If your appreciation of Nordic design is confined to identikit flat-pack furniture, then get set for an education in the nuances of this ever-popular design aesthetic.
Renowned for its high-quality, progressive design, the premium Finnish brand Iittala has firmly established its position among a global community of design-savvy followers. And UAE-based style aficionados will be pleased to learn that Iittala recently launched its first collection in the UAE, at Jashanmal in The Dubai Mall.
From its trademark ethereal glassware to sculptural porcelain pieces, the brand embodies the “less is more” ethos of elegant simplicity for which Nordic design is so highly regarded.
Taking its name from the village of Iittala in southern Finland, where Per Magnus Abrahamisen established a glass factory in 1881, Iittala started off producing blown, pressed, polished, painted and etched glass. At this time, dinnerware tended to be highly decorated with a variety of ornaments; Iittala was one of the first companies to make the transition from decorative dinner sets to functional objects infused with the streamlined, pared-back design sensibility that is so synonymous with northern Europe.
The brand’s breakthrough came during the 1930s and 40s, in the early years of modernism and functionalism.
“At that time, it was pioneers such as Alvar Aalto, Aino Aalto and Kaj Franck who led the development of the Iittala brand and believed that objects should be designed with thought, to make them available to everyone,” explains Päivi Paltola, the senior vice president of Iittala. This new approach set the foundation for Iittala’s design philosophy: to push boundaries and to provide people with beauty and functionality.
Forward-thinking, innovative Finnish design also transformed glassware, an evolution that was largely led by Iittala in the 1950s and 60s. During this period, Finnish glassware displayed a new kind of aesthetic and functionality – while most other countries still used traditional, extensive glassware ranges, brands such as Iittala led the trend towards more simplified and modern designs, which gradually took over from cut crystal.
Today, Iittala works with internationally acclaimed designers and produces pieces in a variety of materials. The company operates approximately 70 stores and brand outlets around the world, as well as more than 160 shop-in-shops. It has successfully established itself in key European locations, including premium department stores Le Bon Marché, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps in Paris; La Rinascente in Italy; and KaDeWe in Berlin. In Asia, the brand has made recent inroads in the design-minded nations of Japan, Korea and Taiwan. So, introducing the brand to the style-conscious Gulf region was a logical next step, says Paltola.
“Iittala is a good fit for the premium market of the UAE. Shoppers here value premium brands, and we believe customers will also be willing to embrace the theme of lifestyle and high-quality design. Meanwhile, the Jashanmal department store in Dubai Mall gives us an opportunity to make our designs available to Arabic and international customers.”
In a country such as the UAE, which is awash with leading international design names, Paltola is confident Iittala’s unique design philosophy will ensure the brand stands out from the crowd.
“Iittala objects are well thought through in form, function and quality,” she explains. “Our designers are critical thinkers who keep Iittala progressive and relevant; we analyse people’s everyday lives and create objects with shape and function that instantly makes sense and is intuitive. Good design is timeless and always relevant, so it lasts from one generation to another.”
The brand is also hoping to make its mark with the UAE’s urban dwellers.
“We know that people are moving to cities with more limited space, plus there is a growing consumer group that is shifting towards reducing the excessive,” says Paltola. “They want to focus on quality instead of quantity, and make carefully selected choices for their homes. This is very much aligned with our Iittala philosophy.”
Shoppers who are keen to seek out Iittala’s introductory pieces in the UAE will be enchanted by some of its key ranges and design icons, such as the Alvar Aalto vase collection, classic Ultima Thule barware by Tapio Wirkkala, Kastehelmi glass tableware by Oiva Toikka and decorative Taika tableware by Klaus Haapaniemi.
Of particular note is the legendary Alvar Aalto vase series, which is considered a design classic and one of the best-known Finnish glass objects worldwide, ever since its introduction at the Paris World’s Fair in the 1930s. Other pieces that show off Iittala’s mastery of free-formed glass blowing is the highly collectable Birds by Toikka series.
As a brand that continues to draw upon its proud heritage of world-famous glass blowers, colour development and handcrafting expertise, the future is certainly looking bright for Iittala. “We want to challenge our craftsmen to create a platform where new iconic objects can be discovered,” says Paltola.
weekend@thenational.ae
