Anna Ruohonen on Focusing on the Individual

Anna Ruohonen is a Finnish clothing designer and the founder of her own clothing label Anna Ruohonen Paris. Ruohonen designs sustainable luxury fashion and calls her clothing ‘semi-couture’. Her designs are a combination of Nordic minimalism and French elegance. She is committed to creating timeless designs and bringing beauty to everyday life.

Ruohonen is regarded as one of the most successful clothing designers from Finland. In 2014 her shop in Paris was chosen as the best clothing and accessory store in the city, as well as receiving several mentions in publications and guides. She has also won numerous prizes such as the Kaj Franck-design award, which is one of the most notable prizes within the clothing design sector in Finland.

Ruohonen was FCINY’s artist-in-resident for the month of December 2021. The Institute’s Kia Standertskjöld-Nordenstam sat down for a virtual discussion with the artist to learn more about her creative processes and inspirations. 

Kia begins by asking: “It's been around a month since the end of your residency, including your late December event with the FCINY. What are your reflections on your time in New York and the public event? Have these shifted from your initial expectations?”

Despite the pandemic, my stay in New York was truly amazing. I have always been very fond of the Big Apple and this residency made me fall even more deeply in love with the city. The exceptional cultural scene in particular made a real impact on both me and my creative mind. Due to COVID, working was a bit difficult, so I concentrated on the art world and was very, very inspired by it. I think some of the pieces I saw will be engraved in my subconscious forever.

I had a small event during my stay but due to the restrictions with the upcoming holiday season, the participation was very minimal. However, we made a video to introduce my work to a wider audience and that was really great.

I went to New York with a very open mind, not expecting much due to the situation, and I think I got much more out of it than I ever expected. I have a strong feeling that this period somehow changed a lot for me, and gave me something that will influence my work in the long run. It feels very exciting.

“I’ve read that your grandmother taught you knitting, sewing, and crochet since you were a child and that you were constantly surrounded by Nordic design growing up. How is this visible in the clothes you design today?”

I think my love and respect for materials and handicrafts in general definitely dates to those times. I have a strong passion for high-quality fabrics and I deeply admire the tailors that work for me. They make a lot of finishing by hand and I think that is just wonderful! In my everyday life in Finland, I’ve always been surrounded by high-quality design. I feel this has given me a sense of heritage and ultimately an obligation to continue to create aesthetic pieces and beauty for everyday life.

“Quality and ecology are fundamental parts of your clothing design. How did your time in New York affect your artistic vision? Did you experience a lot of similar values in the clothing scene in New York?”

I was overwhelmed by the different forms of art in New York; every day I saw something of expert quality. The visions, structures, compositions - and especially colors and different tones all around - were mind-blowing to me. The more you see the stronger your own vision gets.

I was also searching for brands that share similar values and ways of working with me and was happy to find several made-to-order local high-quality brands.

“I’ve read that you highly emphasize the ecological aspect of clothing, while at the same time making it elegant and luxurious. Could you elaborate on the importance of the material in the creations you design? How does the artistic process usually unfold?”

For a very long time, I have been speaking of consuming less but better. The biggest problem in fashion today is that we produce way too much bad quality clothing which we use only a few times, leading to an abundance of waste ending up in landfills. One should do basic mathematics and invest in better quality clothing that lasts longer. Futhermore, we should take a step back and remember to love and enjoy the pieces of clothing we own – rather than viewing shopping as the primary act. High-quality material plays an important role in this process; the better the fabric, the easier it is to make something beautiful that lasts for generations. My belief is that with low-quality materials, one can never make anything truly beautiful.

My creative process often starts with the material. I need to feel and understand the fabric before I can design something with it. The colors are extremely important to me as well. I think I have a great eye for color tones; just slight differences in tone have an enormous importance to me. Some minuscule details I look out for may go unnoticed by the untrained eye, but for me, excellency comes from the perfect combination and delicate balance between fabric, its form, and color. A great piece of design, in the end, looks effortlessly simple – almost like it has always existed. There is a kind of quietness and harmony around it. It just feels ready.

Pieces by Anna Ruohonen. Photos by: Karoliina Jääskeläinen

“To pull a quote from a video you state: “If you don’t find clothing it’s the problem of the clothing, not you.” Could you elaborate on the quote, and reflect on how it’s visible in today’s society?” 

All the women who come to my stores start by telling me what the problem is with their bodies; for 20 years I have never met anyone who felt they were fine just the way they were. It feels backward; almost as if the standard measurement system is the only correct way to exist, and somehow the actual humans – especially women –are just built wrong. How terribly wrong and weird is this? For this reason, I keep telling my customers that everyone is different, that there is no standard woman, and only the system wants us to think this – after all, industrial methods have to be based on something. But the truth is that it is extremely difficult to find anyone who would perfectly fit the standard size.

I have measured hundreds of women; young, old, tiny, short, tall, skinny, heavy. It’s time to realize that the system is wrong – not the women. This is my mission and passion.

 
“What is inspiring you right now? How has your time in NYC and the US scene affected this?”

I am actually very excited about a new digital measuring system that we’re launching this spring together with a Finnish start-up company. With this innovative system, clients from all around the world can order my made-to-measure clothing online. Only a couple of photos taken by a mobile device will give us all the needed measurements. I find it very interesting to combine new innovative techniques with soft, traditional methods.

I’m also busy doing something non-functional, which is very new for me. I am painting with threads, meaning I am making a piece of textile by using a traditional method. Maybe in the end it will become an art piece – who knows – but in all honesty, I just hope to experience something free from the functional aspect. It’s a thought that has haunted me for years and when I saw the exhibition of Etel Adnan at Guggenheim, something clicked within me. I decided then and there that it is time for me to expand my ways of expression; to try something new.

So yes, New York made me want to take that step forward into the unknown.