YFD X AARIKKA
FRESH PERSPECTIVES ON THE FUTURE OF FINNISH DESIGN WITH AARIKKA
Design Collaboration with Aarikka
The Starting Point
How can Aarikka’s iconic Finnish design heritage inspire a new generation of designers?
Through its collaboration with YFD, Aarikka brings together its distinctive design identity and the fresh perspectives of emerging talent, exploring new creative possibilities while building on the brand’s rich heritage.
FRESH WALLPAPER DESIGN FOR SANDUDD
FRESH WALLPAPER DESIGN FOR SANDUDD
What Did We Do?
As part of the YFD x Aarikka design competition, emerging Finnish designers were invited to create new products inspired by Aarikka’s distinctive design heritage, bringing fresh perspectives to home décor, jewellery, clothing and accessories.
Nearly 400 proposals were submitted from across Finland. The competition offered young designers the opportunity to explore Aarikka’s playful, clear and warm design language while developing original concepts that combine the brand’s heritage with contemporary creativity.
The competition featured several categories, with winning designs developed into real products. The winners included Studio D-ja, whose Dango wall light won the home category; Eveliina Saarentaus, who won the jewellery category with the Ava earrings; and Eeva Räsänen, who won the accessories category with the Pop bag. Roosa Ryhänen received an honourable mention for the Pässi armchair.
All winning products have made the journey from concept to production and are now part of Aarikka’s product offering, demonstrating how emerging designers’ ideas can become commercially available products while contributing to the evolution of Finnish design.
The winning design pictured is the POP bag by Eeva Räsänen, winner of the accessories category in the YFD x Aarikka design competition.
Multiple FRESH Perspectives
Studio D-ja – Home Category Winner
Designers Yi-Chiao Tien and You-Chia Chen created the Dango wall light, combining their creative vision with Aarikka’s distinctive design heritage. Their winning design brings a fresh perspective to Finnish home design while reflecting Aarikka’s playful and timeless aesthetic.
Eveliina Saarentaus – Jewellery Category Winner
Eveliina Saarentaus designed the Ava earrings, a contemporary jewellery piece that combines distinctive forms with Aarikka’s signature design language. Her winning concept offers a fresh interpretation of Aarikka’s heritage through modern jewellery design.
Eeva Räsänen – Accessories Category Winner
Eeva Räsänen won the accessories category with the Pop bag, bringing her own creative perspective to Aarikka’s world of accessories. Her design demonstrates how emerging talent can reinterpret the brand’s established identity through a fresh, contemporary approach.
Honourable Mention: Roosa Ryhänen
Roosa Ryhänen received an honourable mention for the Pässi armchair, presenting another distinctive interpretation of contemporary Finnish design.
All the winning designs have progressed into production, turning the designers’ ideas into real products and bringing a new generation’s creativity into Aarikka’s design legacy.
The winning design pictured is the POP bag by Eeva Räsänen, winner of the accessories category in the YFD x Aarikka design competition.
The Outcome
The YFD x Aarikka design competition turned emerging designers’ ideas into real products. The winning designs are now in production, bringing fresh creative perspectives into Aarikka’s product range while building on the brand’s distinctive Finnish design heritage. The Dango wall light by Studio D-ja sold out almost immediately, demonstrating the strong interest in the collaboration.
Created as part of Aarikka’s 70th anniversary celebrations, the competition brought together generations of designers, continuing the brand’s legacy while opening new possibilities for the future of Finnish design.
Partner: Aarikka
Proposals received: Nearly 400
Winning designs: Dango wall light by Studio D-ja, Ava jewellery by Eveliina Saarentaus, and Pop bag by Eeva Räsänen
Honourable mention: Pässi armchair by Roosa Ryhänen
Outcome: The winning designs have progressed into production, transforming emerging designers’ ideas into commercially available products. The Dango wall light sold out almost immediately.
What Did the Collaboration Bring?
The YFD x Aarikka collaboration brought fresh perspectives to Aarikka’s design heritage, offering new interpretations of the brand’s distinctive aesthetic across home décor, jewellery, clothing and accessories. Nearly 400 proposals from across Finland demonstrated the creativity and potential of emerging Finnish design talent.
At the same time, the competition gave young designers the opportunity to work with an established Finnish design brand, develop their ideas into tangible products and gain valuable experience of the commercial design process. With the winning designs now in production, the collaboration shows how connecting emerging talent with established brands can create new opportunities for designers while bringing fresh creativity into Finnish design.