshop and Talentshop. 

Keep these designers in mind – Talenshop showcases four emerging talents 

This year’s designers at Talentshop are product designer Ekin Kayis, Mari Koppanen who works with different materials, carpenter and designer Ville Aakula and textile designer Zuzana Zmatekova. 

Talentshop presents designers who are in the early stages of their careers, but who already have their own strong designer identity and evidence of their skills. This year, the designers featured in Talentshop were selected for the 2020 event from among 36 applications. 

”The selected designers have in common original thinking and an uncompromising approach to quality and refined implementation”, say designers Elina Aalto, Krista Kosonen and Saara Renvall from Imu Design. 

Protoshop introduces promising product ideas 

Imu Design’s Aalto, Kosonen and Renvall are also responsible for curating the Protoshop exhibition, which focuses on new product ideas. About a dozen promising designers and their prototypes of future products are selected for the exhibition each year. 

The purpose of the exhibition is to find great product ideas, present them to the public and companies, and bring products and potential manufacturers together. Protoshop has already been organised eleven times, and through it dozens of product ideas have reached production. 

This year, the exhibition exceptionally includes the prototypes of both 2020 and 2021. 

” Protoshop has typically shown works that open up new, insightful perspectives on the world of objects in homes and public spaces, and this is the case this year as well. The works are boldly unique and often involve reflections and themes that go deeper than the surface,” says Elina Aalto. 

Works by the following designers are presented at Protoshop: Ida Korsström, Kati Peltola, Netta Kandelin, Imola Balogh, Riku Toivonen, Susanna & Tobias Feuerbacher, Yingjie Liang, Tong Ren, Juho Pasila, Sandra Prami, Tatu Laakso, NG Wing Yin, Essi Aalto, TautvydasPetruškevičius, Elina Parmakoff & Katarina Westerlund, Maiju Räty, Laura Kuusajoki, Miika Ruotsalainen, Aleksi Peltonen, Lilli Ilmavirta, Veli-Antti Virtanen and Virpi Heikkinen. 

 

More information about Talentshop designers here. 

More information about Protoshop designers’ works: 2020 and 2021 

Photos of Talentshop and Protoshop designers and worksfrom Messukeskus’ photobank. 

Further information: 

Marissa Rämänen, Communications Manager: marissa.ramanen@messukeskus.com, tel. +358 44 0467220 

 

Habitare 

Finland’s largest furniture, design and interior design event Habitare is arranged at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre 7 – 11 September 2022. Habitare offers experiences and ideas for interior design and for the functionality and visuality of homes and spaces. Habitarepresents ideas and work by a new generation of designers and sparks discussion. Habitare’s international friend this year is Joseph Grima. |www.habitare.fi | @HabitareFair | www.facebook.com/habitare | #habitare2022 

 Kuva & Ääni 

Partly coinciding with Habitare, the Kuva & Ääni event, focusing on photo and videography as well as sound recording, editing and distribution, will be organised 9-11 September 2022. 

kuvamessut.fi | #kuvajaääni