Hi Tuomas, first could you tell us what drove you to fashion?

It wasn't an immediate thing, I always wanted to be an actor growing up but I hated rehearsing. I had this thing in the back of my head about wanting to go into design, but growing up in a small city in the North of England it wasn't an obvious path. When I turned 18, was when I really decided and went to study Art Foundation at Kingston University before going on to study menswear at Central Saint Martins. Maybe it came from my Mum taking me shopping with her as a kid and always matching my socks with my tee shirts.

Finland is real “design nation” and home to some of the world’s most renowned architects and designers who defined the Scandinavian aesthetic. How do you think being Finnish influenced your approach to fashion design?

The Finnish identity is a real essence of my approach to design especially in Aalto. Then again, I totally think that this “Scandinavian aesthetic” you mention is only a half, a Yin of the Yin & Yan if I put it that way. I want to bring strongly in the extremes that are an essence in the people in Finland. That makes it modern and fresh, as well as the fact we are focused on future with a quite light baggage of the past.

How often do you travel back to Finland?

Several times a year, every second month I would say, either for business or pleasure to go back and see friends and family.

Is there anything about Finland that you miss when you are in Paris?

The most I miss is the nature with lakes and sauna, and the space and silence. That is very different there than in Paris.

What makes Finland so unique to you?

Uniqueness comes from the evolution of the people that has had strong contrasted influences from both west (Sweden) and east (Russia), unique language making everything peculiar and the social behavior that has evolved into something quite exotic in this land of forest and distances.