The new era of play is discussed by Janni vepslinen.
Iittala, a renowned design brand, has a new Creative Director. Janni brings with her a wealth of experience from her background in luxury fashion and is ready to redefine the brand's approach to the world of design. She tells designboom that her fashion experience has helped her bring clear collection thinking into Iittala's design processes. Iittala has introduced a new logo and a new name called Aino, which pays homage to one of the pioneers ofFinnish design, Aino Aalto. All images courtesy of Grand Relations.
Artists and collections are being reinvented.
Janni Vepslinen understood how important Iittala was to the brand and how it could be seen through glass. The new Creative Director has collaborated with an experimental sound and visual artist. Damsel has created a series of glass instruments and objects inspired by Iittala's playful vision and a century-long tradition of glassmaking. The products were unveiled in a performance by Damsel, which was set against an industrial backdrop and glowing in the dark. Iittala PLAY, the first collection designed under Janni's creative direction, will be launched in March. Iittala has created a line of colorful, versatile, and playful objects, ranging from glass objects to ceramic tableware, textiles, and candles. A renewed retail experience is expected to launch, aligning with Iittala's vision.
Interview with Janni vepsl
Janni Vepslinen has a background in fashion. I loved knitwear design because I was able to mix yarns and materials freely and craft my own fabric. The same sense of hand-crafted material manipulation is present in mouth-blown glass. I can see endless opportunities to bring the Iittala story to the modern era. When I design, I always think of a muse, and how they spend their time, and what kind of rituals they have.
I was wondering if you could share the creative process behind the new brand identity. I read everything I could find about the designers behind the pieces and understood that they were pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo. The new brand color yellow is molten glass and is waiting to be shaped. The new logo was inspired by Iittala's long history and a certain logo from the 19th century. I want the logo to be a representation of Iittala's craft and heritage.
The project with Damsel Elysium has been a dream. We shared ideas and inspiration through video calls and direct messages as we continued to make prototypes. The glass instruments created in the collaboration are showpieces of the PLAY collection. I wanted to challenge the boundaries of glass with this project.